How To Cook A Turkey Breast In A Crock
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This Crock Pot Turkey Breast is a quick way to take a frozen boneless turkey breast and turn it into a tender, juicy main dish in just a few simple steps. We are keeping it simple with only 4 ingredients – boneless turkey breast, oil, onion and garlic. This might be your new Thanksgiving turkey.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe
You do know that turkey is not just for Thanksgiving anymore, don’t you? Yes, that’s right. You can make a juicy turkey breast in the crock pot any night of the week.
This slow cooked turkey breast is a great weeknight meal option because you can take it from the freezer in the morning before work, put it into your slow cooker, and come home to a home-cooked meal without turning on the oven.
If you like a crispy skin, try broiling the cooked turkey breast for a few minutes to brown up the skin. It’s worth the extra effort.
Mom’s Easy Turkey Breast in the Crock Pot
Our mom shared this simple turkey breast recipe with us, and it is one she uses often. Not only does it make a flavorful, moist, juicy, tender turkey breast EVERY TIME, but she can also get more than one meal from it. Cooking a boneless turkey breast in slow cooker is easy peasy, and this juicy turkey breast recipe has only 4 ingredients plus salt and black pepper.
What can I add to turkey breast for flavor?
If you are wanting to jazz up your turkey breast for even more flavor, try one of the suggestions below.
- Butter
- Poultry seasoning
- Thyme, rosemary or sage
- Sage browned in butter
- Garlic salt, garlic powder or onion powder
- Italian seasoning blend
- Dry white wine
- Lemon juice or lemon zest
- Paprika (Hungarian or smoked)
- Lemon pepper
- Apple juice
- Fresh herbs
Serve crockpot turkey breast with your favorite vegetable and mashed potatoes and gravy straight from the crock pot. Then use the leftovers to make Mom’s Wild Rice and Broccoli Soup. Or check out our friend’s 17 Recipes for Turkey Leftovers post over at My Fearless Kitchen.
Recipe FAQs
- If you are cooking a 6 lb turkey breast, the cooking time will be 6 to 8 hours. For a smaller 3 lb turkey breast, cooking time will be between 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Be sure to always use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. This depends on your slow cooker and how it heats so it may take a bit longer or be done a bit sooner.
- This is also a keto turkey breast crock pot recipe. You can modify the amounts of onions and garlic to keep it in keto range. Low carb turkey breast for the win! You could also pair this keto turkey breast recipe for the crock pot with Mashed Cauliflower. Double low carb for the win.
- Can we just say 4 ingredients! This simple turkey breast recipe in the slow cooker only has 4 ingredients. Boneless turkey breast, oil, onion and garlic. How easy is that?
- Be sure to season the boneless turkey breast with plenty of salt and black pepper.
- If you like a crispy skin, broil the cooked turkey breast for a few minutes before serving until the skin gets golden brown.
- This recipe starts with a frozen turkey breast; here’s a recipe starting with the turkey being thawed. We also have a crock pot turkey breast with cranberry sauce recipe!
What is your favorite leftover turkey recipe? We use our leftover turkey breast from the crock pot many different recipes. Check them out in our post about leftover turkey recipes! We love making this leftover Thanksgiving crescent roll casserole.
How to remove gravy packet from frozen turkey?
Be sure to follow these instructions very carefully so not to cut yourself. Use a clean dish towel to hold the frozen turkey breast without freezing your fingers. Use a knife to loosen around the gravy packet; then wedge the knife under the gravy and push up until the packet pops off.
If this method doesn’t work, you may have to defrost the frozen turkey breast for a few minutes in the microwave. After a few minutes, the gravy packet should thaw enough to make the process easier.
How to Make a Crock Pot Turkey Breast
Step by Step Instructions
- Remove gravy packet (very carefully) from the turkey breast; discard or save for later.
- Rub turkey breast with vegetable oil; season generously with salt and pepper.
- Add boneless turkey breast to the slow cooker insert.
- Add vegetables (onions and garlic or celery), and cover with the lid.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Optional step: broil the turkey breast, skin side up, for a few minutes or until the skin gets golden brown.
For the full recipe for a boneless turkey breast in the slow cooker, see below.
What do you serve with turkey breast?
Think outside the box of the traditional mashed potatoes, green beans and stuffing when serving turkey breast. Here’s some of our new spins on old favorite turkey dinner sides when it comes to side dishes.
Pennsylvania Dutch Green Beans
Old-Fashioned Cheesy Cabbage Casserole
What is the best way to cook Boneless Turkey breast in the Crock Pot?
The best way is simple. Coat the frozen breast with oil, season with salt and pepper. Add the prepared turkey plus garlic and onions to the crock pot. Cook on low until the breast reaches 165 degrees F.
Crock Pot Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 6 lb. boneless turkey breast frozen
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 4 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Remove gravy packet from the turkey breast; discard or save for later.
- Rub the turkey breast with vegetable oil; season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Place the breast in the crock pot.
- Peel the onion and quarter, and place around the breast.
- Peel the garlic and scatter around the breast.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Check internal temperature. Poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees F.
- Discard the onions and garlic before eating.
- Optional step: broil the turkey breast, skin side up, for a few minutes or until the skin gets golden brown.
Notes
- Mom’s crock pot turkey breast recipe calls for a 6 to 6 and a 1/2 pound boneless turkey breast.
- Cooking a 3 lb boneless turkey breast in crock pot can also be done with this recipe. Barbara used a 3 and a half pound breast and it turned out perfect.
- If you are cooking a 6 lb turkey breast, the cooking time will be 6 to 8 hours. For a smaller 3 lb turkey breast, cooking time will be about 4 hours. Be sure to always use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- This is also a keto turkey breast crock pot recipe. You can modify the amounts of onions and garlic to keep it in keto range. Low carb turkey breast for the win! You could also pair this keto turkey breast recipe for the crock pot with Mashed Cauliflower. Double low carb for the win.
- Can we just say—4 ingredients! This simple turkey breast recipe in the slow cooker only has 4 ingredients. Boneless turkey breast, oil, onion and garlic. How easy is that?
- Be sure to season the boneless turkey breast with plenty of salt and black pepper.
- If you’d rather start from a thawed turkey breast, use this recipe instead.
Nutrition
Hi, is the turkey breast thawed before cooking? The recipe didn’t say. Thank you.
We start ours from frozen but know that some worry about putting frozen meat directly into the crock pot. If you want to use a thawed turkey breast, you’ll just need to adjust the cooking time (probably around 6 hours or a bit less, but be sure to check that the internal temperature gets to 165 degrees F).
Hi! Should the 3-1/2 pound turkey be cooked on low heat as well?
Yes, a 3 1/2 pound on low heat should take between 3 to 4 hours. Using a meat thermometer is the best way to ensure proper cooking. Slow cookers can have quite a bit of variance in how they heat.
Thank you for this! Just put my turkey in the crockpot 🙂
My boneless frozen 3lb turkey breast has the giblet gravy bag frozen in the middle. What to do? Cook for awhile and remove when able?
We usually take a knife and try to wedge it out or run some hot water over it to loosen it up!
Cold or room temp works best. 😊
The recipe says put the garlic around, is it whole cloves or minced?
Just peel and put them in whole!
Do you put any liquid in your crock pot?
We don’t add any liquid.
n=my store sells stuffed frozen turkey breasts, can they be cooked the same way?
What are they stuffed with? They should be able to be cooked similarly but we haven’t tried it!
Do you cook on low or high temperature setting?
Cook it on low!
Absolutely loved this, turned out perfect as written. Ridiculously easy, good, hassle-free.
big thanks!
So glad you liked it. It’s our go-to turkey breast recipe!
I meant bone in! Darn autocorrect!
We knew what you meant (we agree about autocorrect). You can use a bone-in turkey breast, the cooking time will vary. We suggest using a meat thermometer with a probe you can leave in and monitor. You don’t want a dry turkey breast.