How long to cook turkey breast in crock pot

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is an easy way to make a turkey dinner for a smaller crowd! Use a boneless or bone in turkey breast and let it cook in the crockpot with this easy baste for the perfectly moist turkey every time.

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1. You Can Cook Turkey Breast in a Slow Cooker!
2. Ingredients in Crockpot Turkey Breast
3. How Long to Cook Boneless Turkey Breast in a Slow Cooker
4. How to slow cooker turkey breast:
5. How to make Turkey Gravy
6. What to Serve With Turkey
7. Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe

You Can Cook Turkey Breast in a Slow Cooker!

I know, you’re probably thinking: turkey breast? Who makes just a turkey breast in November? But wait – hear me out.

Maybe you have extra people coming for Thanksgiving and you want to be sure and have enough turkey for everyone but don’t want to make two full turkeys.

Or maybe you’re just craving turkey and it’s a random Tuesday and you don’t want to make a whole bird.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Whatever your reasoning, having this easy slow cooker turkey breast recipe in your back pocket is a must. The baste and gravy are absolutely delicious and based off of my Mom’s Thanksgiving Turkey. Making this bird in a crockpot will make your house smell like Thanksgiving no matter what time of year it is.

If you’re looking to make a turkey without all the hassle, my Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is the perfect recipe!

Seriously, you can make this for dinner on any random day! Make some mashed potatoes and you’ve got the perfect Sunday dinner too.

Ingredients in Crockpot Turkey Breast

• Turkey Breast: Bone in or a boneless 3 pound turkey breast (just cook time is affected)
• Soy Sauce: I always use low-sodium and I don’t salt my turkey.
• Sherry: You can substitute chicken stock or white wine
• Brown Sugar: You can also use sugar-free brown sugar
• Seasonings: Ground Pepper and Italian seasoning

All you have to do to make this easy turkey breast is mix up some baste ingredients and then set it and forget it. The most important thing to remember when cooking a turkey in the slow cooker is to not overcook it.

turkey breast tip

How Long to Cook Boneless Turkey Breast in a Slow Cooker

For a long time when I used my crockpot, I’d set the time for one of the preset amounts (4 hours or 6, etc) and let it cook until the time was up, but that’s the WRONG way to slow cook if you’re making poultry.

In a crockpot, a 3-pound boneless turkey breast will take between 3-4 hours on low. Check the temperature after 3 to see where it’s at.

If you’re using a bone-in turkey breast, it’s going to take 4-6 hours on high or up to 7 hours on low, depending on how big it is.

Chicken and turkey, especially when boneless, tend to dry out in the slow cooker if you’re not careful. To avoid a dry bird, you have to check it during cooking.

Once it gets to 165°F internal temperature, it’s done. It might take a full 4 hours, but it might only take 3 1/2.  So be sure to watch it!

How to slow cooker turkey breast:

1. First, do what I do and use a slow cooker bag. You don’t have to do this, but I always do. It’s easy cleanup!
2. My baste recipe is simple and super flavorful, made with soy sauce, brown sugar, pepper, and sherry or white wine. You can omit the alcohol and use chicken broth, but I love using sherry. It’s the way my mom always does it! Also feel free to add 1 teaspoon garlic powder or a teaspoon of onion powder.
3. I rotate my turkey breast halfway through cooking so that the entire thing gets coated with the baste.

How to make Turkey Gravy

If your turkey doesn’t come with a gravy packet, use my 5-minute gravy recipe. Be sure to use the drippings from the slow cooker in the gravy; it gives great flavor. Simply strain it to remove any chunks and then use it in the gravy recipe or with the gravy packet, instead of using turkey or chicken stock.

FAQs

Is it safe to slow cook a turkey?

It’s perfectly safe to cook a turkey breast in the crockpot, whether it’s bone in or boneless.

What Kind of Turkey To Use In a Slow Cooker?

I prefer using a boneless turkey breast in my slow cooker, but you can use whatever you have. Bone-in turkey breasts are often cheaper, so if that’s what you buy, go ahead.

Is it better to cook a turkey breast low or high?

You can do crockpot turkey on low or high, but it changes the cook time. On low, it takes 3-4 hours. Cooking on high power will take about 2-3 hours. Just be sure to check it throughout cooking so it doesn’t get dry.

What to Serve With Turkey

• Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
• Cornbread stuffing
• My friend Karen’s Slow Cooker Carrots.
• Melissa’s Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

Have you made this recipe?

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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

5 from 31 votes

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is an easy way to make a turkey dinner for a smaller crowd! Use a boneless or bone in turkey breast and let it cook in the crockpot with this easy baste for the perfectly moist turkey every time.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Resting Time 5 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes

Yield 6 servings

Serving Size 1 serving

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Ingredients 

• 3 pound boneless turkey breast
• ½ cup soy sauce low sodium is okay
• ¼ cup sherry or white wine
• ½ tablespoon brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Easy 5-minute Gravy for serving

Instructions

• If desired, line a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker with a crockpot liner or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

• Place turkey breast in slow cooker.

• Whisk remaining ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Pour over turkey.

• Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or until turkey reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer. After one hour, turn the turkey breast so that both sides get coated with the baste.

  How do you slow cook a turkey breast?

  Baste the turkey every 45 minutes. Basting with pan juices cools the surface of the turkey and slows down cooking, which in turn keeps the breast meat cooking at close to the same rate as the legs and thighs. In the last 45 minutes or so of cooking, you can also baste the turkey with melted butter or oil.

  How long to cook a 5.5 lb turkey breast in crock pot?

  Slow Cook on LOW for 6 hours (do not use high) or until internal temperature reads 165F/75C when thermometer is inserted into the middle. Check internal temperature at 5 hours if you can.

  How long does turkey breast take to cook per pound?

  A very frequently asked question around turkey is: how long to cook a turkey breast per lb? The answer is simple! 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, my turkey breast was 3 pounds, so I roasted it for 60 total minutes at 350F.

  How long does it take to cook in a crock pot?

  Crockpots may vary but generally, the LOW setting is about 200 F and the HIGH setting is about 300 F. One hour on HIGH is approximately equal to 2 to 2 1/2 hours on LOW. Most crockpot recipes recommend cooking 8 to 10 hours on LOW. Some recipes recommend the HIGH setting based on the nature and texture of the food.