Juicy Crockpot Turkey Breast (with easy gravy)

This Crockpot Turkey Breast is so juicy and delicious! It's simple to prepare in the crockpot and is perfect for when you don't want to make a whole turkey. It's coated in a garlic herb butter for maximum flavor and is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5 20

Servings

Calories 437

Author Ashlyn Edwards | Belle of the Kitchen

Equipment

1 Crockpot at least 6 quarts

Ingredients

For the turkey

6-7 pound bone-in turkey breast fully thawed
1-2 large onions peeled and cut into wedges
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

For the herb butter

1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 Tablespoon fresh sage minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1-2 garlic cloves minced

For the gravy

chicken stock only needed if juices from cooking the turkey is less than 2 cups
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Use paper towels to thoroughly pat dry the thawed turkey breast. Combine 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp poultry seasoning in a small bowl. If your turkey breast has an internal cavity, sprinkle the spice rub generously on the inside of the turkey breast, leaving more to sprinkle on the outside later. If your turkey breast does not have an internal cavity, move on to step 2.
Combine the herb butter ingredients in a small bowl. Loosen skin from the breast meat of the turkey by running a small spatula gently underneath the skin. Spread about half of the herb butter underneath the skin. Use your fingers to smush it around on top of the skin.
Rub the remaining herb butter all over the outside of the turkey and on top of the skin. Generously sprinkle more of the seasoning mix over the buttered turkey.
Place the onion wedges in the bottom of the crockpot, and then place the prepared turkey on top.
Cover the crockpot and cook on low heat until a thermometer inserted into the breast meat reaches 160-165 degrees, about 4-6 hours. You can also cook on high heat for 3-4 hours, just be sure to keep an eye on the internal temperature of the turkey.
Preheat your oven broiler and place the top rack close to the heat source leaving enough room for the turkey to fit underneath. Remove the turkey to a roasting pan and broil for 3-6 minutes, watching closely to make sure it doesn’t burn. You just want a nice golden brown color on the skin. Remove from the oven and allow the turkey to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
To make the gravy, strain the drippings (excluding the onions) from the crockpot into a liquid measuring cup using a mesh strainer. If you do not have 2 cups of drippings, then add enough chicken stock into the measuring cup to make 2 cups of liquid. I had right at 2 cups of drippings from my turkey and did not need any extra chicken stock.
In a small saucepan, melt ¼ cup (½ stick) of unsalted butter over medium low heat. Whisk in ¼ cup all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute.
Slowly pour the turkey drippings while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook until simmering and thickened. Taste, and add salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Serve immediately with the sliced turkey.

Notes

- Thaw your bird - make sure to use a completely thawed turkey breast. Most bone-in turkey breasts are sold frozen a the grocery store, so make sure you allow enough time for your bird to thaw before slow cooking. A frozen turkey breast that weighs about 6-7 pounds will need about two whole days to thaw in the fridge.

- The size of your slow cooker is important when cooking a turkey breast. I used a 6 quart slow cooker to make my seven pound bird and it fit just fine with the lid on top. You might need to turn your turkey around to fit inside of your crockpot and you can always lay a large sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the crockpot so that it overhangs the sides. Tuck the aluminum foil around the sides of the crockpot and cover with the lid to help keep the heat inside of the pot.

- The forgiving nature of the crockpot - don't stress if you leave your turkey breast in the crockpot for a little longer than the recipe calls for. The moist cooking environment that the slow cooker creates will yield a super tender turkey breast, even if you have to leave it an hour or so longer than needed. This is why I love to make it this way as opposed to the oven, which can dry out the breast meat.

- Rest before slicing - make sure to allow your turkey breast to rest for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing. This allows the turkey to absorb all of its own juices as it cools, as opposed to leaking out as you cut the meat.

- Don't skip the gravy! Homemade gravy is super easy to make with the drippings from the turkey and is the finishing touch! We love it over mashed potatoes, too!

- Store any leftover turkey in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

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