Are you looking for a great recipe for a perfectly cooked juicy turkey breast straight from the crock pot! This recipe produces the most flavorful turkey our family has ever had!
Hey y’all! GOODe Ole Boy here!
Now let’s talk turkey! Ever had one of them Thanksgiving turkeys that was more dry than cardboard and tougher than a leather shoe? No matter what amount of gravy you poured over that pour piece of poultry, it wasn’t going to save the bird. Well, I’ve been there too. (Not that I’m naming any family members that may or may not have turned the turkey into jerky…)
Well I have the answer! Drown, um, I mean brine your turkey! I scoured the internets for different brining recipes and ended up coming up with my own concoction that will add a ton of flavor to your bird as well as enough juices WITHIN the meat that you might not even touch the gravy!
The different brining methods that I came across said the size of your bird determines how long you should brine it. I used a 9 lb turkey breast. Most of my research said that you should soak your bird in the brine for at least an hour per pound. I brined mine for 24. Math… shmath…
Crock Pot Turkey Breast
This means you need a little patience and prep ahead time, but it is so worth the time. I used our large stock pot and combined 1/2 cup of kosher salt and 1/2 cup of sugar and added enough warm water, stirring to disolve both. I then added 10 ounces of soy sauce and about 1/2 cup of Worchestershire (I still can’t say it without sounding like I’m tipsy) sauce, along with 2 teaspoons of celery seed and 2 teaspoons of Penzey’s Country French herb mix (poultry seasoning will work fine too).
After stirring the mix up I placed my bird in the brine and added enough water to cover the bird, then covered it and placed it in the fridge. The cool thing is the pot was completely filled to the brim when I placed it in the fridge to soak. When I pulled it out the next morning almost a half inch of the brine was soaked into the bird. I drained the brine and then rinsed off the turkey. Then I covered the outside of the bird in poultry seasoning, (again we used Penzey’s).
Then I took our slow cooker that has a built in meat thermometer and set it to 165 degrees, placing the probe deep into the thickest part of the turkey. After about 8 hours the bell went off on the cooker and the turkey breast was done. Unfortunately I was at work when the bell went off, but I got a phone call from Cris telling me just how flavorful and juicy it was. That was sure a long shift at work! Luckily, Cris and our Miss Add saved me some for me when I got home. It was DELICIOUS!!!
Try this out the next time you go to create a turkey feast an I promise you won’t be disappointed. Just remember to leave enough time to thaw and brine your turkey first!
Crock Pot Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 9 lb turkey breast
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 10 oz soy sauce
- 1/2 cup Worchestershire sauce
- 2 tsp dried celery seed
- 2 tsp Penzeys Country French herb mix or Poultry Seasoning
- 2 Tbsp approx poultry seasoning
Instructions
- In a large stock pot dissolve salt and sugar in warm water.
- Add soy and Worchestershire sauces along with celery seed and Country French herb mix.
- Place thawed turkey breast in pot and cover with water.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours.
- After brining, remove turkey from brine and rinse off with water.
- Place turkey breast in slow cooker and cook on low until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Slice and enjoy!
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So how much poultry seasoning do you use if that’s all you are using?
Kelli, I used 2 tbsp Penzey’s Country French seasoning in the brine. If you don’t have access to that particular seasoning, 2 tbsp of any poultry seasoning should do just fine. After the bird had brined I rinsed it off and then used approximately another 2 tbsp of poultry seasoning rubbed into the bird. It’s a total taste thing as to how much seasoning you want to rub on Ol’ Tom Turkey. (But I advise against licking the raw bird!)
You put the brined turkey in the crock pot without any liquid? It doesn’t burn or stick to the crockpot?
Due to soaking up all the brine the day before, the turkey produces its own juices. In other words, it didn’t stick a lick! Although it did make me want to lick the crock pot. Never EVER lick a hot crock pot, Kathy…. 😉
approximately how long does it take to cook in the slow cooker?
I don’t cook often (I’ve only done a thanksgiving feast once and it was not what I considered fun!) so this recipe looks perfectly easy for someone like me 🙂 Do you think I would be able to put some vegetables in the Crock Pot with the turkey breast? I was thinking maybe onions, carrots, potatoes? Thanks for sharing this!
That looks delicious! About how many does a 9 pound turkey breast serve?
Since I don’t have a thermometer connected with my crockpot, should I stick one in the breast before I put it in the crock or just assume that about 8 hours is the right amount of time? Never cooked turkey in the crockpot before.