Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Herb Butter and Gravy
Cook a moist and tender turkey breast easily in your Crockpot. This recipe uses simple herbs and creates natural pan drippings for a quick gravy.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours 15 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (4-5 lb) boneless or bone-in turkey breast, skin on
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Pat the turkey breast completely dry with paper towels. This helps the skin crisp slightly even in the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix the softened butter with rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to create the herb butter.
- Gently lift the skin over the breast meat and spread half of the herb butter directly onto the meat. Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the skin.
- Place the quartered onion and carrots in the bottom of your slow cooker. This creates a natural rack for the turkey.
- Place the seasoned turkey breast on top of the vegetables, skin-side up.
- Pour the chicken broth around the vegetables, avoiding pouring directly over the skin.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached in the thickest part of the breast.
- Carefully remove the turkey breast from the slow cooker and let it rest on a cutting board, loosely tented with foil, for 15 minutes before slicing.
- To make gravy, pour the cooking liquid and vegetables into a saucepan. Skim off excess fat. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water) until desired consistency is reached. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Notes
- For the most tender meat, use the LOW setting. Cooking time varies based on the size and if the breast is bone-in or boneless.
- If you prefer a slightly crispier skin, carefully transfer the turkey to a baking sheet after cooking and broil for 3-5 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
- This recipe works well for weeknight slow cooker poultry meals or for smaller Thanksgiving turkey breast slow cooker method preparations.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 oz cooked meat
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 7
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 45
- Cholesterol: 130