This easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe is so juicy and flavorful, and since it’s boneless, you don’t need to worry about carving anything! You only need 10 minutes of prep– just make a rub, slather it on the turkey, and let your crockpot do the work for you. It’s perfect for a small Thanksgiving dinner and easy enough for a weeknight main course.
See that gorgeous color? It’s all in the rub – a mixture of all kinds of spices, including bright red paprika and golden yellow turmeric.
A quick few minutes under the broiler crisps up the skin for a beautiful golden brown color that’s perfect for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving table!
To be honest, I don’t know if I’m ever going to cook a whole turkey again now that I’ve discovered this slow cooker version. I really hate the hassle of a whole turkey, and having to wrangle a giant piece of raw poultry. This slow cooker turkey breast recipe is almost too good to be true – it’s so ridiculously easy and flavorful!
And you can even whip up a quick gravy from the drippings.
What’s in the turkey breast rub?
The rub is a mixture of softened butter with kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano and thyme, paprika, turmeric, and garlic powder. Just mix everything together in a small bowl and you’re good to go!
It’s important to use softened butter for this, not melted. Softened butter will help it form into a paste that you can easily spread over the turkey breast evenly.
I should also note: the turmeric is optional. It gives the turkey a golden yellow color that I think is gorgeous, especially because it’s hard to get nice color on a slow cooked breast (roasting in the oven makes golden, crispy skin all over). But if you don’t have it, or if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of the yellow spice (which does stain), just leave it out!
You can also use any other combination of spices you want. Really, as long as you have salt and pepper, you can make a turkey breast in your slow cooker.
How to cook a boneless turkey breast in your slow cooker
Just slather the rub on the turkey, place it on some onions in your slow cooker, and cook on low for 4 hours! THAT’S IT! Here are some tips and tricks for success.
- Grease the bottom of the crockpot. When you make the rub, grab a little of the softened butter and use it to coat the bottom of your slow cooker. This will help make sure nothing sticks to the bottom as it cooks. You can also use cooking spray or brush it with olive oil.
- Remove any “extras” from the turkey. Sometimes, turkey breasts will come with a gravy packet, and/or come trussed with twine. You can just discard all of that. Snip the twine off with scissors.
- Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. You don’t have to rinse it (and you actually shouldn’t ever rinse poultry), but patting it dry will help the rub to stick and penetrate the flavors more. I like to place the whole thing on a paper towel lined rimmed baking sheet and then pat the top dry with the edges.
- Rub the bottom, under the skin, and over the skin with the spice mixture. I saved most of it for on top, but you can actually pull the skin up (if your turkey breast comes with a skin) and spread the rub underneath, then place the skin back and rub the top. This will help add lots of flavor to the meat.
- You probably won’t need any more than 4 hours. In fact, you may only need 3 hours. White breast meat can get dry if it’s overcooked, so if you have a smaller turkey breast, or if you just want to check the temp after 3 hours, give it a shot! It should be 165 degrees F.
How to get crispy skin
The one disadvantage to cooking skin-on turkey (or chicken) in a slow cooker is that the skin doesn’t get crispy, or a golden color, like when it roasts in the oven.
To get crispy skin on this boneless turkey breast, just place the whole thing after it’s done cooking on a rimmed baking sheet, and set it under the broiler for 5-10 minutes. It makes such a difference in how beautiful it looks! I do this when I make slow cooker chicken thighs, too.
You can also skip this step if you want, especially if you start with a skinless turkey breast. Totally optional. But highly recommended.
Let the turkey breast REST before slicing it!
One mistake that people make when slicing into a turkey (or chicken, or steak, or really any meat) is they slice into it too quickly. This causes many of the juices in the meat to escape prematurely. If you let it rest, the juices have a chance to redistribute.
Letting the turkey breast rest for 20 minutes before slicing will result in super juicy, moist meat. If you’re worried about it cooling off, you can tent it with foil.
And that gives you plenty of time to whip up a gravy from the drippings!
How to make gravy from the drippings
I love turkey gravy so much that I wrote a whole post on how to make classic turkey gravy from the drippings. But you can also do a quick and easy version with the drippings from this slow cooker turkey breast!
- You’ll end up with about a cup of drippings. Strain them into a glass measuring cup or fat separator and discard the onion slices and other solids.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter OR 2 tablespoons of the fat from the drippings (you can just skim it off the top) in a medium pot or skillet.
- Add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk together, cooking for about a minute (longer, for darker color).
- Then, slowly pour in the drippings while whisking, cooking until thickened and stirring/whisking frequently.
The gravy probably won’t need much seasoning since the drippings have all the flavor from the rub. Keep in mind, if you use turmeric in the rub, the gravy will also have a yellow hue.
Can you use a bone-in turkey breast?
Definitely! Follow the exact same instructions, just cook it for longer and make a little more rub. Whole turkey breasts with the bone in are usually 6-7 pounds, so it will need more time.
I recommend cooking a bone-in turkey breast in the slow cooker for on low for 6 hours. Be sure to check the temperature to make sure it’s 165 degrees F.
More of an instant pot lover? Try this Instant Pot Turkey Breast for a whole, bone-in version flavored with lemon and thyme. You may also like this Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken recipe.
Sides to go with turkey breast
- Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Almond Streusel Topping
- Greek Green Beans
- Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Be sure to check out all my other Thanksgiving Recipes, and these Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Recipes.
And if you have leftover turkey, try this leftover turkey salad with cranberries and walnuts or this leftover turkey soup with black beans and corn!
Juicy Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb. boneless turkey breast
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 large yellow onion cut into roughly 1/2 inch slices
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric optional
- fresh herbs for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, soften the butter in the microwave for a few seconds if it's not already soft (don't completely melt it). Spread a little bit of the butter in the bottom of your slow cooker, then place the sliced onions in the slow cooker.
- Remove the turkey breast from the packaging and discard any twine used for trussing, gravy inserts, etc. Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. I like to place paper towels on a rimmed baking sheet, place the turkey breast on top, and pat the top dry.
- To make the rub, add the kosher salt (2 teaspoons- see notes if using butterball or pre-brined turkey!), black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), garlic powder (1 teaspoon), dried oregano (1 teaspoon), dried thyme (1 teaspoon), paprika (1 teaspoon), and turmeric, if using (1/2 teaspoon) to the softened butter and stir together to form a paste.
- Spread a little of the rub on the bottom of the turkey, then place it in the slow cooker. If the turkey comes with skin, lift it up gently and spread some of the rub under the skin. Place the skin back on top and spread the majority of the rub all over the top of the turkey breast evenly.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Optional: If you want crispy skin, place the turkey skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and broil for 5-10 minutes, or until the skin is crisped to your liking.
- Allow to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- If using a butterball turkey breast, or other pre-brined turkey breast, you may want to use only 1 teaspoon of kosher salt instead of 2, since it's already salted.
- If using a Turkey Breast Roast: You can leave it trussed if you like, as it may consist of pieces of turkey breast put together that will potentially fall apart if the truss is taken off. But taking the truss netting off is OK too, especially if the roast seems pretty "solid."
- To make gravy from the drippings: melt 2 tablespoons butter (or fat from the drippings) over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk together to form a roux, cook for at least one minute. Pour in the drippings (about 1 cup) and continue to whisk and cook until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Supplement with chicken stock if you need more drippings for a double or triple batch. (Here's more on how to make gravy from turkey drippings).
- The turmeric in this recipe gives the turkey a golden color and helps add flavor. If you use the drippings to make gravy, the gravy will definitely be a yellow color- delicious but not a traditional gravy color. If you don't like the yellow color, simply omit it.
- Be sure to use a fully THAWED turkey breast. Often, turkey breasts come frozen. You will need to plan ahead to defrost it- keep it in the fridge for about 24 hours per 5 lbs. of meat to defrost before slow cooking. It's not safe to cook frozen meat in a slow cooker, as the inside will not fully cook quickly enough.
- When to take the turkey out of the freezer: I recommend moving the boneless turkey breast from the freezer to the refrigerator 3 days before. It may need only 2 days, but I always err on the side of more time, because if it defrosts completely in only 2 days, it will still stay good for the next 24 hours in the fridge until you’re ready to cook!
- If you want to cook two boneless turkey breasts at the same time, assuming they are about 3 lbs. each, I recommend cooking on low for 5-6 hours. You can check the internal temp at 5 hours if you want to make sure it's 165 degrees, but it won't hurt to go all the way until 6 hours. Don't forget to double the rub amount!
- To use this method with a bone-in turkey breast, assuming it is about 6 lbs, I recommend cooking it on low for about 6 hours, or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Don't forget to double the rub amount!
- Making a different sized turkey? Here are my recommended times for slow cooking both bone-in and boneless turkey breasts. Keep in mind, it's hard to mess this up in a slow cooker. Overcooking by an hour or two may lead to meat that might fall apart and be a little stringy, but will still be juicy. You can err on the side of slightly more time for bone-in, and slightly less time for boneless, depending on the weight of your turkey and the times indicated below. Make sure to check that the internal temp is 165 degrees F when done!
- 2 lb: 3 hours on low
- 3 lb: 4 hours on low
- 4-5 lb: 5-6 hours on low
- 7-8 lb: 6-7 hours on low
- 9-10 lb: 8-9 hours on low
- Prep ahead of time by arranging everything in the slow cooker crock and then placing the crock, covered, in your fridge overnight. Then, transfer the crock to the slow cooker when you're ready to cook it the next day.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Jessica
Can’t wait to try this! Do you have to put any water in the crock pot?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Nope! The juices from the turkey and onions are enough moisture, which gets trapped in the crockpot as they release. You can add a little water in the bottom of the crockpot if it makes you feel better but you don’t need it!
Michele
I would like to make up the rub today just to save some time for tomorrow. Would the spices spoil mixed up today and sitting on the cupboard til tomorrow?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Good question! If you use salted butter you should be fine (I leave my salted butter at room temp for weeks sometimes and it’s fine). It will probably be ok with unsalted. But if you are nervous about it just stick it in the fridge and set an alarm to take it out a couple hours before cooking, or just pop it in the microwave to soften up before using. Hope that helps and hope it turns out well for you!
Carol
I’m having difficulty finding a small uncooked turkey breast. How would a Jennie O oven ready breast work with this recipe in a crock pot?
Elizabeth Lindemann
This is a good question. I’ve heard rumors that turkey may be a little harder to find this year. I was unfamiliar with Jennie O oven ready turkey breast, but just looked it up. Looks like it’s a raw turkey breast that can be cooked from frozen in the oven. I don’t recommend this in the slow cooker, as it may not cook all the way in the middle. If you use it, I recommend letting it defrost first before using it. It also looks like it comes seasoned – so you’ll want to leave the salt out of the rub for this recipe (but I think the other seasoning couldn’t hurt, or just leave the rub off!). Hope that helps and I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it!
Dianne
Can I substitute potaoes for onions at the bottom of crockpot
Elizabeth Lindemann
I would leave the onions, as they add flavor (I don’t even eat them after cooking this, I just make sure to include them for flavor), unless you can’t have onions, in which case leave them out. Yes – I think you can add potatoes to this, with or without the onions! I would slice or dice them, so they cook all the way, and you should be good to go. If they don’t end up cooking enough, you can always stick them in the oven to finish roasting after cooking this. I think they will soak up all that flavor from the turkey rub (this sounds similar to my Dutch Oven Chicken recipe – I add potatoes to the bottom of the pot to cook with the chicken!)
RJ
This turned out great! I would like to try two 3 pound boneless breasts next time… And hoping they will both come out good but would imagine will take longer.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Great idea! That would work great, and you’re right, you’ll probably need more time. Give it at least another hour or two (it’s hard to overcook in a slow cooker), and test the internal temp with a meat thermometer. If it’s not done but close, give it 30 minutes – another hour. Hope that helps, and so glad you liked it!
Nicole
I love this recipe and have made it a few times! Do you think I can use the same rub for a turkey in the oven for thanksgiving?
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! That’s a great question. The short answer is YES, you can use the rub for a whole turkey for Thanksgiving! You may want to make a batch and a half or double it just to make sure you can cover all the surface and get under that breast skin. Any extra you can put inside the cavity along with veggies. The longer answer is – when roasting a whole bird, oil will make it crispier, and butter will give it a beautiful golden color. I use all butter to roast chickens, and that would be fine with turkey too, but if you like, you can substitute some of the butter with some olive oil so you have both in the rub. Yum, this sounds delicious – hope it turns out well for you!
Nicole
Thanks! I will let you know how it turns out. Would you recommend brining the turkey the day before and also using the rub?
Elizabeth Lindemann
If the turkey comes brined (like a butterball), you won’t need to brine it. If it isn’t brined, you may want to, as that will add a lot of flavor and keep the meat nice and juicy.
Alisha C Nguyen
So moist and juicy. I never realized turkey breasts could be this perfect. Definitely making again. And again. And again!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Amanda
I’m making this for my family tonight and i was wonering if i could put potatoes and veggies in it as well? If so do i add more seasoning and/or cook time?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never tried it, so I’m not sure on the exact results, but I think you can do that! You shouldn’t need any more cook time or anything. They will be plenty seasoned by the drippings and you can always salt them after. You’d be best with veggies that take a while to cook like potatoes, maybe carrots, sweet potatoes… otherwise they might turn to mush! Hope you and your family like it.
Steve Brooks
I’ve used this recipe a few times now and it always comes out moist and juicy and full of flavor. It makes great sandwiches. Clean up is a snap. I buy 6 lb. frozen breasts from the butcher and have him cut them in half. I leave one half in the freezer and thaw and bone the other. They come skin on, so I work the skin loose and pat the area of the skin dry so the butter sticks and so I don’t need to wrap it. I set the cooker to low and forget it for three hours. Then I check it periodically until it comes up to temperature. I’ve gotten many compliments. Thanks Elizabeth!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! LOVE all your tips about prepping for it by getting the butcher to cut it in half and freezing one.
Barb
Can you cook on high for 2 hours?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never tried it for this recipe, though usually this “rule” of half the time on high applies to most slow cooker recipes. For this recipe, however, I would be inclined to stick with the 4 hours on low because the cut of meat is thick, so I worry about it overcooking on the outside and undercooking on the inside. If you DO try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Colleen Sweezey
Can I cook a Butterball seasoned FROZEN turkey breast from the frozen state right into my Crock Pot?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I do not recommend cooking a turkey breast from frozen in a slow cooker. I’ve heard you can do it, but I don’t think the inside would cook quickly enough to be safe in a slow cooker, plus you run the risk of overcooking the outside by the time the inside thaws and completely cooks. I definitely recommend thawing the turkey breast before slow cooking it for best and safest results. But if you’re interested in trying it out, here’s a recipe that cooks it from frozen: https://www.theseoldcookbooks.com/crock-pot-turkey-breast/
Robyn Burton
It was absolutely delicious! This was my first time cooking Thanksgiving Dinner and my family devoured both breasts! Thank you so very much for sharing this easy delicious recipe.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you and your family liked it!
Bonnie
Easy to make. It’s in the crockpot. It’s been 4 hours, checked temp and it’s done. Can I leave it on warm, or will it dry it out too much?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Just saw your email as well and replied to it! But for anyone else wondering, I think this turkey would be fine kept at warm for about 2 hours max. I recommend not opening the lid to the crockpot so the heat and steam stays in while it is on warm. Hope that helps!
Bonnie
It was very good. Sent email for assistance and received a super fast reply. Thank you so much. Give this recipe ba try. Turkey was tasty and moist.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Pianone
This is delicious, quick to fix. My turkey breast was about 2.5lbs. The only thing I did differently was I added a packet of peppered white gravy mix to the juices after the turkey was done, made a delicious gravy!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Judy
Had a hard time getting the paste to stick to the turkey!😳. Any hints??
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh no! Sometimes if the turkey is really cold, the butter will solidify as soon as it touches the surface of the turkey and be hard to spread. You might want to try melting the butter more first! Hope that helps :-)
Carol
I have never done a Turkey breast in the slow cooker and I was a bit worried that 3 hours on low would not be long enough but you were right! Easy, delicious for a weeknight supper, made the gravy as instructed, yum! Only feedback from my family was that there wasn’t enough gravy.
On a snowy, cold Canadian night, this hit the spot!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your family liked it!
Luciana Misura
We made this for our Christmas dinner, and it was delicious. Since my husband doesn’t like ham, I got a small turkey breast for him, and used your recipe. We all agreed it was the best turkey ever. By the way, we used the Turkey Breast frozen, and followed Butterball website instructions to cook it frozen in the slow cooker: 6 hours on high, and added 1/2 vegetable broth to the pot. I did check the meat with a thermometer at the end, it was 170F.
Elizabeth Lindemann
This is great to know about the frozen turkey breast! Thanks so much for sharing, and really glad you liked it :-)
Bernard Matthews
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Can’t say anything else really. Kids said it was the best turkey they’d ever had
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you and your kids liked it!
Jean
I made this for Thanksgiving and am making again for Christmas. I used 3lb. Butterball boneless turkey breast . It turned out great and husband really liked it. It was easy, moist and delicious. I prepared all the rub ingredients the day before so all I had to do Thanksgiving was mix with softened butter and rub on turkey. I did remove the string from the turkey breast and it worked fine. Also made dressing/stuffing in my crockpot the day before and just reheated in microwave the next day.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Tom Leaper
Is 4 hours on low really enough?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yup! I know it seems like too little time but it’s correct. You might even get away with 3 hours! As long as the turkey breast is about 3 lbs. and your slow cooker works like it should, it’s the right amount of time. Just check the internal temp with a meat thermometer and make sure it’s 165 degrees F to make sure.
Marj Brounty
My turkey breast turned out so moist & juicy! Will definitely make it this way again!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad it worked well for you!
Barbara
I have a 7.5lb breast. Could/should I cook the breast with 1can of turkey stock in the slow cooker on high for 5to6 hours..
Elizabeth Lindemann
You can add turkey stock if you like, but it’s not necessary. This will increase the amount of drippings, which is good if you want to use them for gravy. As for the cooking time, I recommend LOW for 6.5-7 hours for a 7.5 lb. breast. Cooking on high may overcook it and it won’t result in as juicy of a result. But if you do end up trying it on high for a shorter time, I’d love to know how it comes out! Hope that helps!
Patty Jordan
My turkey roast turned out great! Thank you for updating your recipe to reflect many sizes, bone in- out and frozen vs thawed.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad it came out good for you, and I’m happy that update was helpful!
Jenn
Looks delicious! Do you know what the minutes/hours to pound should be? I have a boneless 7 pound turkey that I would like to cook in the crockpot but am unsure about how long. Thanks!
Elizabeth Lindemann
I updated my recipe card to reflect different sizes- thanks for asking this question! For a 7 lb. boneless breast, I recommend 6-6.5 hours on low. Check the temp that it’s 165 degrees F just to make sure. Hope that helps and hope you like it!