Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
This simple Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving, or an easy weeknight dinner anytime! The turkey is juicy and flavorful, and the maple apple glaze on top is a delicious addition that only requires 4 ingredients. Free up space in your oven and make this tasty turkey recipe in a Crock Pot!
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 3 tablespoons turkey seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 pound boneless turkey breast, *see notes below
For the glaze
- 1 cup apple cider
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Remove the peel from an onion, cut off the ends, then cut it in half. Place the two halves cut side down in a Crock Pot, about 2-3 inches away from each other.
- Combine the turkey seasoning and olive oil in a small bowl, then rub it all over the turkey breast. Place the turkey in the slow cooker on top of the onion.
- Combine the apple cider, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then pour it into the slow cooker.
- Slow cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low. If cooking the turkey in a Crock Pot set to high, I recommend using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey breast after 3 hours.
- After the turkey breast is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, remove it from the slow cooker. Place it on a cutting board and cover with foil.
- Use tongs to remove the onion from the slow cooker.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Use a ladle to spoon the liquid from inside the Crock Pot through the strainer and into the bowl. Discard anything in the strainer, then transfer the liquid from the bowl to a small pot on the stove over high heat.
- Bring the liquid to a boil. Simmer the liquid for 10 minutes, stirring throughout the cooking time. After the glaze starts to thicken, stir in a cornstarch slurry. This is a combination of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir it into the glaze and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes before removing it from the stove.
- After the liquid has cooked down to a glaze, slice the turkey using a sharp knife or electric knife. Serve the turkey with the glaze on the side for drizzling over the slices of turkey.
Notes
- This recipe can be made with a boneless turkey breast that's between 3-5 pounds in size. If you’re buying a frozen, packaged boneless turkey breast, you’ll usually find 2 turkey breasts in the package, bound together with netting. Turkey breast roasts can also be used in this recipe and these will also range from 3-5 pounds in size. The turkey breast used in this recipe is 4.75 pounds. During the month of November, these are quite easy to find at most grocery stores both fresh and frozen. During the rest of the year, you’ll find these frozen at most major grocery stores. I recommend defrosting a turkey breast for 48 hours in the fridge before making this recipe.
- You can make this recipe with a bone-in turkey breast, as long as your Crock Pot is large enough to hold it. A Crock Pot that is 7 quarts or larger should be able to accommodate a bone-in turkey breast. If you’re using a bone-in turkey breast, the bones should face down and the breast should face up in the Crock Pot.
- If the turkey comes in netting, I recommend removing it before starting the recipe. This way, you don’t lose any of that delicious herb rub when you remove the netting after the turkey is cooked. If the turkey breast is in two pieces and they fall apart after you remove the netting, you can always use kitchen twine to tie the turkey breasts back together after you’ve rubbed it with the seasoning.
- Leaving the skin on, or taking it off, is up to you. I like to remove the skin for this recipe because it will not crisp up in a slow cooker, leaving the texture less than desirable. I recommend that you remove it before you start the recipe. First, you’ll need to remove the turkey breast from any netting. Next, use a sharp knife to remove and discard the skin.
- If you don’t want to make the maple apple glaze, you can replace the maple syrup, apple cider, salt, pepper, and cornstarch, with 1 ½ cups chicken broth. After you’ve seasoned the turkey breast and placed it in the Crock Pot, simply pour the chicken broth in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 339kcal (17%)Carbohydrates 19g (6%)Protein 49g (98%)Fat 7g (11%)Saturated Fat 1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 122mg (41%)Sodium 762mg (32%)Potassium 658mg (19%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 16g (18%)Vitamin A 87mg (2%)Vitamin C 1mg (1%)Calcium 75mg (8%)Iron 2mg (11%)
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