Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe made with butter, a sliced apple and a basic mix of traditional seasonings. Crock pot turkey breast recipe perfect for any time of the year!
My family loves turkey anytime of the year and this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe is one of our favorites. Cooking the turkey in the crock pot helps the turkey be super moist and juicy. It’s also incredibly easy to prepare and I tend to have all the ingredients on hand. The apple lends a slightly sweet flavor that is wonderful.
How long does it take to slow cook a turkey breast?
I love how moist and flavorful turkey is when you cook it in the crock pot! How long it takes to cook depends on whether or not your turkey breast has a bone in it. I usually buy boneless because it takes less time to cook. Cooking my 3 pound boneless turkey breast took just under 4 hours. You can test the temperature using an electric meat thermometer. The reading needs to show the turkey is 165 degrees F in the thickest portion of the breast.
If you’re using a bone- in turkey breast, you’ll want to slow cook it for 5-6 hours, testing for doneness at 5 hours.
MY LATEST RECIPESHow do you cook moist turkey breast in a crock pot?
One of the main ways to cook a moist and juicy turkey breast is to simple not overcook it. Slow cooking turkey makes this a bit easier since, quite literally, the temperature increases more slowly. I like to check my turkey at 3.5 hours to see if it’s reached the 165 degree F temperature. If you don’t have a good meat thermometer, you should consider getting one! I use mine all the time- it’s so frustrating to spend time on a great recipe only to overcook the meat!
Also, by adding in butter and an apple, you’re adding both moisture and flavor. These simple techniques combined work to help you serve the best turkey breast ever!
Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- 1 turkey breast** {mine was boneless and weighed about 3 lbs}
- 1 small apple
- 4 TBSP butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp crushed rosemary
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp sage
- 2 tsp onion powder
- Place your turkey breast in the slow cooker.
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl. Rub the seasonings on the turkey breast, making sure to get some underneath the skin. Dot turkey with butter (again, put some underneath the skin.)
- Slice apple. Place apple slices in the crockpot, on and around the turkey breast. There’s no need to add any additional liquid, the butter and apple are sufficient!
- Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. **If your turkey breast is bone-in, then you’ll need to cook it for 5-6 hours on low. After 4 hours, check every hour to make sure you don’t over cook it!
- Let turkey rest after cooking- I like to leave mine in the crockpot on warm for 10 minutes to even an hour, until just before we’re ready to eat. I also remove the skin prior to serving- it helps keep the turkey moist, but the texture isn’t the greatest after slow cooking. Slice and serve with gravy and cranberry sauce.
If you love our Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe, be sure to check out a few of our other favorite meat recipes!
- Best Crockpot Beef Stew
- Best Homemade Chicken Strips
- Best Steak Marinade
- BBQ Chicken Bacon Pineapple Kabobs
- Slow Cooker Pork Roast
Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
Easy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe made with butter, a sliced apple and a basic mix of traditional seasonings. Crock pot turkey breast recipe perfect for any time of the year!
Instructions
-
Place your turkey breast in the slow cooker.
-
Combine the seasonings in a small bowl. Rub the seasonings on the turkey breast, making sure to get some underneath the skin. Dot turkey with butter (again, put some underneath the skin.)
-
Slice apple. Place apple slices in the crockpot, on and around the turkey breast. There's no need to add any additional liquid, the butter and apple are sufficient!
-
Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. **If your turkey breast is bone-in, then you'll need to cook it for 5-6 hours on low. After 4 hours, check every hour to make sure you don't over cook it!
-
Let turkey rest after cooking- I like to leave mine in the crockpot on warm for 10 minutes to even an hour, until just before we're ready to eat. I also remove the skin prior to serving- it helps keep the turkey moist, but the texture isn't the greatest after slow cooking. Slice and serve with gravy and cranberry sauce.
Adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking recipe here
Mmmm. Looks delicious – and so easy! 🙂
I have a question about the turkey–was it frozen?
No, I thawed mine out prior to cooking it.
Shoot, so that’s that one supepsos.
I just made this tonight (with even a slight skeptical idea that it would turn out) … I am no longer making Turkey any other way – this will be great for cold sandwiches and salads or just by it's self with veggie sides… Thank you for this recipe — it's a MUST REPEAT!
Visiting via Pinterest! Just wanted to say hi and thank you for posting this! I've got a bone-in turkey breast in the freezer and I'll be using this recipe soon. 🙂 It looks delicious!
Do you think that I could add potatoes? Also, could I use a frozen turkey?
I don't think that is a 3 lb turkey breast.
This is so helpful! Thanks for sharing
[…] EASY SLOW COOKER TURKEY BREAST […]
I thawed out my 3lb boneless turkey breast & I rinsed it. Then I put it in the crockpot & covered it with half a packet of dry onion soup. I added apple slices around the turkey. Then I added the butter. I put the lid on & put it on low for 3 1/2 hrs. It came out perfect. I didn’t have to reopen the lid 1 time. Thank you for sharing your recipe. It made dinner turn put great. It is hard to find recipes for 3lb turkeys in the crockpot that are good.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Can’t wait to try the boneless turkey breast in my slow cooker today
Id really like to receive more recipe ideas
Could you do two 3 lbs breasts? How long?
I’d cook it for 5 hours and take the internal temp to see where you’re at, then add another hour if needed.
OK seriously, this is so good. I couldn’t really taste any apple in mine but it was super moist. I have tried other slow cooker turkey breast recipes but I think they had me leave it in for way too long. This was perfect! Thanks for sharing. 😀
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our favorites too!
I’m using Butterball’s “Ready to Roast” boneless turkey breast (the one that comes in a bag). Your recipe says to thaw the turkey breast, but Butterball is adamant about NOT thawing it. So would this still work if I don’t thaw the breast?
I don’t have a lot of experience with the ready to roast turkeys, but I think it’s worth a shot! I mean, it’s still a turkey breast. But- I’d thaw it! If you don’t, the meat sits in the crockpot for too long at a warm temp (not hot!) so it can breed stuff you don’t want to eat. Just my thoughts- let me know if you try it!