{"id":17233,"date":"2019-11-22T06:33:52","date_gmt":"2019-11-22T11:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/?p=17233"},"modified":"2021-09-30T10:33:26","modified_gmt":"2021-09-30T14:33:26","slug":"slow-cooker-turkey-breast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/slow-cooker-turkey-breast\/","title":{"rendered":"Juicy Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast"},"content":{"rendered":"

This easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast<\/strong> recipe is so juicy and flavorful<\/strong>, and since it’s boneless, you don’t need to worry about carving anything! You only need 10 minutes of prep<\/strong>– just make a rub, slather it on the turkey, and let your crockpot do the work for you. It’s perfect for a small Thanksgiving dinner and easy enough for a weeknight main course.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Boneless<\/p>\n

See that gorgeous color? It’s all in the rub – a mixture of all kinds of spices, including bright red paprika and golden yellow turmeric<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A quick few minutes under the broiler crisps up the skin for a beautiful golden brown color that’s perfect for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving table!<\/p>\n

To be honest, I don’t know if I’m ever going to cook a whole turkey again now that I’ve discovered this slow cooker version. I really hate the hassle of a whole turkey, and having to wrangle a giant piece of raw poultry. This slow cooker turkey breast recipe is almost too good to be true – it’s so ridiculously easy and flavorful!<\/p>\n

And you can even whip up a quick gravy from the drippings.<\/p>\n

What’s in the turkey breast rub?<\/h2>\n

The rub is a mixture of softened butter with kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano and thyme, paprika, turmeric, and garlic powder. Just mix everything together in a small bowl and you’re good to go!<\/p>\n

It’s important to use softened butter<\/strong> for this, not melted. Softened butter will help it form into a paste that you can easily spread over the turkey breast evenly. <\/p>\n

I should also note: the turmeric is optional<\/strong>. It gives the turkey a golden yellow color that I think is gorgeous, especially because it’s hard to get nice color on a slow cooked breast (roasting in the oven makes golden, crispy skin all over)<\/em>. But if you don’t have it, or if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of the yellow spice (which does stain)<\/em>, just leave it out!<\/p>\n

You can also use any other combination of spices you want. Really, as long as you have salt and pepper, you can make a turkey breast in your slow cooker.<\/p>\n

\"Mixing<\/p>\n

How to cook a boneless turkey breast in your slow cooker<\/h2>\n

Just slather the rub on the turkey, place it on some onions in your slow cooker, and cook on low for 4 hours! THAT’S IT! Here are some tips and tricks for success.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Grease the bottom of the crockpot. <\/strong>When you make the rub, grab a little of the softened butter and use it to coat the bottom of your slow cooker. This will help make sure nothing sticks to the bottom as it cooks. You can also use cooking spray or brush it with olive oil.<\/li>\n
  2. Remove any “extras” from the turkey.<\/strong> Sometimes, turkey breasts will come with a gravy packet, and\/or come trussed with twine. You can just discard all of that. Snip the twine off with scissors.<\/li>\n
  3. Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels.<\/strong> You don’t have to rinse it (and you actually shouldn’t e<\/a>ver rinse<\/a> poultry<\/a>)<\/em>, but patting it dry will help the rub to stick and penetrate the flavors more. I like to place the whole thing on a paper towel lined rimmed baking sheet and then pat the top dry with the edges.<\/li>\n
  4. Rub the bottom, under the skin, and over the skin with the spice<\/strong> mixture<\/strong>. I saved most of it for on top, but you can actually pull the skin up (if your turkey breast comes with a skin)<\/em> and spread the rub underneath, then place the skin back and rub the top. This will help add lots of flavor to the meat.<\/li>\n
  5. You probably won’t need any more than 4 hours. <\/strong>In fact, you may only need 3 hours. White breast meat can get dry if it’s overcooked, so if you have a smaller turkey breast, or if you just want to check the temp after 3 hours, give it a shot! It should be 165 degrees F.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"How<\/p>\n

    How to get crispy skin<\/h2>\n

    The one disadvantage to cooking skin-on turkey (or chicken)<\/em> in a slow cooker is that the skin doesn’t get crispy, or a golden color, like when it roasts in the oven.<\/p>\n

    To get crispy skin on this boneless turkey breast, just place the whole thing after it’s done cooking on a rimmed baking sheet, and set it under the broiler for 5-10 minutes. It makes such a difference in how beautiful it looks! I do this when I make slow cooker chicken thighs<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n

    You can also skip this step if you want, especially if you start with a skinless turkey breast. Totally optional. But highly recommended.<\/p>\n

    Let the turkey breast REST before slicing it!<\/h2>\n

    One mistake that people make when slicing into a turkey (or chicken, or steak<\/a>, or really any meat) <\/em>is they slice into it too quickly. This causes many of the juices in the meat to escape prematurely. If you let it rest, the juices have a chance to redistribute.<\/p>\n

    Letting the turkey breast rest for 20 minutes<\/strong> before slicing will result in super juicy, moist meat. If you’re worried about it cooling off, you can tent it with foil. <\/p>\n

    And that gives you plenty of time to whip up a gravy from the drippings!<\/p>\n

    \"A<\/p>\n

    How to make gravy from the drippings<\/h2>\n

    I love turkey gravy so much that I wrote a whole post on how to make classic turkey gravy from the drippings<\/a>. But you can also do a quick and easy version with the drippings from this slow cooker turkey breast!<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. You’ll end up with about a cup of drippings. Strain them into a glass measuring cup<\/a> or fat separator<\/a> and discard the onion slices and other solids. <\/li>\n
    2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter OR 2 tablespoons of the fat from the drippings (you can just skim it off the top)<\/em> in a medium pot or skillet.<\/li>\n
    3. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk together, cooking for about a minute (longer, for darker color)<\/em>.<\/li>\n
    4. Then, slowly pour in the drippings while whisking, cooking until thickened and stirring\/whisking frequently. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The gravy probably won’t need much seasoning since the drippings have all the flavor from the rub. Keep in mind, if you use turmeric in the rub, the gravy will also have a yellow hue.<\/p>\n

      \"Sliced<\/p>\n

      Can you use a bone-in turkey breast?<\/h2>\n

      Definitely! Follow the exact same instructions, just cook it for longer and make a little more rub. Whole turkey breasts with the bone in are usually 6-7 pounds, so it will need more time.<\/p>\n

      I recommend cooking a bone-in turkey breast in the slow cooker for on low for 6 hours. Be sure to check the temperature to make sure it’s 165 degrees F.<\/p>\n

      \"A<\/p>\n

      More of an instant pot lover? Try this Instant Pot Turkey Breast<\/a> for a whole, bone-in version flavored with lemon and thyme. You may also like this Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken recipe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      Sides to go with turkey breast<\/h2>\n