Slow Cooker Turkey Breast and Gravy (that almost makes itself!)

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast is the perfect solution for an easy holiday feast for two. If we’re a guest or plan to eat at a restaurant, it’s the leftovers that we miss. The solution is to cook a turkey breast in your slow cooker. This recipe is perfect! The meat turned out super moist, and the gravy was so delicious.

My family could happily eat turkey year-round. Give me two pieces of whole wheat breads, a small schmear of mayo and some cranberry sauce… it’s my favorite brown bag lunch to bring to work.

It always seems that leftover turkey breast (my favorite) is the first to disappear. I find myself longing for more turkey.  Then, there are some fine folks whose families are all grown, and maybe moved far away. Or, sometimes, people choose to go out for dinner, or are dinner guests? The problem is, there are no leftovers!

I picked up a fresh Turkey Half Breast at Trader Joe’s, and decided to test their recipe for a slow cooker turkey breast, that makes it’s own gravy.  ATK’s recipe is written for a 6-7 pound turkey breast.

I decided that a 2 1/2 pound turkey breast would be a great way to test drive this recipe.  Season with salt & pepper.

The prep work didn’t take long. Coarsley chop one carrot, one medium onion and a stalk of celery, garlic cloves, and add to a skillet with melted butter.  Cook until lightly browned, then add flour and cook until golden brown.

Next, add chicken broth, water and some white wine (which is totally optional, but I love the flavor white wine imparts to turkey gravy).  For aromatics, add Bay leaves,  and a couple springs of thyme.  Add the liquid to the slow cooker, and nestle the turkey (skin side up) into the slow cooker.  For a 2-1/2 pound turkey breast, cook this on low for just under 3 hours…until an instant read thermometer registered 165F.  Remove the turkey breast and tent with foil.

Strain the braising liquid, and let it settle for five minutes. That way, you can skim off any excess fat. Let the liquid simmer for about 15 minutes. The gravy was a bit thin, and I tasted it for seasoning…since I used low-sodium chicken broth, I added a bit more salt and pepper.

I added a little gravy over the sliced turkey, covered it with foil and set it inside a warm oven.  I decided to make a slurry of cornstarch (about 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 3-4 tablespoons water), whisked until there are no lumps…then slowly drizzled it into the gravy.  It thickened up to the consistency my men prefer (so they can slather it over mashed potatoes).

TASTING NOTES:  The turkey breast was really moist, and that’s something any cook hopes will be the end result.  We loved it, and this is how I’ll prepare my turkey breasts from now on. It’s so easy!

Because there aren’t any turkey drippings, the gravy is not going to have that beautiful dark color and deep flavor like my famous “Make Ahead Turkey Gravy“.

Since the turkey breast is braised in liquid, you won’t get that glorious golden brown skin, like we get with our Grilled Turkey (which is also a great way to free up a single oven).

TASTING NOTES: What you will get is a no-fuss way of making turkey, that your family will go back for seconds. Guaranteed. For a thicker gravy, you could put the braising liquid into a stove pot, make slurry of flour and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened.

There are a couple of side notes:  When buying a turkey breast, read the label carefully. There is a well-known brand that brines their turkey breasts in a saline solution, along with other ingredients I cannot pronounce.  Watch your salt seasoning, carefully!  That’s why I use low-salt chicken broth, and I will only buy a turkey breast that has not been brined or pre-seasoned.

I’ve heard that if your turkey breast is too big for the slow cooker lid to fit, you can wrap the slow cooker with aluminum foil– across and the in the other direction, and tuck it underneath.  I’ve read comments that this has been successful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast and Gravy (that almost makes itself!)

Our family can eat turkey breast throughout the year. We especially love turkey sandwiches. This slow cooker recipe is perfect! The meat turned out super moist, and the gravy was perfect!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time6 hours hrs

Total Time6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Slow Cooker Turkey and Gravy

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion chopped medium
• 1 carrot chopped medium (I did’t peel it)
• 1 celery rib chopped medium
• 6 garlic cloves peeled and crushed (I only used 2 garlic cloves)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup dry white wine optional, but flavorful
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 6 to 7-pound turkey breast, trimmed see note
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet, over medium-high heat.

  Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until onion is softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in flour and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in 1 cup broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Transfer to slow cooker.
• Stir remaining cup broth, water, wine, thyme springs and bay leaves into slow cooker.
• Season turkey with salt and pepper and place, skin side up into slow cooker.
• Cover and cook until turkey reaches 165°F on instead-read thermometer, 5 to 7 hours on low*.
• Transfer turkey to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Let the braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface with a large spoon.

  Strain braising liquid into a saucepan, discarding solids, and simmer until thickened. (see note)

Notes

Note:(To thicken the gravy, you can make a slurry of 1 part cornstarch to 3 parts water (1 tablespoon to 3 tablespoons). Whisk well, so there are no lumps. Slowly add to the liquid until it thickens to your liking. Taste for seasonings.

Notes: For my 2-1/2 pound turkey breast, mine was done in just under 3 hours. If the turkey breast is too big, to allow the lid to fit on, cover the slow cooker with aluminum foil, sealing the top tightly. You can lay 1-2 long pieces of foil, lengthwise, and 1-2 crosswise, tucking in the ends underneath the slow cooker.

I don’t recommend buying turkey breasts that have been brined in a saline solution, if possible. Otherwise, make sure you use low-sodium chicken broth, and be very careful about how much salt you add to the turkey.

Recipe source: America’s Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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