This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy is a wonderful option if you’re feeding a smaller group for the holidays. This smaller cut allows you to create a classic, comforting meal with a minimal amount of effort.
If you’re looking for a conventional oven method, check out my Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy.
When entertaining a group of six or less, you can skip the fuss of roasting a whole turkey and go easy on yourself with this easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy. This slow cooker method yields tender, succulent white meat with rich turkey gravy for your Thanksgiving table.
It’s kind of fun to break away from the routine when you have less people to feed. Small scale recipes like this turkey breast or Roasted Cornish Game Hens are easy to make and are loaded with classic holiday flavor.
I’ll have my usual big group here this Thanksgiving and I’ll be roasting my Dry Brine Turkey. But, I love the idea of cooking an extra turkey breast in the slow cooker. It’s a surefire way to ensure they’ll be plenty of leftovers for sandwiches, soups, and quesadillas the days following Thanksgiving. Leftovers are vital!
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Turkey breast: You can use a whole turkey breast which is comprised of two breasts portions still joined at the bone. Or, a half turkey breast, which has been separated by the butcher (like you see pictured in this post). They are available both fresh or frozen. The total weight should be no more than 6 pounds so that it will fit well inside a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Aromatics: The turkey cooks on a bed of thickly sliced onion and chopped carrots.
- Seasoning: The butter and dried spice rub consists of butter, olive oil, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, sage, paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Broth: Low sodium chicken broth for cooking the turkey and making the gravy.
- For thickening the gravy: Butter and all-purpose flour.
Both the aromatics and the butter-spice rub add flavor to the drippings. Flavorful drippings are vital for the best gravy.
How Many People Will a Turkey Breast Serve?
A good rule of thumb for calculating what size bone-in turkey breast you need is to figure ¾ pound per person.
- Whole turkey breast: A 6 pound whole turkey breast will serve 6 to 8 people with a good likelihood of leftovers
- Half turkey breast: A 3 to 4 pound half turkey breast will serve 3 to 6 people.
How to Thaw Frozen Turkey Breast
If you plan to buy a frozen turkey breast, be sure to allow enough time for it to safely thaw in the refrigerator. It takes approximately 24 hours for every 4 pounds of turkey to thaw. I always add on an extra day to be sure it won’t be icy going into the slow cooker.
- Place the frozen turkey breast on a rimmed baking sheet and set it in the refrigerator. The baking sheet will catch any drippings that might escape the packaging and protect the inside of your fridge.
- Allow it to thaw for two to three days in advance of the day you plan to cook it.
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Coat a 6-quart slow cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray and scatter the onion rings and carrot chunks across the bottom.
- Coat the turkey breast with the butter and spice rub both over and under the skin. If you want to ensure the skin will not shrink back too much while roasting, you can secure it with wooden toothpicks.
- Place the turkey breast on top of onions and carrots and add a little broth.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F when checked with an instant read thermometer in the thickest center portion of breast.
Transfer the turkey to a cutting board to rest for at least 15 minutes before crisping the skin in the oven.
- Place the turkey breast on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Broil for several minutes until the skin is browned and crisped. Watch closely to avoid burning.
For the Gravy
Remove and toss the vegetables and strain the turkey drippings through a fine mesh colander into a measuring cup, reserving 1 cup.
- Melt the butter deep skillet or saucepan over low heat and add the flour. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to make a roux.
- Slowly pour in the reserved turkey drippings and broth and whisk over low heat until thickened.
If you’d like to add a little color, add just a touch of Kitchen Bouquet Browning Sauce. A little goes a long way to add rich color.
How to Carve a Turkey Breast
- For a whole breast, use a sharp knife to cut down along the big breast bone running down the center of two breast portions. Slice it all the way down the length of the turkey breast.
- Now cut along the front where you first started and down over the ribs. As you do this, the breast should begin to separate and it should be easy to pull it away from the carcass.
- Repeat this process on the other side and transfer the breast meat to a cutting board.
- Slice the breast portions against the grain into 1-inch slices.
For a half breast, the butcher has taken care of step #1 for you. Just separate the breast meat from the bone and slice it.
There will be some good pieces of turkey left on the carcass that you can pull off and save for leftover turkey recipes. You can also use that meaty carcass to make some great homemade turkey stock.
Favorite Slow Cookers
I really put my collection of slow cookers through their paces with recipe testing for The Foolproof Family Slow Cooker and can heartily recommend both the Hamilton Beach 6-Quart Set and Forget Slow Cooker and the Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry model. I’ve used both of these slow cookers far more than wold be considered normal use and I’m happy to say they are both still cooking their hearts out.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate leftover turkey in an airtight container within 2 hours from the time it is removed from the oven. Leftover turkey should be used within 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
- Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes
- Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Stovetop Stuffing
- Roasted Carrots and Brussels Sprouts
- Check out my entire collection of Thanksgiving recipes for more menu inspiration!
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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 to 6 pound bone-in turkey breast, half or full, thawed if frozen (see recipe note)
- 1 medium onion, yellow or white, thickly sliced
- 1 carrot, scrubbed clean and cut into small chunks
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken or turkey broth, plus additional as needed
For the Rub
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- ½ teaspoon crushed rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup reserved turkey drippings
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce, optional (only a tiny bit or it gets too brown)
Instructions
For the Turkey
- Coat a 6-quart slow cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray and scatter the onion rings and carrot chunks across the bottom.
- Remove the turkey from its packaging and drain off the juices. Set it on a large sheet of foil or other work surface and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Use your fingers to gently push between the flesh and skin of the turkey to lift the skin slightly, being careful not to tear it. Spread a little of the butter mixture under the skin (reserve most for the skin) and then stretch the skin back over the turkey. If you want to ensure the skin will not shrink back too much while cooking, you can secure it with wooden toothpicks. Spread the remainder of the butter rub over the skin and sides of the breast. Place the turkey breast on top of onions and carrots. Pour ½ cup broth around the turkey.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F when checked with an instant read thermometer in the thickest center portion of breast.
- Transfer the turkey to a cutting board to rest for at least 15 minutes before crisping the skin in the oven.
Crisp the Skin
- Preheat oven to BROIL with your oven rack one position down from the center. Place the turkey breast in a foil-lined baking sheet and transfer it to the oven. Broil for several minutes until the skin is browned and crisped. Watch closely to avoid burning.
- Return the turkey to the cutting board to slice.
For the Gravy
- Remove and toss the vegetables and strain the turkey drippings through a fine mesh colander into a measuring cup, reserving 1 cup.
- Melt the butter in a deep skillet or saucepan over LOW heat and add the flour. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to make a roux. Slowly pour in the reserved turkey drippings and broth and whisk over LOW heat until thickened. If you’d like to add a little color, add just a touch of Kitchen Bouquet. Be very careful as a little does a lot and you don’t want it too brown. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
- Serve the sliced turkey breast with gravy on the side.
Notes
- Place the frozen turkey breast on a rimmed baking sheet and set it in the refrigerator. The baking sheet will catch any drippings that might escape the packaging and protect the inside of your fridge.
- Allow it to thaw for two to three days in advance of the day you plan to cook it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Thanksgiving Entrees
This post was originally published on November 16, 2019. It has been updated with new text and images.
