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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is the hands-off way to get juicy, tender turkey with bold Cajun flavor and zero oven space required. I started making it this way so I could free up the oven on busy holidays, and now we make it year round for easy turkey dinners and meal prep. It is the perfect main next to a big scoop of slow cooker mashed potatoes.
A homemade Cajun rub and a bed of vegetables turn a turkey breast into the juiciest, most flavorful hands-off main in the crockpot.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 6 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 510kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Juicy, tender turkey with a bold, savory Cajun seasoning
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy and hands-off, like our slow cooker mashed potatoes
Quick Answer
Stir together a Cajun seasoning blend, then place carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and bay leaves in the bottom of the slow cooker. Rub the turkey breast all over and under the skin with the seasoning, set it on top of the vegetables, and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, until it reaches 165 degrees. Rest the turkey, slice it along the breast bone, and serve. Thicken the drippings into a gravy if you like.
Jump to:
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast FAQs
- Other Recommended Holiday Main Dish Recipes
- Slow Cooker Cajun Turkey Breast
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The slow cooker keeps it juicy. Gentle, low heat means the turkey breast stays moist and tender instead of drying out the way it can in the oven.
- It frees up your oven. On a busy holiday, cooking the turkey in the crockpot leaves the oven open for sides and desserts.
- A homemade Cajun rub adds bold flavor. A simple blend of paprika, garlic, onion, oregano, and thyme seasons the turkey all over for savory, slightly smoky flavor.
- Vegetables build a flavorful base. Carrots, celery, onion, and garlic lift the turkey off the bottom and flavor the drippings for an easy gravy.
- It is mostly hands-off. A few minutes of seasoning and the slow cooker does the rest, with no basting or babysitting.
- Great for meal prep. Sliced turkey breast is perfect for sandwiches, salads, and easy dinners all week long.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It comes out juicy and tender every time, with bold Cajun flavor and no dry turkey in sight.
- It cooks completely hands-off in the slow cooker, freeing up your oven for everything else.
- It is perfect for the holidays or easy meal prep, right alongside our slow cooker cornbread dressing.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this slow cooker turkey breast so juicy and flavorful. Just a turkey breast, a homemade rub, and a few vegetables.
- Turkey Breast: a bone-in or boneless turkey breast portion is the star; it stays juicy with the gentle slow cooker heat.
- Cajun Seasoning: a homemade blend of season salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, and black pepper rubbed all over for bold flavor.
- Vegetables: carrots, celery, and onion form a flavorful bed that keeps the turkey off the bottom and seasons the drippings.
- Garlic and Bay Leaves: tucked into the slow cooker to add savory, aromatic depth as the turkey cooks.
- Drippings: the flavorful juices in the bottom thicken into an easy gravy, like the pan juices from our whole roasted turkey.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This slow cooker turkey breast is easy to adjust.
- Make it classic: use a simple salt, pepper, garlic, and herb rub instead of the Cajun blend for a milder flavor.
- Add more heat: bump up the paprika and add a pinch of cayenne for a spicier Cajun turkey.
- Crisp the skin: broil the cooked turkey for a few minutes if you want golden, crispy skin.
- Use a boneless breast: a boneless turkey breast cooks a little faster, so check the temperature early.
- Make extra gravy: double the drippings with a little stock and a cornstarch slurry to serve over our mashed potatoes.
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Stir together the season salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, oregano, and thyme to make the Cajun seasoning blend.
- Place the carrots, celery, onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaves in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Rub about two teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning all over the turkey breast, including under the skin, then set it on top of the vegetables.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 5 hours, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads at least 165 degrees.
- Remove the turkey, let it rest a few minutes, then slice the meat away from the breast bone and cut into slices to serve.
- For gravy, remove the bay leaves and vegetables and thicken the drippings in the slow cooker with a cornstarch slurry until smooth.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a meat thermometer and cook to 165 degrees in the thickest part for juicy, safe turkey every time.
- Season under the skin so the Cajun rub flavors the meat directly, not just the surface.
- Do not lift the lid while it cooks; every peek adds time and lets out heat.
- Let it rest before slicing so the juices redistribute and the turkey stays moist.
- Save the drippings for an easy, flavorful gravy; they are packed with seasoning.
- Make the seasoning ahead and store the extra blend in a jar, the way we keep rubs on hand for our roasted turkey.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Slow cooker turkey breast is a juicy, flavorful main that slices beautifully for a holiday plate or an easy weeknight dinner.
Serve it the classic way with slow cooker mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, and a scoop of creamed spinach for a spread that covers all the comfort-food favorites.
Beyond the holidays, slice the leftovers for sandwiches and salads, or plate the turkey next to a honey baked ham when you are feeding a crowd.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast FAQs
No extra liquid is needed. The turkey and the bed of vegetables release plenty of juices as they cook, which keeps the meat moist and creates flavorful drippings for gravy. Adding water would only dilute the flavor.
A turkey breast portion takes about 4 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 5 hours on high. Cooking time varies with size and whether it is bone-in, so always use a thermometer and cook until it reaches 165 degrees.
It is not recommended for food safety, since the turkey spends too long in the temperature danger zone. Thaw the turkey breast completely in the fridge before seasoning and slow cooking.
The slow cooker keeps the turkey juicy but will not crisp the skin. For golden, crispy skin, transfer the cooked turkey to a sheet pan and broil it for a few minutes, watching closely so it does not burn.
Store sliced turkey in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, with a little of the drippings to keep it moist. Reheat gently in the microwave or a covered dish in the oven so it does not dry out.
Yes. Freeze the cooled, sliced turkey in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat with a splash of broth or the saved drippings.
Planning a holiday menu? Pair this turkey with our easy slow cooker cornbread dressing for a hands-off, crowd-pleasing meal.
boneless turkey breast in the slow cooker
Slow Cooker Cajun Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 tsp season salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 3 carrots washed and cut in half
- 2 stalks celery cut in half
- 1/2 white onion cut in large chunks
- 3 cloves garlic no peel
- 2 bay leaves
- 7 pounds turkey breast portion
Instructions
- Mix all the spice ingredients together. Place in an air tight container or zip lock bag until ready to use.2 tsp season salt, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- In the bottom of your crock pot, place the vegetables, garlic and bay leaves.3 carrots, 2 stalks celery, 1/2 white onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves
- For the turkey, take 2 tsps of the cajun seasoning blend and rub it all over the outside and under the skin. Place this on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.7 pounds turkey breast portion
- Let this cook on low for 4-6 hours or high 3-5 hours. Make sure to check the inside temperature using a thermometer, you want it to read at least 165 degrees.
- Take the turkey out the crock pot and remove the meat section by cutting down alone the breast bone. Cut into slices and serve with your desired sides!
- If you want to make a gravy, you can thicken the drippings that accumulated in the bottom of the crock put with a cornstarch slurry mixture, after taking out the bay leaves and vegetables.
Notes
- Veggie Bed – Lay those carrots and celery in a single layer. Lock in the flavor.
- Rub It Good – Massage that garlic powder mix all over. Get it under the skin like a turkey spa day!
- Check the Heat – Use an instant-read thermometer—165 degrees F is your magic number.
- Lid On Tight – Make sure it fits—no steam escapes, or it’s drier than my last joke, haha!
- Gravy Trick – Stir a little bit of cornstarch into the drippings—homemade gravy thicker as can be.
- Rest Easy – Let it sit after cooking. This keeps it’s own juices locked in.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Can’t wait to try this 🙂 Yummy!
Love the spices on the chicken and it looks absolutely delicious 🙂
I love anything cajun and turkey is one thing I have yet to put in my crockpot. I am going to have to pin this recipe and give it a whirl!
This sounds fantastic! I just pinned it. My husband will love it!!
Looks delicious, you are invited to share this with Show Your Stuff:
http://juliejewels1.blogspot.com/2013/10/show-your-stuff-99.html
I am always looking for good slow cooker recipes; I just printed this out and can’t wait to try it! Visiting from #LOBS – have a great weekend!
That looks so delicious. I know the family will love this one! Thanks for sharing it.
Dana, this is a brilliant idea! I’ve never made turkey breast before (in the oven or crock pot) but I’ve always wanted to try, especially since leftovers would make perfect wraps. Can’t wait to tive this a shot!
Your turkey looks fabulous! Thanks for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
adding to the list of things to make 🙂 thanks!