Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Garlic-Herb Butter Recipe
This juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is the easiest way to make a tender, flavorful Thanksgiving turkey. A boneless turkey breast is generously coated with a garlic-herb butter and slow-cooked with aromatics in a crockpot, resulting in moist, melt-in-your-mouth meat perfect for a small group celebration.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Aromatics
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
Herb Butter
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan
- 1 heaping tablespoon finely diced parsley
- 1 heaping tablespoon finely diced basil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Turkey
- 1 (3 pound) Butterball Boneless Turkey Breast Roast, thawed according to package directions (2 days ahead of time), gravy packet discarded or saved for optional gravy
Optional Gravy
- 2 cups drippings from turkey and aromatics (add chicken broth if needed to reach 2 cups liquid)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Aromatics: Place the chopped onion, celery, and carrots into the bottom of a greased 6-quart crockpot. Top with the whole garlic cloves to infuse flavor during cooking.
- Make Herb Butter: In a bowl, food processor, or stand mixer, combine the softened butter, grated parmesan, diced parsley and basil, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly using a spatula, processor, or whip until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside.
- Prepare Turkey: Remove any netting from the turkey breast roast if present. Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels to ensure the herb butter sticks well. Spread the prepared herb butter all over the turkey breast, covering it completely.
- Cook Turkey: Place the buttered turkey breast on top of the aromatics in the crockpot. Cover the crockpot and cook on LOW for 3 to 6 hours, checking doneness at 3 hours; the recipe’s preferred cooking time is 4 hours for a perfectly cooked turkey.
- Rest and Serve: Once cooked, allow the turkey breast to rest uncovered for 15 minutes before slicing. This helps the juices redistribute for moister meat.
- Optional Gravy Preparation: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Slowly whisk in the turkey drippings and chicken broth (to total 2 cups liquid) and cook until the gravy thickens to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve alongside the sliced turkey.
Notes
- Any turkey breast can be used—just follow the package thawing instructions carefully.
- Nutrition information includes the optional gravy. To reduce calories, omit the gravy and subtract about 180 calories per serving.
- Refrigerate cooked turkey for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3-4 months.
- To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen and enjoy warm or cold.
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