Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Introduction

Nothing beats the ease and flavor of a Slow Cooker Turkey Breast—juicy, tender meat infused with herbs, garlic, and butter, all made with minimal hands-on time. This dish is perfect for holiday gatherings, weekday family dinners, or meal prepping flavorful protein for the week. Enjoy all the deliciousness of a roast turkey with a fraction of the effort, let your slow cooker do the work, and savor a comforting, crowd-pleasing meal.

Why This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Stands Out

Traditional turkey can be tricky: dry meat and fussy oven timing are common setbacks. With slow cooking, you get a consistently moist turkey breast with flavors that soak in during the gentle cooking process. Using aromatic herbs, butter, and broth, this recipe delivers classic roast-turkey flavor and tender texture without heating up your oven or babysitting the bird.

Choosing and Prepping Your Turkey Breast

Opt for a bone-in, skin-on turkey breast for the juiciest results. Rinse the turkey, pat dry, and loosen the skin slightly to rub in a flavorful mixture of softened butter, garlic, herbs, and spices. This helps keep the meat moist and flavorful as it slowly cooks. Placing aromatic onions and carrots underneath the turkey helps create a natural rack and adds depth to the eventual pan juices.

How to Perfectly Cook Turkey Breast in a Slow Cooker

Low-and-slow is the key to success. Set your slow cooker on low for several hours (typically 5–7 hours, depending on size) until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. For a beautifully browned finish, a few minutes under the broiler crisps up the skin. Serve with the herby pan juices or a quick homemade gravy.

Serving Suggestions

Slice and serve with your favorite sides: think mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce for holidays, or roasted veggies and rice for weeknight meals. The tender turkey also makes delicious sandwiches and salads for meal-prep lunches.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields about 6–8 servings. Each serving (approximately 4–5 ounces of turkey, without skin) contains roughly 180–220 calories, 0g carbs, 26g protein, and 8–10g fat (depending on the amount of butter and whether you eat the skin).

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list with all ingredients sorted by store section—perfect for efficient grocery trips and streamlined meal planning.

Instructions

1. Pat turkey breast dry. Gently loosen the skin over the breast meat.
2. In a bowl, mix softened butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, paprika, salt, and pepper.
3. Rub half the butter mixture under the turkey skin, and the remainder on top.
4. Layer onion quarters and carrot pieces on the bottom of your slow cooker.
5. Place the seasoned turkey breast (skin-side up) on top of the veggies.
6. Pour broth into the bottom of the cooker (not over the turkey). Add lemon slices if using.
7. Cover and cook on LOW for 5–7 hours, or until turkey reaches 165°F in the center.
8. For crispy skin, transfer turkey to a baking sheet and broil for 2–4 minutes until golden.
9. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with pan juices or a quick gravy.

Weekly Meal Planning

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is ideal for meal planning: the leftovers are perfect for sandwiches, grain bowls, or salads. Save and schedule this recipe to easily plan your week and automatically generate smart shopping lists that combine all ingredients for your planned meals.

Planning Benefits:

• Calculates total ingredient quantities across all your scheduled recipes
• Organizes your grocery list by store section for fast, efficient shopping
• Prevents duplicate ingredient purchases and helps avoid food waste
• Streamlines weeknight dinners and makes meal prep more manageable

Pro tip: When planning several recipes, schedule them together to see ingredient overlaps—CookifyAI will automatically update your shopping list with the exact amounts you need. That means less stress, fewer grocery runs, and perfectly planned meals all week.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5–7 hours (slow cooker)
Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours 15 minutes (excluding 10-minute rest & optional broiling)