Slow Cooker Turkey with No-Fuss Gravy
Simplify turkey with this slow cooker turkey breast – it is unbelievably delicious and flavorful and so easy, even the gravy makes itself!
So I know that in the whole scheme of Thanksgiving planning, it’s wonderful and ideal and rockstar-ish to pull out the big guns and roast the most beautiful, impressive, golden wonder of a bird like the world has never seen.
I get it.
I’m totally bowled over by gorgeous, golden turkeys, I am. And every year it seems someone has a new, better way to produce The Juiciest Turkey with The Crispiest Skin with The Best Gravy.
But you know what? There is brilliant wisdom in simplifying sometimes and this slow cooker turkey breast – while it won’t produce the crispy golden skin and wow-that-whole-bird-is-pretty effect – is out of this world juicy, delicious and so ridiculously simple, I swear, it will leave you twiddling your thumbs on Thanksgiving.
Ok, maybe not that, but close, especially since the cooking method basically produces instant gravy at the end of the process.
Instead of a full turkey, a bone-in turkey breast slow cooks in a simple medley of vegetables and braising liquid and as is wont to happen in most slow cooker applications, the low and slow cooking method results in an incredibly juice, flavorful turkey.
After a few minutes of stovetop simmering, you’ll also have a mighty tasty gravy to slather over that turkey.
Taking Thanksgiving out of the picture, this is a fabulous, easy meal for a Sunday dinner (which is how we enjoyed it) that can be made any time of the year, and the turkey leftovers are fabulous. As turkey leftovers always are, in my opinion.
If you are looking to simplify Thanksgiving, this recipe totally has your back. It is definitely some of the finest tasting turkey I’ve ever enjoyed and as a self-professed turkey lover who has eaten a lot, a lot of turkey, I’m kind of an expert in this area.
What To Serve With This:
Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes or Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Steamed vegetable or this Green Bean Casserole
A really, great dinner roll (for homemade I suggest these Lion House Dinner Rolls)
One Year Ago: Tortellini Sausage Soup
Two Years Ago: Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili
Three Years Ago: BBQ Turkey Quesadillas
Slow Cooker Turkey with No-Fuss Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups no-salt added or low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup water
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tablespoon dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 6-8 pound bone-in skin-on turkey breast
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large, nonstick skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are lightly browned.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until the flour coating the veggies turns golden. Whisk in 1 cup of the broth, working to smooth out any lumps as it cooks and thickens. Stir in the remaining broth and water. Add the thyme and bay leaves.
- Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Season the turkey breast all over with salt and pepper (see the note above about how much salt to use). Place the turkey in the slow cooker (breast side down). Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the internal temperature of the turkey breast reaches 165 degrees.
- Carefully transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board (or 9X13-inch pan to catch any juices), tent with foil and let rest while preparing the gravy.
- Strain the liquid in the slow cooker into a saucepan. Let it settle for 5 minutes or so and then skim the fat from the surface. Bring the gravy to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until it is slightly thickened. It won’t be as thick as traditional gravy but will be silky and slightly thick. If you’d like it thicker, simply whisk together a slurry of cornstarch and cold water (a tablespoon or so of cornstarch in a couple tablespoons of water) and stir the slurry into the gravy, simmering for 2-3 minutes.
- Season the gravy with any additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Carve the turkey and serve with the warm gravy.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from a recipe referred to me by a long-time reader, Rebecca L., from America’s Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution (thanks, Rebecca!)
I think I may try this, this week. And the ham one next week.
Easy is best Thank you!
Do you think you could cook 2 turkey breasts like this in a large roaster? If so, what temperature would you recommend? Thanks!
Yes, I think so! Probably 275 degrees?
**Instant Pot Success** I’ve been making this for a few years in my slow cooker, and I finally tried it in my IP on Sunday. I used directions from Marci’s (Tidbits–IP Guru) IP Turkey Breast recipe. I put the veggies in the bottom of the pot and the metal trivet on top and then the turkey in breast side down. I was able to seal the lid just fine. I cooked my 6 lb. turkey breast at high pressure for 30 min. (She recommends 35-40, now, but I had an old print out of her recipe and 30 min. worked fine as mine was only 6 lbs..) I let it natural release for 30 min and then put it on a platter and tented it with foil for another 30 min. We took the breast off the bone and cut with an electric knife and it was complete PERFECTION! The gravy, as always, was AMAZING! In total, my turkey was ready to eat, start to finish in about 2 hours.
If I’m making this for a few that don’t eat gluten-would you just not shade the flour in the veggies or would you use cornstarch? In your opinion which is more fool proof-pot roast or this
You could try cornstarch – I haven’t ever made it gluten free so that’s just a suggestion. Good luck if you try it!
Use brown rice flour ! I have been making this for my family for a few years now and most of them have to eat gluten free due to Celiac disease. Brown rice flour is a perfect thickener and is used interchangeably with white flour to thicken sauces. This is my family’s and extended family’s all-time favorite meal !!
Thank you for the gluten free advice! I’ve made this turkey multiple times and the recipe is amazing, but I need to prepare this for someone with Celiac’s this year! Your experience is priceless!
This was wonderful!!
I have made this several times and it comes out great every time. Have also used it for chicken breasts. The gravy is really good. The past couple of times I’ve used chicken stock (made in the instant pot) instead of the chicken broth with good results.
I found a deal on a turkey breast and tried this for thanksgiving. I think I’m going to want to make this every year now! It was so so easy!! And the gravy really was amazing! Thank you for making my thanksgiving about a million times easier this year.
Forgot to mention – my 7 lb turkey breast just barely stuck up enough out of my large oval crockpot for the lid to not fit. I did a double layer of foil and it worked like a charm! Thanks for the great tip.
Happy to hear this, Trish!
I made this today while hosting thanksgiving for lots of friends and family. It was SO easy and delicious. I doubled the recipe so that I could have a second crock pot for turkey legs (I prefer the dark meat), and it all turned out so delicious. I especially loved that it freed up the oven space for ham or other food prep. I will be repeating this recipe in the future!
Thank you, Mel. I have never been disappointed with any of your recipes and this turkey recipe was no different. It was incredibly moist and delicious and gots lots of compliments from my family on Thanksgiving. I have tried it with both a bone-in and a boneless turkey breast and it was perfect each time. Thanks again – You’re the best!!
Thanks, Sharon!
Mel, should I let the turkey breast come out of refrig for an hour before putting it in the slow cooker, thanks for your help. Gretjen
No, as long as it is thawed, it can go right in!
You nailed this recipe!! It turned out sooooo good and the gravy was to die for!
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Annie!
Hi Mel,
Most recipes have the turkey breast up. Is there a difference between these two methods?
Thank you!
It’s probably just a matter of preference…I think cooking it breast side down keeps the meat more moist.
This recipe is so good not only in taste but ease that it’s become our standard (Canadian) Thanksgiving recipe. We have a big family dinner away from home at our cottage and it’s way easier and nice to plug in a couple of Crock-Pots and go hiking in the fall leaves than deal with a big bird and an oven all afternoon. Gravy is delicious too. Thanks, Mel.
Thanks, Sarah – and Happy Thanksgiving!
This is my first year making a turkey breast and trying it in a crockpot. I’m excited to try this out.
I’m wondering how much gravy this recipe makes? We use lots of gravy for the turkey, dressing and mashed potatoes. Could I double the gravy ingredients without running the risk of overflow? My turkey breast is less than 6lbs because it’s organic and there’s only 4 of us eating it.
If you generally use a lot of gravy, the amounts in this recipe may not be enough. I don’t know if it would overflow if you doubled the gravy amounts without knowing exactly what kind of slow cooker you are using…as long as it isn’t filled to the very top when you add all the ingredients, it should be fine.
Thank you! I’ll let you know how it turns out! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Have you ever cooked this on high?
I haven’t; sorry!
Would this work on the stovetop in an enamel cast iron pot?
I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure; sorry!
This is in my crockpot and smells delicious. I ca t wait to taste it later! Happy Thanksgiving!
How would you adapt this to an Instant Pot? Thanks, your my favorite go-to site!
I haven’t tried it, but maybe 50 minutes high pressure?
I’m thinking about making this turkey breast along with a smoked turkey. I was wondering how much gravy does this make or could you double all the ingredients (except turkey breast) or would it over flow and make a big mess? (have a big family) Any advise?
You could probably double the ingredients for the gravy as long as the slow cooker is big enough. Keep in mind it is a thinner gravy than a more traditional gravy made on the stovetop.
How many people does this feed?
6-8 servings.
This was my first attempt at turkey, and I was blown away with how amazing it turned out! Thanks for sharing, this was great!
I’ve made this recipe several times. I could drink that gravy straight up. There. I admitted it. 🙂
Anxious to make this, however, need it to be gluten free. What would be the best gluten free flour to substitute?
Hi Barb, I’m not sure – sorry! I don’t cook gluten-free and so I’m not familiar with subbing in gluten-free flours.
Hello Mel! Happy Holidays to you!
We have made this recipe the last two Thanksgivings. It is the best turkey I have ever eaten!
Quick question, do you see any problem using this exact recipe but switching out the turkey breast for turkey legs?
Thanks so much!
I have made this recipe for the holidays about 4 years now.
I just made it for Thanksgiving this year. Everyone loves the turkey!
I buy a frozen Butterball 4.75lb turkey breast from Costco. I thaw it for 2-3 days.
Then put it in my oval crockpot that I bought at Costco. I follow Mel’s recipe exactly. It cooks With The Netting On for about 6 hours on high and then you cut off the netting with scissors It’s hot, so hold it with tongs.
You can put it on a platter and then slice it on the platter.
Then all the juice you have left in your crockpot can be strained and that is your gravy. You can thicken your gravy if you want but I did not need to because there is already flour in the vegetables that you sautéed and put in the crockpot!
This is a fabulous recipe and all the side dishes are in the oven while my turkey is in the crockpot. PS: I do 2 every year . I borrow my daughters crockpot and we have 2 on the counter! The leftovers make the best soup!
Thanks Mel for a easy Thanksgiving!
Is it a boneless turkey breast?
I usually use bone-in – it’s a little more tender.
Yes Melissa, it’s a boneless turkey breast.
I made this slow cooker turkey breast and my family loved it! It was flavorful and tender. I made a couple of adjustments I sprayed the slow cooker with Pam, and because I was concerned about the lid fitting over my 6 lb turkey breast, I poured about 1/2 cup of the broth mixture in the pot first the the turkey and fingerling carrots so that the carrots would be on the bottom increasing the turkey height. Also I used garlic paste and bay leaf flakes which simplified things even more. I did not add salt as my chicken broth had sodium and used all broth and no water. It took a 5 hrs on low and 1.25 hrs on high to reach 165 degrees done. I will definitely do this again.
Thanks for the update! Happy you loved the recipe. 🙂
I made this today as my first attempt at cooking a turkey. It was wonderful and so easy, even the gravy! I ended up with a brined turkey breast and opted to add no additional salt and it turned out great. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe that will be part of many Thanksgivings to come!
Thanks for the review, Holly! So happy it turned out well for your Thanksgiving dinner!
How do I adjust recipes for my new 2 1/2 quart oval casserole slow cooker?
You would probably want to halve most slow cooker recipes that are written for a 5- or 6-quart.
Hi!
I plan on trying this recipe for Thanksgiving this year but the only turkey we could get says to cook from frozen. Would this work if we add 1-2 hours to the cook time or should we just thaw it first?
Interesting, Betty – I haven’t seen turkeys that say to cook from frozen, but I’m guessing it should work, although you might need more like 2-3 additional hours for a frozen turkey breast.
I have an electric pressure cooker that I love. I have 2 questions for you? 1st can my pressure cooker be used instead of a slow cooker and 2nd I would like to see more recipes for pressure cookers…..Joseph
I haven’t made this recipe in a pressure cooker (yet) but it should transition really well!
I would like to make this turkey a week before thanksgiving since we will be out of town till Wednesday night. Suggestions in freezing and reheating it up?
Not really sure – I haven’t tried that – but you could just try freezing in a large container with some of the juices from the turkey and then reheating in a pan in the oven on low heat so it doesn’t dry out.
This might be a little dumb, but would you be willing to put a picture of “bone-side down” on the site? I’m assuming it means meat side down vs bone side, but I would like to be sure.
Next time I make it, I’ll take a picture…but bone-side down should be the main part with bones – put that down first (meat side up).
I meant to say “breast side down” like the recipe.
So should it be meat side (breast side) up then? The recipe says breast side down but I’ve never cook e a turkey breast like that before…just wanted to check. Love your recipes Mel!
The meaty portion of the breast should be face down.
This year we celebrated Thanksgiving a day late and there were only 5 of us. Our family are huge fans of your recipes and my daughter suggested we try this method this year instead of cooking a huge turkey. It was brilliant!! The turkey was juicy, the gravy was perfect and the clean-up was minimal. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes.
Hey Sheri – so happy you loved this slow cooker method; it’s a favorite! Happy belated Thanksgiving!
I made this today. I prepped everything last night, and refrigerated it until putting it in the crockpot early this morning. I was a bit nervous, because my breast was on the large side – 9 1/2 lbs. I decided to give myself extra time, in case I needed to pop it into a roaster at the last minute, but no problem. It was done in 7 1/2 hours, and the foil over the top worked great. Thanks for the recipe, Mel.
Thanks for checking in with the details of how you made it work, Terry!
I’m sure you’re busy with your own thanksgiving plans (Happy Thanksgiving!), do you think I can get this all ready today and pop it in the my crockpot in the middle of the night? Is sitting between prep and cooking for a few hours going to hurt anything?
As long as it’s refrigerated from a food safety perspective between prepping and waiting to go in the crockpot, you should be good!
I just popped online to ask the same question. I have mine all prepped and ready to go for tomorrow morning when I take it out of the fridge and turn on my crock pot!
I have a question about cooking times. Since I want to eat at a specific time 5-7hrs is a big range. Is it 5hrs in low for a 6pd bird, 6hrs for 7pds, 7hrs for 8? I’m not a regular crockpot cooker and still rely on specific recipes. Thanks!
That’s probably a good range. Part of the reason I don’t give a specific time is, unfortunately, slow cookers vary quite widely in temperature between brands. I’ve had slow cookers that cook very hot, even on low. So a lot will depend on that, too. If you find that your low setting tends to cook things fast (the liquid is at a simmer consistently instead of just being really hot to cook the food), then you can probably err on the side of the lower cooking time.
Just made this for our Canadian Thanksgiving. I wanted something easy while we could be out hiking at the cottage while the turkey cooked, and this was both easy and delicious! Definitely pricier, but worth the difference in time, mess/clean-up, and prep (there was hardly any fat to skim off the gravy). A keeper for sure! Thanks, Mel.
Hi Mel! I have made this in my crock pot before and absolutely loved it!!! I just bought a pressure cooker and was hoping for a conversion. How long do you think I should cook it on high pressure? Thanks!
Not sure, Amanda – take a look at the whole chicken post I did in the pressure cooker. That should give you a good starting point.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe, however I am having trouble finding a bone-in, skin on turkey breast in my area. Do you use a frozen turkey (national brand such as Butterball), or something from your butcher?
Hi Laura – I made this recipe a month or so ago and couldn’t find the bone-in either in my store that normally carries it so I used a boneless turkey breast and it seemed to work pretty well.
This may be a silly question, but do you eat the veggies used in this recipe too, or are they just for flavour?
They are just used for flavor.
Made this yesterday for T-Day. I cry… this recipe makes the best turkey EVER!!! The tip about using foil was PERFECT- since mine peeked out just enough to not allow the lid to close. I think I let mine go a bit longer than I should have – it literally fell off the bones, but thankfully wasn’t overcooked. The gravy… holy schmoley BatMan!!! So silky and smooth and not overwhelming. I’ve done the crockpot thing a few times, but this is the first time it was really flavorful and moist. Definitely a winner. But quite honestly- all of Mel’s recipes and stuff is SPOT on. I also made the Pumpkin Cheesecake crumble bars (excellent) and have been using your video to shape my dinner rolls for some time. I always try to check your website for recipes first- they are well done, well written (because it can be a good recipe but if it’s not well written- it won’t matter) and your recipes are always good. I trust your recipes 100% . I’m learning more and becoming more experienced- so that helps but you don’t have to be a novice to appreciate your recipes. Thank you for sharing all you do.
Thank you, Andrea!
Can this recipe be reverted to a roaster using a whole turkey? I have made this recipe multiple times in the crock pot and get rave reviews. I have been elected to prepare a turkey for our Thanksgiving Potluck at work and I am nervous that it’ll be a flop.
ROASTER TEMP?
DURATION?
Just wanted to respond with a follow up to my question about reverting this recipe to a roaster.
I doubled the batch of gravy goodness and cooked at 200° placed the turkey breast side down, wrapped the lid of the roaster tightly with aluminum foil and cooked for approximately 12 hrs. Then I flipped the turkey breast up and set to warm until ready to serve.
I was very nervous about ruining our potluck not to mention a whole turkey! The turkey came out perfectly moist and juicy and was a hit! Good Luck!!!
Thanks for reporting back, Chris!
Hey Mel! I think I want to try this recipe this year, but my dilemna is finding the bone in turkey breast. Is there a particular brand you used? Did you have to ask a butcher for a 6 lb turkey breast? Any help would be appreciated 🙂
Hi Trish – I’m excited you’ll be making this turkey. It’s so delicious. Granted I haven’t bought a bone-in turkey breast since I moved to Idaho (from Minnesota and Wisconsin) but back there, I used to just find them at my grocery store near the other turkey options. I’m sorry I don’t remember the brand. If you can’t find it, definitely ask your butcher.
I’m excited to try this, but I wonder about the skin. Other recipes suggest putting the turkey in the oven toward the end of the cooking time. Any thoughts?
This turkey, because it’s slow cooked, isn’t going to give you a crispy outside skin but it isn’t intended too since the focus is more on the juicy, super tender turkey meat. You could experiment browning it up in the oven but it falls apart (because it’s so tender) pretty easily and I haven’t tried it that way.
I’ve made this a couple times now and love it! The gravy is so yummy I’m going to save it for other recipes throughout the week.
Thank you!! it worked beautifully…and you gave me inspiration – I also did a simplified version – salt and peppered the hindquarter, 1 x chicken stock cube in 2.5cups of water, 3 pieces of lemon and a couple of shakes of Thyme herbs. Six hours on Auto. Thanks again Ladies, and wishing you all the very best for a fabulous 2015
Looking forward to eating this for Christmas lunch today! Just FYI, Four hours on HIGH for those who don’t want to get up at 5:00am to put on the turkey!
Hi Mel, thank you for your reply and apologies for my delayed response…I will let you know of the success after Christmas. Wishing you and yours a safe and Merry Christmas.
Great reviews, great looking recipe and thanks for the concept. I gather the ‘make-ahead’ turkey is…ahem, not to be talked about…but I need to know! Could I get your advice please on making this one day ahead with a turkey hindquarter? Thanks in advance.
I’ve never used a turkey hindquarter but you could definitely try it. I think making it one day ahead of time and then reheating should work fine.
This was my first year being in charge of the Thanksgivings Turkey. My hubby isn’t the biggest fan of Turkey, he says it’s always dry. So I wanted to prove to him that you can have a moist and yummy turkey. This recipe was perfectly juicy and delicious. Hubby even commented that the turkey was not dry! Thanks for the yummy and easy recipe!
I could only find split breasts so I bought two totaling 6.5 lbs. do you think they’ll cook evenly if I cook them together? …in the same amount of time?
I haven’t tried it that way, Peggy, but I think it should work fine.
Hi Mel, what would you suggest to put in with turkey breast? Should we just put in everything from the recipe?
On time length on low setting, how many hours should we consider?
I would suggest following the recipe and see how it works out. I’ve never used the exact appliance you will be using so I don’t know how to adjust so it would be best to see how it goes with the recipe instructions. Good luck!