Go Back
Crockpot Turkey Breast with Herb Butter and Pan-Juice Gravy (Slow Cooker Turkey Breast)

Crockpot Turkey Breast

A bone-in turkey breast rubbed inside and out with garlic-herb butter, set on thick onion slices and left alone in the slow cooker until it is juicy to the bone. A short run under the broiler gives you the burnished skin a crock can never deliver, and the trapped juices underneath turn into the best gravy on the table.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 40 minutes
Total Time 7 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 People
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 lb bone-in, skin-on turkey breast fully thawed, giblets and gravy packet removed
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened, for the herb butter
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 head garlic halved crosswise, for the crock
  • 2 tsp kosher salt plus more for the gravy
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tsp paprika sweet, not smoked
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves plus 6 whole sprigs for the crock
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped, plus 2 whole sprigs for the crock
  • 1 tsp fresh sage chopped, or 1/2 tsp dried
  • 2 large yellow onions cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
  • 0.5 cup low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter for the gravy roux
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour or 2 tbsp cornstarch slurried in cold water

Equipment

  • 1 6 to 8 quart slow cooker oval works best for a bone-in breast
  • 1 instant-read thermometer essential, not optional
  • 1 rimmed baking sheet or baking dish for the broiler finish
  • 1 fine mesh strainer for the pan juices
  • 1 Small saucepan for the gravy
  • 1 Small bowl for mixing the herb butter

Method
 

  1. Make sure the turkey breast is completely thawed. Remove any giblets or gravy packet from the cavity, then pat the breast very dry all over with paper towels, skin included. Dry skin is the whole reason the broiler finish works later.
  2. In a small bowl, mash the 6 tablespoons softened butter with the minced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, chopped thyme, chopped rosemary and sage until it looks like a thick green-flecked paste.
  3. Slide your fingers under the turkey skin at the top of the breast and loosen it from the meat without tearing it. Push about two thirds of the herb butter directly onto the meat under the skin, spreading it with your fingers from the outside. Rub the remaining third over the outside of the skin and into the underside of the breast.
  4. Lay the onion slices across the bottom of the slow cooker in a single thick layer, then tuck in the halved garlic head, 6 thyme sprigs and 2 rosemary sprigs. This bed lifts the breast above the liquid so it roasts in steam instead of boiling.
  5. Set the turkey breast on the onion bed skin-side up. Pour the 1/2 cup broth down the side of the crock, not over the breast, so you do not wash off the butter. Resist adding more liquid.
  6. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours, undisturbed. Do not lift the lid to peek in the first 4 hours, every look costs you heat. Start checking at 5 hours.
  7. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone. Pull the turkey when it reads 155 to 160 F. Lean turkey breast overcooks fast, so stop here even if it looks pale.
  8. Heat the broiler. Carefully transfer the breast to a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish, keeping it skin-side up. Broil 6 to 8 inches from the element for 3 to 8 minutes, watching it constantly, until the skin is deep golden and blistered in spots.
  9. Tent the breast loosely with foil and rest 15 to 20 minutes. Carryover heat will carry it to a safe 165 F and the juices will settle back into the meat.
  10. While it rests, strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup, pressing the onions to get everything out. Skim off most of the surface fat. You should have roughly 2 cups of concentrated turkey stock.
  11. Melt the 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes until it smells toasty. Whisk in the strained juices a little at a time, then simmer 3 to 5 minutes until the gravy coats a spoon. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
  12. Carve the breast off the bone in long slices against the grain, arrange on a warm platter and spoon some gravy over the top. Serve the rest of the gravy at the table.

Notes

  • Thaw the breast completely before it goes in the crock. USDA guidance is clear: frozen or partly frozen poultry sits too long in the temperature danger zone in a slow cooker.
  • Pull at 155 to 160 F and let it rest. Carryover heat takes it to a safe 165 F without drying out the lean meat. Clear juices are not proof of doneness, only a thermometer is.
  • Do not add more liquid than called for. The breast releases a lot of its own juice under the lid, and extra broth boils the meat and waters down the gravy.
  • Boneless turkey breast roast, 4 to 5 lb: cook 2.5 to 3.5 hours on HIGH or 4 to 5 hours on LOW. Check the label, some are white and dark meat netted together.
  • Serve with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing and roasted green beans. Leftover slices make the best sandwiches of the year.
  • Store sliced turkey in some of its own juices, covered, up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or freeze up to 3 months.