CROCK POT TURKEY BREAST BONELESS
No need for a big turkey at Thanksgiving? Try this boneless turkey breast recipe that gets cooked right in the crock pot with minimal ingredients.
Flavorful, moist, and tender flaky turkey breast that is so easy and perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. No cleaning the bird! Let the slow cooker do all the work and it even makes it's own cranberry gravy.
I love Thanksgiving but I'll be honest... I don't eat the turkey! I should say I don't eat 'traditional turkey'. You know the 20 pound bird that you have to clean out, wash, season, stuff, and then try and figure out how to cook it perfectly brown in the oven for hours? That one.Â
I much prefer this super easy and simple to make boneless turkey breast that cooks in the slow cooker. And another bonus is that you won't end up with 20+ cups of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving dinner!
BONELESS TURKEY BREAST WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE AND ONION SOUP MIX
- 5-7 pound boneless turkey breast -Â Most grocery stores will have these but I always buy mine at Costco. It's the best price and all the turkey breasts are exactly 4.75 pounds (which is slightly under 5 lbs but it's close enough). I have had people sucessfully make this with a bone-in turkey breast. I've never done it but I know others have with great success. Just watch the internal temperature as it may take longer to cook with the bone-in.Â
- 1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce -Â No need for fancy homemade cranberry sauce here. Just grab a can and you're good!
- Packet of onion soup mix/seasoningÂ
- Orange Juice
WHAT TEMPERATURE DO I COOK TURKEY BREAST TO?
When a thermometer inserted into the largest part of the turkey breast it should read 165 degrees. I'll be honest and say that mine was more like 180 degrees. I am terrified of meat not being cooked all the way through so I just cook it a little bit hotter to be safe.
If you use a larger turkey breast, closer to 7 lbs, your cook time may take longer than mine. Just check the temperature starting at 5-6 hours. The beauty of using the slow cooker is that no matter the meat temperature the turkey will stay juicy and moist because of all the liquid. It's basically fool-proof!
MY TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- The turkey will come wrapped in three layers. A green netting on the outside, the wrapper, and then the turkey breast inside the package will have a netting wrapped around it. DO NOT remove the netting. Only remove the outer two layers. The netting helps the turkey keep it's shape while cooking which will make it easier to slice it into pieces to serve. Don't worry, you will remove the netting before serving 🙂Â
- If the turkey is slightly less than 5 pounds then that's fine. Just check the temperature and adjust the cook time as needed.Â
- Remember to THAW THE TURKEY BREAST BEFORE COOKING. Stick it in the fringe for at least 2-3 days before you plan on cooking it.Â
TRY THESE OTHER THANKSGIVING DAY RECIPES
- Sweet Corn Casserole
- Homemade Stove Top Stuffing
- One Hour Dinner Rolls
- The Best Green Bean Casserole Ever!
- 30 Thanksgiving Appetizer Recipes
Crock Pot Cranberry Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 (5-7 lbs) boneless turkey breast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 can (14 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 packet onion soup seasoning mix
- ½ cup orange juice
Gravy
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Unwrap turkey breast, making sure to leave the netting on the turkey, and place into a slow cooker. I use a 6-qt crock pot.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the turkey and rub it in. In a mixing bowl combine cranberry sauce, onion seasoning mix, and orange juice. Pour over the turkey.
- Cook on LOW heat for 5-7 hours. Internal temperature needs to be at least 165 degrees. Mine cooked for 6 hours.Â
- Take turkey breast out of the crock pot and place onto the serving plate. Cover with tin foil to keep it hot. Skim the fat pieces from the crock pot. Pour the remaining liquid from the crockpot into a medium saucepan.
- Mix together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Bring the sauce from the slow cooker to a boil. Once boiling add the cornstarch mixture and stir with a whisk until it's thickened. You may have to turn the heat down while doing this to prevent it from boiling too much and burning. It should only take between 1-2 minutes for it to thicken.
- Pour some of the gravy over the turkey breast and serve. I pour the extra sauce into a jar and set that out with the turkey so you can serve additional gravy with the turkey servings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
OMG does that look delicious!! I must try this this year - we've just a small gathering and this is perfect. In fact, I was just looking at skinless boneless turkey breasts in the grocery deli and thought that would be a good idea, but cooking it in the slow cooker makes it an even better idea. Thanks for a great share and Happy Thanksgiving!
It is so perfect for a smaller gathering. I hope you make it. It will be on my thanksgiving table for sure. Happy thanksgiving to you as well.
We made this tonight as we are start to quarantine for the Corona virus. We have had this many times and each time it tastes better than the last. This is the best recipe I have gotten from pinterest. Thank you so much.
Awww, thank you! I am so glad you found the recipe on Pinterest and left a comment. Thank YOU 🙂
I am sorry I Give it a 3 only because we did not like the sauce. we like the old fashioned gravy taste . that is tge only thing thT putnis off but I will say the turkey was moist.
Sorry you didn’t like the sauce. I’m glad the turkey turned out good!
How many lbs of turkey breast will fit in a 4 quart slow cooker
Well this recipe calls for a 5-7 lb turkey breast and that should fit in a 4 quart slow cooker. So you will be fine. If you're cooking more than one I would recommend using two slow cooker if they are only the 4 quart size.
Can I cook 2 3lb breasts in one larger oval crockpot?
So easy and so good!!!
Question... when you say onion soup mix, do you mean the mix only, or follow the package directions and then combine with other ingredients?
Thank you for posting this recipe! It sounds delish! I’ll be making it for Thanksgiving!
The onion soup mix refers to a packet of the onion soup mix. The dry packet, DO NOT prepare ahead of time. Just dump the packet in. Hope that helps. I will clarify the recipe. Thank you!
I was thinking of leaving out the onion mix, any reason I shouldn’t?
I would for sure not leave it out. If you must then replace it with some other seasoning. Otherwise, I think the turkey will have no flavor at all, and it won't be delicious. Just my thoughts 🙂 Enjoy!
My husband is allergic to onions. What other seasoning mix do you recommend substituting onion soup mix with?
I am not sure what you could use instead. I *think* there is a vegetable soup seasoning that you could try. Wish I could help more, I have never used anything but the onion.
This looks so good! All I could find was a fresh 6lb turkey breast but it’s NOT boneless. Do you think this will still
Work?
Yes, it will. Just add 1-2 hours on the cook time, or it may not need that much longer. I’d check the temperature at 6 hours and go from there.
Made this yesterday for Thanksgiving and ohmygosh, the response i received from my husband was amazing! I'm a vegetarian and I have never made turkey before. Also, my husband is very sensitive to the raw smell and taste of meat and seafood. But according to him, it was moist, flavorful and not at all smelling or tasting raw. I cooked on Normal mode in my Instant Pot, 6.5 lbs With the ribs for 8hrs and amazingly moist. So thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe! My two favorite parts are that it doesn't take up oven space and no matter where I am in the world, I'm pretty sure those 3 ingredients are in most grocery stores.
This made my day!! I made two of these turkey breasts for our thanksgiving yesterday. So happy you found this recipe and that your husband loved it.
Did you put both breasts together in the crockpot?
No I have not done that. If I were to cook 2 I would use two different slow cookers. I was just responding to someone who asked if they could put 2 inside the crock pot. If it's big enough you probably could but I have never done it so I can't say for sure.
I'm going to try this in the morning. This will be my first attempt at a Thanksgiving dinner (ours is altered due to hubby's schedule) and I'm so excited to try it!
I don't have the whole cranberries on hand. My husband accidentally bought the jellied kind. If I start this cooking in the morning, can I add the cranberries in later, or will omitting them alter the flavor too much??
Thanks so much for creating and sharing this! Perfect for small families where a big turkey is too much!
This sounds amazing! However, my brother/law is allergic to onions, so what do you suggest I substitute for the onion soup mix?
Good question. I am not sure what you could use in it's place. Maybe just use some seasonings/spices of your choice in place of the onion soup packet.
My turkey breast has a gravy packet inside how do I remove that without removing the netting
Just remove the netting as little as you can. Like maybe just cut a small section of netting so that you can pull the gravy packet out. If that fails, just remove the netting and cook it.
I made it with turkey breast fillets (2 kg) cooked it for 4 hours on slow. I may reduce the cooking time by 10-15minutes next time. Reorganized the fillets in the middle. Turned out great. Sliced up each fillet and poured the gravy on top.
Sounds delicious! I've never tried this with fillets before, but yes reducing the cook time will work just great. Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Sounds a delicious, simple dinner idea! What kind of juice do you recommend to replace the orange juice (I’m allergic)?
Any juice would work, it would just change the flavor but I would suggest apple juice.
What if the turkey doesn’t have netting inside of the wrapper?
It's just fine if there is no netting. Just stick the turkey breast inside the slow cooker and let it cook. It will probably fall apart while cooking so therefore it won't be super easy to slice it for serving, but it will still taste delicious.
This looks and sounds like a perfect alternative to roasting a large turkey when hosting only a small gathering. My dilemma is that my daughter has an aversion to the taste, smell and texture or oranges. Weird, I know. Ugh. What could I sub for the orange juice? Maybe cranberry juice, or just purchased turkey broth? Any ideas?
Thank you!
I would say use cranberry juice but just know that it may turn the broth into a weird purple color? Or just use chicken stock or turkey stock. Or you can also just use some water possibly. You just need to replace it with some liquid. I hope that helps. If it helps at all, you can't taste the orange juice at all in the turkey. It's called for in the recipe for the acid and bright flavor, so try to replace it with something like that. Even grapefruit juice would be good too.
I do not have corn starch to make the gravy, could I use flour instead?
Yes flour should work fine too.
Our turkey breast is in the freezer. Do I need to thaw the turkey breast or can I put it in the crockpot straight from the freezer?
Putting it in the crock pot frozen should be ok but it will need a much longer cook time. I would imagine it's just like using frozen chicken breast in the crock pot, just increase the cook time. I would guess by at least 1-2 hours. I have never tried it from frozen so I am not speaking from experience, just my best suggestion 🙂
I made this for Christmas dinner and it was so delicious! Thank you for sharing!
One thing I hoped was that it had more of a cranberry flavor, is there anything you’d suggest to boost that flavor?
Other than that this was absolutely perfect, and my husband and I enjoyed every bit of it.
You could maybe add an additional can of cranberry sauce or throw in some fresh cranberries and let it cook in the slow cooker. That's all I can think of and you would get that additional cranberry taste you want. So happy to hear you loved this turkey! It's one of my favorites.
Will the turkey have that lovely golden coloring on the outside without putting it under the broiler?
No it won't get that golden brown color on it. If you want that, move the turkey after it's done cooking into a pan and broil it for a few minutes 🙂
I made this last year and it was delicious! I followed the directions exactly as is. This year I bought a whole turkey for our Friendsgiving dinner. Can I use this for an entire 19 lbs turkey? I know I’d need to increase the amount of spices and things. Ive never made an entire turkey before. Thanks.
I've never made an entire turkey before either! 🙂 I would suggest possibly tripling the recipe for a large turkey like that but I can't promise anything because I have never done it that way. I don't see why it wouldn't work, just make sure you triple/quadruple the recipe to fit the size of turkey. And I am so happy to hear you made this last year and loved it! I make it every year too.
Approx how many people will this feed? Sounds delish!
It makes about 15-20 slices deepening on how thick you cut it. It can easily feed 8 adults if you're serving it alongside Thanksgiving with lots of other food as well.
How many does this size of a turkey serve?
How many do you think this will serve? If I cook two breasts would they both fit in the crock pot together?
If you have a large crock pot then you could probably fit two in there, but If I were making two then I would use separate crock pots for each. The turkey that I always use is 4.75 lbs and it can easily feed 10+ people at Thanksgiving because there are so many other sides and food to eat, not just turkey. I hope that helps!
Thank you. This looks really delicious. How long would I cook a 3lb boneless turkey breast. In the crock pot. Happy Thanksgiving
I would guess that a 3 lb turkey would take anywhere from 3-5 hours depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks at. Just watch the internal temperature and take it out when it's at 165. I actually prefer to leave it in a bit longer cause I feel the meat gets more tender as it cooks in the slow cooker, but it still stays moist.
How many will a 5-7 lb turkey breast feed?
When I make this for Thanksgiving it can easily feed 8-10+ people, and probably more because there are so many other side dishes at Thanksgiving. If you're serving it for dinner with not as many side dishes then I would safely say 6-8 servings depending on portion size. It's so hard to measure serving sizes with this recipe because it just depends on how much turkey each person wants and how many kids vs adults are eating it.
I made this recently to test flavor before determining Thanksgiving menu this year, and OMG! I couldn't believe the raves I received from my husband and three small children. When you can impress a 6, 4, and 2 year old, you know it's a winner! Thank you so much for this fantastic and easy recipe that will make Thanksgiving an incredible feast this year! All the best to you this holiday season!
Your comment literally made my day! I love hearing this. All 4 of my kids gobble it up with no problems so I am happy to hear yours do to. Thanks for you comment.
I used a 5 1/2 lb breast on low the instant read thermometer read 178 degrees after 4 hours and the meat seems a little firm. I don’t understand how it was done so fast.t
Have you ever made this recipe in an instant pot?
I have not. I am sure it would work I just don't know how. I would suggest googling instant pot boneless turkey breast recipe and then use that as a cooking guide. You can still use the cranberry, orange juice, etc that this recipe calls for. I hope that helps 🙂
Can you use this recipe with an already cooked turkey breast? If so, by how much time should you adjust the time you cook the turkey breast?
I honestly do not know. I would imagine if it's already cooked then you would only need 2-3 hours but that is just a guess because I have never used an already cooked turkey breast.
What about a cooked turkey breast?
I am not sure what you mean a 'cooked turkey breast'. If it's already cooked then you would not need to cook it in the slow cooker. This recipe calls for an uncooked boneless turkey breast in the slow cooker. Sorry I can't help more.
Sorry, I wasn't sure if anyone would respond! I thought the recipe sounded delicious, but I bought a pre-cooked one from Costco. So I just put it in my IP and used the slow cooker setting about 2 1/2 hrs before I wanted to serve. I'm sure it wasn't as delicious and I will definitely be trying it the right way, but it was really good! Thanks!
Great to hear this! I try and respond to every comment but it gets hard sometimes. It's just me trying to answer hundreds of comments and questions so at times it gets challenging. Thank you for coming back to let me know 🙂
Looks amazing!! I wonder if it would work on a whole turkey. I just bought mine yesterday. Now I am wishing I just bought a breast
I don't think a whole turkey would work in the slow cooker.... at least I have never tried it anyways. I make this for an easy weeknight dinner (or weekend) all the time so you could definitely still make it for dinner sometime 🙂
This sounds amazing! I was going to make a crockpot turkey breast, but to get it done by noon, I would have to get up at 3 am(serving a 10 pounder)& THAT ain't happenin'! How would this work in the oven, or would it? Thanks!
Not sure how it would work in the oven. I would not even know where to start to give tips on that, as I have never done it. If you need something by noon I would probably just stick with a smaller turkey that bakes in the oven. I don't have a recipe on my site but Pinterest is a really good place to search for that. Maybe try searching 'small batch oven roasted turkey'. Hope that helps.
This looks soooo good!!!! And easy ! 🙂
Ok so forgive me for this dumb question lol! I’ve never made turkey and I was wondering if boneless turkey breast roast is the same thing?? Lol the “roast “ part confuses me ? thank you so much!!!! I hope you reply so I can make lol!!!:)
I don't think the roast matters much... to be honest I have never noticed it on the turkey breast that I buy, haha! But I did go down and look at the one in my freezer currently and it does say roast, you're right 🙂 The more important part is that it's an uncooked, boneless turkey breast. In a small 5-7 pound size.
Can you omit the cranberries? Or can you use the cranberry jelly?
You could try cranberry jelly. I have never done that but I am sure it would work just fine. I would not omit the cranberries because the recipe is for cranberry turkey breast and you want that yummy flavor!
I've made this numerous times now with some minor adjustments. I added 1 cup of orange marmalade and 1/4 cup undiluted frozen OJ instead of fresh. Excellent.
Yummy! That sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing that 🙂
Can you provide the size of the dried onion soup packet please. Want to make sure I have the proper size. Thanks
I didn't know there were different sizes of the onion soup packet. I don't have one handy, but I used the standard one that comes in the box with two packets inside it. I've never seen other packet size options at all.
Thank you so much...this recipe is a-mazing
Could Not fine a uncooked turkey breast. Bought a pre do one 4.75. How long would you cook that in the crock pot
I honestly am not sure about an already cooked turkey breast. Maybe just a couple hours??
This was sooooo tender and delicious. Will definitely be making again and again. Thank you.
Unfortunately, the first time I saw this recipe, I did not have a turkey, nor time to run to the store to purchase one, but I happened to have a pork tenderloin handy.
I browned the tenderloins in flour, then placed in the crock pot. I followed the remainder of the recipe for the sauce,
I cooked the tenderloin on high for 4 hours. It was amazing!!!!
I can't wait to try it with turkey!!!
Thank you for this recipe.
What kind of salt do you typically use for the best results? Table salt or sea salt?
Good question. I use fine kosher salt for everything. Regular table salt works just as well too. I don't use sea salt so I am not sure on that one. Hope that helps.
I see in the photos you have a few springs of Rosemary I believe it is, should I add that to the crockpot?
Nope. Just follow the recipe as written. That was added in the end for the picture because it's not easy getting an appetizing photo of turkey in the slow cooker, haha 🙂 You could definitely add the rosemary sprig but the recipe is fine without it and I only added it for the picture.
So Good!! Making this for Thanksgiving since its just going to be 5 of us and I am making my first Thanksgiving dinner.
It's perfect for a smaller crowd. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
I’m making this recipe with a 3lb boneless turkey breast- just cut ingredients and time in half?
Thank you
I’m wondering the same thing. 3 Lb boneless breast. Has anyone left a reply ???
Keep the ingredients the same with a smaller turkey.
My son and I prefer dark meat. Could this be done with a turkey leg thrown in, too? I realize there will be bones, but just wondering if it would turn out as well?
I have never done this but I am sure it would work just fine. It may need more cook time but that is just purely a guess based on the bone being in the turkey leg. I would just watch the cook time and check for doneness with a thermometer.
This was so good and easy to make!! We'll definitely be making this again very soon. The only change I made was to use about 1/4 cup water and 1 1/2 T cornstarch because our family likes more gravy.
I’m going to try this with a 3lb breast. Would you cut ingredients and cooking time in half? Or use same amount of ingredients? Thanks!
Leave the ingredients the same for a smaller turkey.
For a three pound turkey breast, would you cut ingredients in half and half the cooking time?
I would keep the ingredients the same. Don't cut them in half.
Hi! I’m not from the US, but living here and it is my first time cooking thanksgiving dinner. Do you have suggestions for reheating? Will microwave work just fine or would you reheat it in the oven? Thank you!
I reheat in the microwave but you could certainly put it into a baking dish and heat it up in the oven.
Made this today for Thanksgiving. It was easy and delicious. The turkey stayed very moist, and we loved the gravy. I used 1/4 cup turkey broth + 1 1/2 T cornstarch to thicken because I wanted gravy for leftovers. I just used boxed broth but will use bouillon and water next time I make it. Thank you for the great recipe!
Yummy.. I had done breast bone in, 8 hrs, high,I left out onion packet, used poultry packet of sage, tyme, rosemary, OJ, butter..so goid and moist. Will do this again
Do you think I could substitute boneless chicken breasts for the turkey if needed? We want to have a little additional Thanksgiving meal after the real thing yesterday and I'm concerned grocery stores will be totally sold out of the turkey breasts.
I think chicken breasts would work just fine! It should be the same cooking time but just watch it and maybe check the temperature to make sure (165 degrees for chicken).
I ended up getting 2 bone-in turkey breasts and cut the meat away from the bones. It came out a little more broken up, but not entirely shredded. It was very good!
I love this recipe! I have tried new ways of cooking our turkey every year but I have a feeling that I'll be sticking to this one from now on.
Cooking the Thanksgiving turkey is daunting but this recipe took all that stress out of the holiday.
I'm getting ready to make it for Christmas and the only thing that I'll be doing differently is flipping the Turkey halfway through the cook time.
Thank you so much for posting!
This is a delish recipe. I will never cook turkey breast in the oven again! I didn't have cranberry sauce in the house so I substituted with applesauce and dried cranberries. Turned out fine. Also, my bone-in breast only took five hours on low.
Thank you for the feedback and I love the substitution you did with the applesauce and cranberries. Yum!
Very belated in leaving a comment (~6 months, whoops) but this recipe was awesome at getting me off on the right foot with cooking turkey in a crockpot for the first time. I substituted turkey broth and fresh herbs for the onion soup mix ... and then did not attempt a gravy, tho I suspect it could have been fantastic as well. Thanks!
I use homemade cranberry sauce that I make with a diced up honey crisp apple in it -so delicious! I also cook the turkey breast (with rib) in my 6 quart Instant Pot on the slow cooker mode. Turns out perfectly.
Outstanding!
Can you make this with a whole turkey?
No you can't. The recipe is specifically for a boneless turkey breast and not the regular bone-in Thanksgiving turkey ( I am assuming that's what you mean by whole turkey?). Hope that helps.
What about using turkey tenderloins? We love them year round.
Because tenderloins are low in fat they dry out quickly so start checking the meat at around 3 hours until it comes to temp. Let me know how it turns out!
10/22
So easy and very yummy! The gravy was rich and sweet.
Thank you so much for your comment! Glad you liked the recipe 😊
i'm in a small town... only two grocery stores and both only offer bone-in turkey breast.
would that work
It can take longer for a bone-in breast to cook so plan for extra cook time. I’ve never made this recipe with a bone-in so make sure to check it frequently for it to reach the correct temperature. Let me know how it goes!
With the recipe calling for the cranberry stuff, does that mean the meat will taste sweet? Or is it savory flavor
It is on the sweeter side because of the cranberry but the savory, turkey flavor isn’t overpowered.
Could I make a dressing and place it under the turkey breast? I thought it would be a way to save some oven space by having turkey and dressing both in crock pot. Should I cook the turkey longer?
I’ve never tried this and am not sure how well it would work with the liquid from the turkey breast recipe. If you do try it I don’t think the turkey would need to cook for longer, just make sure that the turkey comes to temperature.
I could only find a bone-in breast. I know I increase cooking time. Do I also remove skin?
Yes, I think it’s a good idea to remove the skin. It will ensure the flavor gets to the meat and then you won’t have to deal with the skin later.
I made this today for Thanksgiving. I loved it! This is the best so far for a turkey breast recipe that I like. Everyone loved it! It was so moist and just fell apart. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Thank you! That’s exactly why I love this recipe, the meat always turns out so moist!
Absolutely wonderful!!!!
I was skeptical going with a new recipe on, of all days, Thanksgiving. But since I volunteered to cook this year (2022) at the last minute I decided to go with it. I am a HUGE fan of smoked turkey only. To my surprise it turned out scrumptious, and so easy. Followed the recipe to the T other than bone in breast. It was so moist. And the gravy was divine!!!! Every guest raved over it.
A note on gravy: Had to use more corn starch and water. It made a lot.
So glad it worked out! Thank you for your comment!
I made this for Thanksgiving and WOW! I’m glad I decided on a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey and icing on the cake is when I found your recipe. I shared Thanksgiving dinner with my neighbor now she want the recipe.
What a wonderful comment! Thank you so much, I’m glad it worked out so well!
Could you do this in the oven?
I’m sure there is a way to do it but it’s best to do it in the crockpot because the meat stays super moist that way.
For my sister"s 30th Wedding Anniversary I made this awesome turkey breast receipe.It's simple and delish.The finishing gravy with the cranberry sauce and orange juice was a nice addition to the menu.I will definitely make this again for future dinner parties.
Thank you so much! Glad to hear you liked it.