Juicy and flavorful Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast with gravy is perfect for small Thanksgiving dinner, smaller crowd during Holiday season, or a weeknight meal. It’s so easy with just 10 minutes of prep!
No crock pot? Make my crazy popular boneless turkey breast in the oven.
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Cooking boneless turkey breast in slow cooker is extremely easy and convenient. All you have to do is sprinkle the meat with seasoning, top with butter and then at the end just make quick gravy right in the crock pot and slice cooked turkey breast.
Good news is that there is no carving of whole turkey or even breast is required!
We love bacon wrapped turkey breast and air fryer turkey breast. Making slow cooker boneless turkey breast is another way to enjoy this lean cut of meat cooked until tender.
What’s In the Rub?
To season the turkey breast, I am using my homemade turkey rub made with brown sugar, dried rosemary, dried thyme, garlic powder, ground sage, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
I came up with this recipe because I keep cooking turkey breast too often. It was time for a signature rub!
And good thing is that one serving will be exactly the amount you need to make this crock pot boneless turkey breast. So, no waste or leftovers.
Ingredients You Will Need
To make slow cooker boneless turkey breast recipe, you will need 6 simple ingredients including water.
- Turkey breast: I used 3 lbs boneless skinless turkey breast in a mesh netting. You can also use skin-on turkey breast with bone removed. See about bone-in turkey breast down below.
- Turkey breast rub: It is a 5 minute recipe with very basic spices you have in your spice drawer right now. Way more convenient than poultry seasoning, however you can use that one too or any combination of spices you love.
- Butter: It makes flavorful gravy and ensures juicy turkey breast. I used salted butter.
- Chicken broth: Low sodium chicken stock or turkey broth will work. If using regular chicken broth, make sure to use unsalted butter or add less salt when making turkey seasoning.
- Cornstarch and cold water: To make a slurry and thicken the gravy at the end.
Boneless vs. Bone-In Turkey Breast
This recipe is for boneless breast but you can use it to cook bone-in turkey breast too. Bone-in breast is usually larger, about 5-6 pounds, so just make sure to make a little bit more rub and cook for longer time.
I recommend to cook bone-in turkey breast in slow cooker for 6 hours on Low heat. And just make sure it is cooked to 165 F internal temperature when a meat thermometer is inserted in the thickest part.
How to Cook Boneless Turkey Breast in Crock Pot
- Make the rub: In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, dried rosemary, dried thyme, garlic powder, ground sage, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Feel free to add or sub whatever you feel like.
- Season the turkey: Pat dry turkey breast with paper towels to make sure seasonings stick to it. There is no need to wash it. Then place on a plate and sprinkle with spice mixture all around. No need to rub it in.
- Slow cook it: Transfer turkey to bottom of the slow cooker, place cubes of butter on top and carefully pour chicken broth on a side. Cover with a lid and cook on Low setting for 4 hours.
- Make the gravy and slice meat: After transfer turkey breast from the crock pot to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to let turkey meat rest. Now we are going to make super easy gravy with the turkey drippings full of of flavors that are left at the bottom of the pot. Whisk in a slurry of cold water and cornstarch, switch heat to High, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until turkey gravy has thickened. That’s it!
How Long to Cook Turkey Breast?
Cook turkey breast in crock pot for 4-6 hours on Low temperature. I do not recommend to cook turkey breast meat on High because it will come out dry.
You may ask “how do I know my turkey breast is ready?”. As per USDA guidelines, turkey breast is safe to eat when instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165 F.
My tip for you is to remove it from slow cooker at 155 F, tent with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. This way you will end up with juicy turkey breast and it will reach required 165 F internal temperature during resting.
Here is a simple cook time chart for quick reference:
- 2-3 lbs boneless breast: Slow cook on Low for 4 hours.
- 5-7 lbs boneless breast: Slow cook on Low for 6 hours.
- 5-7 lbs bone-in breast: Slow cook on Low for 6 hours.
Tips
- Do not overcook it: Slow cooker boneless turkey breast is not one of those recipes that you set and forget. You can over cook it and turkey will dry out. Try to cook for indicated 4-6 hours and Keep Warm only for a few hours.
- Make sure to let meat rest: One of the biggest mistakes cooks make is slicing into any roast or steak too soon. It makes all the juices run out leaving your cooked meat dry. Make sure to cover turkey breast with foil for 15 minutes before slicing against the grain. Especially since you have to wait for gravy to finish cooking anyways.
- To get crispy skin: Like with any of the slow cooker recipes or Instant Pot turkey breast, crock pot doesn’t brown the skin. That’s why it’s nice to add paprika to the rub for color. To crisp up the skin, place cooked turkey breast in oven safe baking dish or on baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes or until browned. Watch closely not to burn.
Side Dishes for Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast
Pair with these side dishes for a delicious holiday meal:
- Healthy mac and cheese
- Instant Pot mac and cheese
- Cranberry sauce
- Cauliflower stuffing
- Garlic green beans
- Healthy cornbread muffins
I like to sprinkle fresh herbs like finely chopped parsley on the final dish, always!
How to Store and Reheat
What’s great about this easy slow cooker turkey breast recipe that it can last quite a few days.
Store: Refrigerate leftover turkey in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Make sure you let cooked turkey first to cool down to room temperature before transfering to the refrigerator.
Reheat: I recommend to reheat this dish in a microwave to avoid it drying out. Turkey breast is lean meat. Reheat turkey breast in broth if using stovetop or oven at 350 degrees F. You can also reheat it in air fryer, same way we reheat a chicken breast.
Freeze: Freeze cooked and cooled down turkey breast in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter or in the fridge overnight.
FAQs
No. If you remove the mesh netting from turkey breast before cooking, it will fall part. Many turkey breast brands (Butterball, for sure) use a few pieces of turkey beast that are being held together by the mesh. It should stay on and is safe for cooking.
As a rule of thumb, plan on 1/2 lb of turkey breast per person. I have an entire post dedicated to how much turkey breast per pound to buy and cook.
No. Make sure to fully thaw your turkey breast before cooking. According to USDA, it is unsafe to cook frozen or half-defrosted meat in slow cooker. It will cause harmful bacteria growth plus your meat will not cook evenly.
Do not cook on High heat and do not cook longer than 4 hours for 3 lbs breast and 6 hours for 5-7 lbs breast. Also as turkey rests, it becomes more juicy. Don’t skip this important step.
More Turkey Recipes
Leftover Turkey Recipes
Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless turkey breast
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons turkey breast rub
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, add turkey breast and sprinkle or rub it with the turkey breast seasoning on all sides evenly. Place cubes of butter on top of meat and pour chicken broth on a side.
- Cook on Low (don't cook on High) for 4 hours. Remove turkey breast on a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Switch crockpot to High. In a small bowl, whisk cold water with cornstarch, add to the slow cooker and whisk very well again. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until gravy has thickened.
- Remove the mesh (if any), slice turkey breast and return to the crockpot with gravy. Spoon some gravy on top and serve with mashed potatoes. Keep it on Warm for hours because it won't dry out in the gravy.
Thank you for this recipe – it is delicious! Decided to try a turkey breast this year for Thanksgiving, as turkey is fine but nothing great, in my opinion, and hubby doesn’t really like it at all… and there were only going to be 4 of us, so making a big bird was out (and I could have done chicken, but turkey is tradition!) I ate seconds! Hubby said, “pretty good.” And sis-in-law said, “I don’t really like turkey – but I like this!” In my gravy, I added 1/4 c. heavy cream, and 1 beef bouillon cube (sounds weird with chicken, but learned this tip from a good cook… adds a depth of color and flavor to the gravy). Great recipe – give it a try! Thanks again!
So nice of you to say, so happy everyone loved it! Thank you for the rating! Beef broth has so much flavor, it’s my trick often too!
Will this receipe work for a boneless pre-cooked turkey breast like from Costco or Sam’s Club?
Yes but I think that you just need to warm it through, so 2-3 hours on low heat. I assume it’s freshly cooked and not frozen. I would cut back salt in a turkey rub as well since pre-cooked turkey breast must be salted already.
This was so good! I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. Thank you so much for a great recipe that I will definitely make again.
My pleasure and so glad everyone loved this turkey breast!
Maybe a dumb question but….i am assuming you use a thawed turkey breast not frozen?
Correct. No worries, no dumb questions when cooking.
I am making this recipe now. I am using an organic boneless turkey breast from Whole Foods. I am using EVOO instead of butter. I am dairy free. I also used some fresh herbs – sage and thyme and used honey instead of brown sugar. Anxious to see how it turns out. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Sounds delicious, hope you enjoy it!