Julie Clark
Posted:
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Looking for fork-tender, juicy turkey to serve for Thanksgiving dinner? Save oven space and make this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with rosemary and orange juice.
I’ll be honest. Turkey is not my favorite part of the Thanksgiving dinner menu. When there’s sweet potatoes, green beans, corn casserole and soft rolls (and of course saving room for sweet potato pie), I want to pass on that meat, thank you.
But any other time of the year, I love a good turkey dinner. Especially when the turkey is fork tender and juicy. This slow cooker turkey breast is one of the easiest ways to prepare a juicy turkey breast and I love that it frees up the oven for the Thanksgiving side dishes we all love. Plus, it is one of the best ways to cook it so the turkey breast doesn’t dry out.
Boneless vs Bone-In Turkey Breast
I used a bone-in skin-on turkey breast in this crock pot turkey breast recipe. Is it better to use a bone-in turkey or boneless? First of all, roasting meat on the bone has better flavor than meat off the bone. It’s also true, however, that bone-in meat can be messy and many of you may not want to deal with picking meat off the bone.
For turkeys, be aware that a boneless turkey breast is actually a turkey “roast”. I’ve found that the roasts are usually tied together with string because they are different pieces of the turkey all processed together. This isn’t a bad thing, but once the turkey roast is slow cooked, it is often not as easily sliceable as a bone-in turkey breast. If you want all white meat boneless turkey breast, be sure to read the package well.
Also, remember that often the weight of the boneless turkey roast will conclude a gravy packet that you may or may not want to use.
Ingredients Needed
- Thawed Bone-In Turkey Breast. For even cooking, the turkey breast should be thawed completely.
- Rosemary, Garlic, Salt & Pepper. Simple flavors, but so delicious.
- Onion. This can either be stuffed in the cavity or placed under the turkey.
- Orange Juice. Orange flavor is classic for cooking turkeys. To keep this recipe easy, we used ready made orange juice and poured it over the turkey breast, allowing the turkey to slow cook in that sweet citrus flavor. If you’d like, slice up a few oranges and throw them in the slow cooker alongside the turkey breast for additional orange flavor.
- Butter. This is the base to the herbed rub you’ll coat the turkey in.
✨ See the recipe card below for full ingredients and amounts. ✨
How do you thaw a 6 pound turkey breast?
Remove the turkey breast from the freezer 2 days before cooking. Don’t defrost the turkey at room temperature. Give it plenty of time in the fridge to defrost. You’ll need 1 day per 4 pounds of turkey.
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- If the turkey breast does not fit in the slow cooker, remove the backbone, as you would if you spatchcock the turkey. Turn the turkey over and cut close to the backbone on each side, then discard the bone. This will allow you to press the turkey down slightly in order to fit in the slow cooker. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Place the chopped onion in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, rosemary and pepper. Mix well.
- Loosen the skin of the turkey and rub most of the butter mixture under the skin. Rub any remaining butter on the outside of the turkey. Place the turkey on top of the onions.
- Pour the orange juice over the turkey.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the turkey breast reaches at least 165º Fahrenheit.
- To brown the skin, heat the oven on low broil. Remove the turkey from the crockpot and place it in a baking pan or baking sheet. Baste the turkey with the juices. Broil the turkey for 10-15 minutes, watching it closely and rotating as needed to evenly brown the skin.
- Allow the turkey to rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
Recipe Variations
- Add carrots and celery around the turkey breast along with the onion.
- Use fresh herbs instead of dry. You’ll need double the amount to get a similar flavor.
- Add more herbs such as dried thyme, paprika, garlic powder or onion powder for even more flavor in the crockpot turkey breast.
Should turkey breast be up or down in the crockpot?
I prefer the turkey breast right side up so that I can broil it after slow cooking and it still makes a pretty presentation. The lid of the slow cooker drips liquid back down onto the turkey and acts as a self-basting lid. It’s a similar process as our electric roaster turkey.
Do you add water when cooking a turkey breast?
No. You can if you’d like, but it will create its own juices while cooking, so I don’t add additional water or chicken broth.
How much turkey breast to plan per person?
You’ll want to plan for about 1 pound of bone-in turkey per dinner guest. With all of the side dishes for with turkey, you could get away with a little less than that, but if I’m having a dinner party, I definitely don’t want to run out.
What temperature should turkey breast be cooked to?
Turkey breast is done when the internal temperature reads 165º Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the turkey breast. Be sure your internal probe meat thermometer is not touching bone or you may get a false reading.
What to serve with slow cooker turkey breast?
This slow cooker turkey breast recipe is delicious served with these Thanksgiving side dishes:
Other Turkey Recipes
- turkey in a bag
- smoked turkey with garlic and bacon
- turkey and stuffing casserole
- leftover turkey casserole
- citrus smoked turkey
Not a fan of turkey? Try our crockpot chicken and stuffing, stuffed chicken breasts or stuffed pork chops.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Looking for fork-tender, juicy turkey to serve for Thanksgiving dinner? Save oven space and make this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with rosemary and orange juice.
Servings 8
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 6-7 pounds bone-in turkey breast
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened, 4 ounces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup orange juice 8 ounces
Instructions
- If the turkey breast does not fit in the slow cooker, remove the backbone, as you would if you spatchcock the turkey. Turn the turkey over and cut close to the backbone on each side, then discard the bone. This will allow you to press the turkey down slightly in order to fit in the slow cooker. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. 6-7 pounds bone-in turkey breast
- Place the chopped onion in the bottom of a slow cooker. 1 large onion
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, rosemary and pepper. Mix well. ½ cup salted butter, 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Loosen the skin of the turkey and rub most of the butter under the skin. Rub any remaining butter on the outside of the turkey. Place the turkey on top of the onions.
- Pour the orange juice over the turkey. 1 cup orange juice
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the turkey breast reaches at least 165º Fahrenheit.
- To brown the skin, heat the oven on low broil. Remove the turkey from the crockpot and place it in a baking pan or baking sheet. Baste the turkey with the juices. Broil the turkey for 10-15 minutes, watching it closely and rotating as needed to evenly brown the skin.
- Allow the turkey to rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
Video
Notes
The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 8 people, with 1 serving being ⅛ of the turkey breast. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 66g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 631mg | Potassium: 768mg | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 1.6mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Could this be done in a instapot to cut cooking time?
Can I use chicken broth unstead of orange juice
How much orange juice? I do not see it listed in the ingredients.