This slow cooker turkey breast is the easiest way to get perfectly juicy turkey breast. Foolproof and beginner-friendly, there’s no brining, no basting, and no oven required. The recipe includes instructions for both boneless turkey breast and bone-in turkey breast, as well as an optional flavorful gravy.

Sliced roasted turkey breast garnished with fresh rosemary and thyme on a white platter.

5 star review

“The best turkey I’ve ever had! This past Thanksgiving, I needed to make the turkey for the first time, which was pretty intimidating. When I saw this recipe it looked perfect and it was. The turkey was so yummy!”

– Kayla
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An Easy Crock Pot Turkey Breast Recipe

If you’ve ever wished for turkey that’s actually juicy and truly stress-free, my slow cooker turkey breast is the answer! I created this recipe to use either a boneless turkey breast or a bone-in turkey breast, that gets rubbed with a simple blend of melted butter, garlic, herbs, and spices, then cooks low and slow on a bed of onion and carrots until perfectly moist and tender.

This really is the most foolproof way to get juicy turkey breast, without brining, basting, or ever turning on the oven! Seriously, all you have to do is set it, forget it, and you’ll have turkey breast that rivals anything you’ve roasted the traditional way, plus flavorful pan juices ready to turn into homemade gravy.

Here’s what I learned after testing this recipe many times: cook on low, rather than high. High heat has a higher chance of drying out the breast even in a slow cooker, and low gives you the juiciest results. Also, the onion and carrot “platform” I use in this recipe isn’t just for flavor, it also keeps the turkey elevated out of the cooking liquid so the bottom doesn’t poach, plus gives you super flavorful drippings to use for gravy, if you so desire.

I also highly recommend using a meat thermometer to pull the turkey when it reaches 165°F in the thickest part, because slow cookers vary wildly in temperature and checking temperature rather than time will give you the best results.

I recommend starting to check at 5 hours, then adding time in 30-minute increments as needed. And, for crispy skin, pop the turkey under the broiler for about 5 minutes at the end, rotating halfway through and watching closely so it doesn’t burn.

This slow cooker turkey breast is truly perfect for small Thanksgiving gatherings, oven-crowded holiday meals, or simple weeknight dinners year-round. When it comes to Thanksgiving, I often roast a whole bird and then cook a turkey breast in the slow cooker so we have plenty of breast meat to go around.

Leftovers are gold for sandwiches, meal prep, and cozy soups, so don’t forget to save the pan juices for stock. My crockpot turkey soup and turkey rice soup are both reader-favorites that turn leftover turkey into easy dinners, so be sure to bookmark them for your leftovers.

Raw turkey breast, carrots, onion chunks, butter, broth, and small bowls of flour and spices arranged on a surface.
This slow cooker recipe uses boneless turkey breast or bone in turkey breast along with a simple butter herb rub for super juicy turkey breast, every time!

Welcome to My Kitchen, Here’s How to Make a Turkey Breast in the Crockpot

Jump to Recipe Instructions
A metal spoon resting in a white bowl filled with textured, orange-brown paste.
Mix the spice rub ingredients.
Two whole carrots and four onion wedges in a black slow cooker insert.
Arrange onions & carrots in a slow cooker.
A hand rubs a dry spice rub onto a raw turkey breast on parchment paper, with a bowl of the spice mixture nearby.
Coat the turkey in the spice rub.
A raw turkey breast coated in dry orange seasoning inside a slow cooker with raw onion wedges.
Place the turkey on the veggies.
Seasoned turkey breasts in a black slow cooker.
Cook on low until it’s cooked-through.
A seasoned, roasted turkey breast in a cast-iron skillet.
For crispy skin, place the turkey on a pan.
Roasted turkey breast in a cast-iron skillet.
Broil for 5 minutes, until the skin is crisp.
Two sliced, seasoned turkey breasts on a wooden cutting board with a chefs knife.
Rest 5-10 min then slice against the grain.
A glass measuring cup filled with golden-brown liquid next to a stainless steel strainer.
Drain the cooking liquid & discard any solids.
Melted butter in a white saucepan.
Melt butter in a saucepan.
Flour being whisked into melted butter in a skillet.
Sprinkle in the flour.
A metal whisk stirring a smooth, golden-yellow sauce in a light-colored saucepan.
Whisk until it forms a smooth paste.
Liquid being poured from a glass measuring cup into a pot containing a yellow mixture, with a metal whisk inside.
Add half the cooking liquid & whisk constantly.
Liquid being poured from a measuring cup into a pot containing a yellow sauce and a metal whisk.
Add the remaining liquid & whisk until it’s smooth.
A metal whisk sits in a pot of steaming orange soup.
Simmer until it thickens.
Sliced roasted turkey breast garnished with sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme.
Serve the turkey with optional gravy.

Robyn’s Testing Notes for Juicy Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker

  • If using a frozen turkey breast, make sure it is completely defrosted before cooking. 
  • For the best, juiciest results, I recommend you cook the turkey breast on low (not on high).
  • You do not need to add any additional liquid to this recipe, as the turkey will create its own juices as it cooks.
  • Slow cooker temperatures can differ depending on make and model, so be prepared to check the internal temperature at the early end of the cook time, then continue to add time in 30 minute increments until it reaches the desired temperature.
Gravy being poured over sliced turkey breast next to a serving of mashed potatoes.

5 star review

“I have never made a turkey or turkey breast before so I thought I’d try this before venturing into the whole bird. I may never do that because this recipe is so easy and delicious! Big thumbs up from my household. Thank you! ”

– Elizabeth
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Sliced roasted turkey breast garnished with fresh rosemary and thyme on a rectangular platter, served with bowls of cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes.
Sliced roasted turkey breast garnished with fresh rosemary and thyme on a white platter.
5 stars (5 ratings)

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast (Boneless or Bone-In)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 8
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 hours
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total: 5 hours 15 minutes
Juicy slow cooker turkey breast with a simple butter-herb rub. An easy, set-and-forget dinner for Thanksgiving, weeknights, or meal prep.
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 (4-pound) boneless or bone-in turkey breast, skin-on
  • 1 medium yellow onion, quartered 
  • 2 medium carrots

Turkey Spice Rub

  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions 

Prepare the Turkey Spice Rub

  • In a small bowl, mix the turkey spice rub (melted butter, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, paprika, and salt) together until a paste forms. Set aside.

Prepare the Turkey

  • In a 6-quart slow cooker, arrange the onion and carrots to make a “platform” for the turkey breast.
  • Pat the turkey breast completely dry with a paper towel. Evenly coat the turkey breast with the turkey spice rub, working it under the skin and on top of the skin.
  • Place the turkey breast in the slow cooker on top of the onion and carrot “platform.”
  • Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F when inserted into the thickest part.
  • Begin checking the temperature at 5 hours. Allow to rest for 20 minutes, tented with foil, prior to carving or crisping the skin.

For Crispy Skin (Optional)

  • Carefully place the turkey breast into an oven-proof pan. Broil until the skin is crisp, about 5 minutes, rotating halfway through, keeping a close eye the whole time to avoid burning.
    • Don't walk away from the turkey while it's under the broiler! It can go from perfectly crispy skin to burned in seconds.
  • Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes, then slice against the grain and serve with gravy, if desired.

Notes

  • Turkey Size: When shopping for turkey breast, make sure you select one that fits in your slow cooker with the lid fully fitted on top with no gaps. I recommend an oval 6-quart oval slow cooker or larger for this recipe.
  • Frozen Turkey: Make sure your turkey breast is completely defrosted before making this recipe. I’ve found that a frozen 4-pound turkey breast takes about 2 days to fully defrost in the refrigerator.
  • Slow Cooker Temperature: Can differ depending on make and model, so be prepared to check the internal temperature at the early end of the cook time, then continue to add time in 30 minute increments until it reaches the desired temperature. As a general guide, for bone-in or boneless, skin-on turkey breast:
    • 1-2 pounds: 4-5 hours on low, begin checking at 4 hours
    • 2-3 pounds: 4-6 hours, begin checking at 4 hours
    • 4-8 pounds: 5-7 hours on low, begin checking at 5 hours
  • Additional Liquid: No, you do not need to add additional liquid, as the turkey will produce quite a bit of its own liquid as it cooks.
  • Optional Gravy: Strain the cooking liquid into a fat separator. Discard any remaining solids. If necessary, add additional chicken or turkey stock to reach two cups of total liquid. In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, then sprinkle in 4 tablespoons flour (or gluten-free 1:1 flour), whisking until a smooth paste forms. Pour over about half the liquid, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour in the remaining liquid, stirring constantly until smooth. Simmer on low until just thickened (the gravy till continue to thicken as it cools), about 5 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve alongside the sliced turkey.
  • For Meal Prep: I make this turkey for meal prep often. In this case, I discard the skin after cooking, then thinly slice and use immediately or freeze in individual portions. 
  • Skip the Gravy: If you don’t want to make the gravy, simply strain the liquid, discard the vegetables, and serve it alongside or use as a broth for soup. Don’t forget to make the best Turkey Soup or Turkey Rice Soup with any leftovers.
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 269kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 49g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 130mg, Sodium: 683mg, Potassium: 631mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 2707IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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