This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is a show stopper that’s bursting with buttery garlic-herb flavours, an outrageous super crispy skin and a Garlic Butter Gravy that’s absolutely to-die for!
Slow cooking is without question the safest and easiest way to cook turkey breast without brining or marinating. The flesh is juicy, it’s completely hands off, and it’s a forgiving recipe. And it’s ideal to prep ahead!
Slow Cooker turkey breast
This is the slow cooker version of last years’ Roasted Garlic Herb Butter Turkey Breast. The slow cooker option was in such high demand, I ended up creating it and cramming the recipe in the notes, putting it in the running for the world’s longest recipe directions.
And as Christmas and Thanksgiving approaches for another year, I finally got my butt into gear and filmed the slow cooker version properly so I could share it with you.
So it’s here. Garlic Herb SLOW COOKER Turkey Breast. Just 12 months after it was originally requested!!😂
This is what you get with this recipe
✅ Easy, forgiving recipe made in the slow cooker, freeing up your oven for other things;
✅ Juicy flesh – no dry turkey breast around here! Proof -> see reader feedback on the classic Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast, there’s plenty! This Garlic Herb Turkey Breast uses the same cooking technique;
✅ Garlic-Herb-Butter flavour – all that flavour slathered under the skin so it drips down and bastes the turkey while it’s cooking…..
✅ Crispy skin – you are going to be BLOWN AWAY how crispy the skin is! It’s way crispier than traditional roasted turkey – and it stays crispy. It takes mere minutes under the grill/broiler just before serving!
✅ Garlic Butter Gravy – As if all that’s not enough, we’re topping all that off with the most incredible gravy… The favour in that gravy is outrageous. OUTRAGEOUS! It’s buttery, garlicky, a bit herby, but mostly it’s the turkey juices. You will be amazed how much juice comes out of the turkey!
Garlic Herb Butter for Slow Cooker turkey breast
The garlic-butter slather is the key flavour base for this recipe. Lots of butter, lots of garlic, plus herbs of choice – fresh or dried.
Fresh herbs are extra great so try to get at least one if not two fresh herbs if you can. I’ve used thyme, sage, parsley and rosemary – the dried version of all of these are great too.
Slather everywhere!
Get that butter all over the turkey, in all the crevices and folds, but most of all, get it under the skin. This is where you get the most mileage out of the butter because it’s trapped between the skin and the flesh so while some drips down the turkey while it cooks, some of it also stays under the skin.
Just imagine all the good things happening during all those hours while it slow cooks!!
You’re going to cop a great eyeful of my unmistakable hands in the recipe video doing all the slathering action. No cheeky comments! 😂
Tip to loosen skin
Use an upside down tablespoon. Perfect shape to hug the curves and avoids piercing skin.
Cooking turkey breast in slow cooker (crockpot)
I like to place the turkey breast on top of a halved onion and head of garlic. This serves two purposes:
1. Elevates the turkey breast so it doesn’t braise in its own juices (cooks faster, can dry it out); and
2. Infuses the liquid from the turkey with extra flavour which is used to make the amazing garlic butter gravy.
Slow cook for 6 hours on LOW, but to be on the safe side, check the internal temperature at 5 hours. Variables such as how chilled the centre of your turkey is, the strength of your slow cooker, thickness of the breast can all affect how long it takes.
Internal temperature of cooked turkey
75C / 165F using a meat thermometer inserted into the centre of the turkey breast.
A MEAT THERMOMETER IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Even a cheap one from Ebay or Kmart. It’s a very worthwhile investment – and will take the guesswork out of cooking.
It’s especially important for things like turkey breast which are lean and prone to drying out when overcooked.
Crisp the skin – don’t skip this!
This is an essential step and it’s the crowning glory of this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast. Just pop the turkey under the grill/broiler for a mere 5 minutes, and watch with amazement how the pale, unappetising looking skin transforms into a deeply bronzed, ultra crispy skin…
DOESN’T THIS LOOK AMAZING??!! And don’t forget there’s GARLIC-HERB-BUTTER UNDER THE SKIN!!
*Sorry for shouting, just overly excited*
I know I said the crispy skin is the crowning glory, but I forgot – there’s another one:
The turkey garlic butter gravy
All those flavours from the Garlic-Herb-Butter we slathered on the turkey, mingling with the juices from the turkey with the added flavour from the onion and garlic on the base of the slow cooker….
It’s a gravy unlike any other!!
What to serve with turkey
Turkey breast is more often than not a centrepiece for holiday feasting such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here are some traditional and some of my personal favourite side dish suggestions!
Thanksgiving sides for turkey
Christmas sides for turkey
DON’T STRESS. This is a forgiving recipe!
Turkey breast has a reputation for being notoriously difficult to cook because it’s so lean, so it can go from perfectly juicy to dry in a flash in the oven. You don’t need to stress about precise timing in this recipe because slow cookers are far more forgiving than ovens because they cook at such a low temp – PLUS we’re adding (plenty!) of fat into this recipe with the butter.
One or two hours over, and the turkey breast will still be juicy.
But if you do accidentally overcook it slightly, don’t fret. Slice the turkey thinly and pass around plenty of that fabulous Garlic Butter Gravy, and I bet no one even notices!!! ~ Nagi x
PS For neatly categorised Thanksgiving recipes, head here!
More turkey recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
It is quite ridiculous how small my hands look compared to that GIANT turkey breast! 😂
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Garlic Herb Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2.5 - 3 kg / 5-6 lb single turkey breast , skin on, bone in (Note 1), NOT BRINED
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 1 brown onion , halved
- 1 head of garlic , halved horizontally
- 3 sprigs rosemary, 8 sprigs thyme (optional)
- Oil , for drizzling (for skin)
Garlic Herb Butter (Note 2):
- 150 g / 10 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 large garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tbsp EACH finely chopped fresh sage, rosemary leaves, thyme leaves and parsley , fresh
Garlic Butter Gravy:
- Chicken broth/stock, for topping up (if required)
- 1/3 cup / 50g flour
- 1/2 tsp + dark soy sauce (or gravy colouring) (Note 3)
Instructions
- Garlic Herb Butter: Mix ingredients together.
- Loosen skin (video helpful): Pat breast dry. Use small knife to cut slit on one side to separate skin from flesh. Slide upside tablespoon between flesh and skin, all over turkey.
- Slather: Slather about 2/3 of the butter under the skin, then the remaining all over the surface including underside.
- Season skin: Sprinkle surface with 1/2 tsp salt + pepper. (Can leave overnight - 2 days at this stage)
- Put in Slow Cooker: Place garlic and onion in slow cooker (mine is 5L / 5 qt). Place turkey on top, skin side up. Top with thyme and rosemary sprigs.
- Slow Cook: Cook 6 hours on low, first checking at 4 hours to be safe, until internal temperature reads 75C/165F when inserted into the middle.
- Rest: Transfer turkey to baking tray (reserve juices). Cover loosely with foil, rest for 20 minutes.
- Crisp: Remove herb sprigs, drizzle turkey with oil (not butter, it burns / not as crispy). Place under a broiler/grill on high (~30cm/12" from heat source) for 5 to 10 minutes until skin is crispy and bronzed - keep an eye on it, it's quick.
- Serve turkey with gravy on the side (below), or Cranberry Sauce.
Gravy:
- Strain slow cooker juices into a bowl. Press juices out of onion and garlic. If you've got less than 2.5-3 cups (675-750ml) of liquid, top up with store bought broth/stock.
- When liquid settles, spoon off about 1/4 cup fat/butter from surface.
- Place in saucepan set over medium heat. When it bubbles, add flour and mix for 1 minute.
- Add all slow cooker juices into saucepan. Stir until lump free (use whisk if necessary). Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until it thickens.
- Add dark soy (if using), pepper and salt to taste. Pour into jug and serve with turkey.
Recipe Notes:
1 kg / 2 lb: 4 - 5 hours on low
2 - 3 kg / 4 - 6 lb: 5 - 6 hours on low
4 kg / 8 lb: 6 - 7 hours on low
5 kg / 10 lb: 7 -8 hours on low * Check internal temp at the earliest time, until internal temperature reads 165F/75C when inserted into the middle.* Cook time can be variable - affected by things like turkey thickness, strength of slow cooker, how chilled the centre is etc. Slow cookers are very forgiving so don't stress too much about cooking time, an hour or 2 over and it will still be moist. Other cook methods: Recipe not suitable for slow cooking on HIGH, or pressure cooker. Instant Pot - use slow cooker function on low and follow recipe, do not use pressure cooker function. See here for roasting. 5. GENERAL NOTES:
* Butter Sauce alternative to gravy: Pour strained slow cooker juices into a saucepan and reduce by about half. Also nice with a spritz of fresh lemon juice! Add more butter for richness.
* No water is required for this, you wil be amazed how much liquid is leached by the turkey (see video). 6. SERVING:
Amount per person: Allow 300g / 10 oz UNCOOKED weight per person for bone in turkey.
Slice thinly from the fat end of the breast. If you know the turkey is 100% perfectly cooked to right internal temp, can also slice thickly.
Serve warm: Because breast is so lean, it needs to be warm when served for optimum juiciness. So it's best to slice as required. Otherwise, cut thickly (like pictured) then cover with cling wrap and warm gently just before serving. If the turkey is a bit overdone and not as juicy as desired, slice thinly and pass around plenty of gravy! 7. MAKE AHEAD / REHEATING:
Prep ahead: Can slather with butter then leave in fridge overnight to 2 days (in fact, this brines the turkey a bit which = extra juiciness!).
Cooked early: If the turkey is ready early, turn slow cooker off and leave it in there for a couple of hours (better than leaving on warm setting as if your slow cooker warm setting is too strong, can dry turkey out). Crisp skin just prior to serving.
Reheating: Turkey breast is best cooked fresh because it's a leaner meat. However, if it can't be avoided, slow cooked breast (pre crisping) can be reheated on low in the microwave, then crisp before serving. 8. Got turkey leftovers? Use it up in White Turkey Enchilada Soup, Garlic Bread Leftover Turkey Pot Pie or Muffulettas! 9. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 servings and that all the gravy is consumed.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published November 2018, writing cleaned up and re-edited video added November 2019. No change to recipe!
LIFE OF DOZER
Oh those tantalising smells…..
I’m making this today with a double bone in turkey breast that is just under 6 lbs. I have followed all the instructions. Should the cook time still be the same?
That’s about 3 kg Mahria so yes it should be about the same cook time. N x
Another winner thanks to you!
The only thing I did different was slow cook it in a Dutch oven at 225 F. because I woke up to a broken crock pot and the internet helped me improvise. The method works fine but it sucks having your oven occupied that long. I have a new crock pot arriving tomorrow! Your recipes never fail. Thanks Naji! Trying your garlic bread leftover turkey pie next. I make your Baked Chicken and Rice every 5 days for my toddler. (for the last year and a half) Its all he wants for dinner!
So after cooking here are my thoughts: This is an excellent way to cook turkey. It came out juicy and well done (5 lbs in 5hrs). I prepared it on top of some carrots instead of garlic/onion and it was a bit bland as was the resulting gravy. I added some worcestershire sauce for coloring but it still wasn’t 100% flavorful. I will likely do this again with some tweaking for spice/flavor. Thank you for helping to make it a great Thanksgiving!
So glad you enjoyed it Holly! N x
Check your turkey size while it’s wrapped and make sure it fits in your slow cooker!!! I had to cut mine a bit AFTER I had slathered it up. It’s cooking now so I will let you know how it turns out. Easy recipe but I had layered some carrots in to elevate and it wouldn’t fit so I had to move them out of the way and cut things a bit.
Great tip to check BEFORE unwrapping! N x
Where do I.buy Turkey breast please
In Australia frozen double turkey breasts, called a buffe, are available from the major supermarkets in the lead-up to Christmas. I buy one, thaw it out in the fridge, then cut the spine out. I pass half on to a friend and use the spine to make stock. For about $16 for a breast it’s an economical way to have something special for Christmas and Nagi’s recipe is great! I’ve used it every Christmas for the past few years. https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/767632/ingham-s-frozen-turkey-easy-carve-buffe
How many kilos is that buffe? And if you did put the whole thing in the slow cooker, how long would you need. It says it is self basting? What does that mean? Would you still carry out Nagi’s recipe as is? Thanks for the suggestion.
Hi there! I’m so excited to try this Turkey for our pre-thanksgiving family dinner! One thing, I missed the “not brined” part and unfortunately I have a perfect Turkey breast but has the “8% of solution with water salt and other spices” note. 😫 Is this a deal breaker or should I maybe just omit the salt in the recipe? Thanks!
Nagi-
Greetings from Chicago! I am hosting Friendsgiving the day after Thanksgiving. Please help! Since everyone will have had turkey the day before- I was thinking of doing a pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Do you think this garlic, herb butter would work on pork and to make pork gravy? I know the cooking time would be different but would the garlic butter be too much with pork? I appreciate any advice you can give me. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes n tips! Happy Thanksgiving, Nagi!
Trish
Hi Trish – if you are going to do a pork shoulder then try one of my recipes for that like this one with a honey butter garlic sauce: https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-pork-loin-roast/ N x
Thanks Nagi! It was delish!
Hi super interested in the recipe. My only question is no searing prior to placing into the slow cooker to ensure the skin is crispy?
Hi Amanda – you have to do the browning at the end as per the recipe as otherwise all the butter stuffing under the breast won’t work! Try it as written – you won’t be disappointed! N x
Adding soy sauce to darken up the gravy made me giggle and think of my mum. She used to add vegemite! I’m a kiwi in America and going to try your recipes this year for our first Thanksgiving feast. Thanks for all your helpful notes.
Hi Nagi, I have a whole turkey to cook for Christmas. How long should I cook this bird using this recipe?
Looking forward to it already!
Thanks, Sue
Hi Sue – if you are doing a whole bird use the recipe here…it has all the timing info for various sizes in the notes Thanks!! N x : https://www.recipetineats.com/genius-easy-juicy-roast-turkey-dry-brined/#wprm-recipe-container-23990
Hi Nagi, I can’t find single breast with bone in and skin on in Coles or Woolies. Where should I get this from?
Hi, what slow cooker are you using? I would like a recommendation please 🙂 I have made your butter chicken, beef pot roast, beef stew, chicken mushroom, they were all a big hit my family loves them even my picky eater 3 yr old son 🙂 thank you so much!!!
Going to try this for Thanksgiving. This may be a silly question but my turkey breast is not a flat shaped one. It is a peaked shaped one like most of those you see in the grocery stores. Will this make a difference. Should I break the bone?
Hi Karewn – the one I cook in the video is actually a half breast with the wing joint on. If you have a full double breast and it fits in your slow cooker, no need to break the bone. Or you can cut it in half and cook the two halves separately. N x
Your slow cooker Turkey breast recipes look delicious and I want to try them! I have an allergy to onions – any suggestions on what I could use to elevate the Turkey breasts instead of using the onions? Maybe balled up aluminum foil? I eat low carb, so this sounds like an amazing addition to my menus – especially this time of year.
Try laying down a bed of celery and carrots.
Trying this because I can never seem to sync everything! My brother, whom I haven’t seen in almost 20 years is spending Thanksgiving with us & I’m making desserts we grew up with & I am so excited! Quick question…can I just use poultry seasoning instead of the herbs? I love the smell & taste! When you say turkey, I instantly think of poultry seasoning! Oops…1 more question…don’t you peel the skin off the onion first! The brown ‘skin’ in the pot makes me cringe!
If its only possible to get a boneless, skinless breast, could I cover it with turkeybacon and tie a string around it?
Do you think that could work?
It would be a completely different recipe – something I’ll add to my list Heidi! N x
So I’ve been using this recipe for almost two years now. It is GREAT! Making it today for Easter.
I don’t have full heads of garlic. I DO have minced garlic in a jar & I also HAVE a jar with full cloves of garlic. How do I adjust the recipe so I can use one of these products that I already have?????
Hi Lori, I really don’t recommend the jarred minced garlic as it’s almost bitter as it’s sort of pickled to keep fresh. The full cloves you have, are they in a brine or just cloves? N x
Just cloves now, The liquid that was in the jar is gone.
Made this christmas day and 2 days after, worked fantastic both times! had plenty of compliments, the gravy was delicious aswell, love all your recipes and can’t wait to try more
This was amazing. We made it yesterday for Christmas and was nice to “set it and forget it”! Also made your hummus and spinach dip! DELICIOUS