December 2, 2022

Crock Pot Frozen Turkey Breast

Learn how to cook a turkey breast from frozen in your Crock Pot, complete with delicious gravy made with my microwave roux.

My recipe tutorial for ‘How to Make Frozen Chicken in the Crock Pot‘ is very popular. So I figured my readers would like to know how to cook a frozen turkey breast. It’s really quite simple and you even get gravy to go with your turkey!

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There’s lots of reasons for this recipe. Maybe you forgot to thaw your turkey breast. Maybe you want to make a smaller, centerpiece roasted whole Thanksgiving turkey in the oven for that “wow” factor on Thanksgiving Day. But you always need more breast meat. Or maybe you have a small family (like me) and one turkey breast is more than enough to feed your people. Or also like me, maybe you are craving some roasted turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes and it’s not Thanksgiving. Whatever your reason, this recipe is for you.

Why this recipe works

The consistent, low and slow heat of the slow cooker defrosts and cooks the turkey breast in one step. You do still have to plan ahead. The Crock-Pot still needs about 8 hours to work it’s magic. But once everything is in the pot, you can forget it!

The best part is the finished turkey has gravy to go with it. My microwave roux is the secret to making delicious gravy and sauces in your slow cooker. Microwaving butter and flour together is practically like magic. Just a few minutes is all it takes and you’ll end up with perfectly cooked and tender turkey breast swimming in a sea of delicious turkey gravy.

Ingredients for crock pot turkey breast

Boneless Turkey Breast – some of these come packaged with a gravy packet. You can discard this because we are making our own gravy. This is not a sponsored post but as you can see, I used a Butterball Turkey Breast Roast (48 oz pkg, 3 lb turkey) because that is what I found at my local grocery. It was delicious!
Butter – turkey breast is a lean meat and fat adds flavor. Plus the butter helps to thicken the gravy as the turkey cooks.
Flour – Combined with the melted butter and microwaved, it makes the roux which thickens the gravy.
Turkey Broth – if you can’t find turkey broth you can substitute chicken broth instead. Canned broth combines with the cooked turkey’s own natural juices to help create this gravy.
White Wine – use a dry white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
Herbs de Provence – I like the convenience of using dried herbs, but you can use your own blend of fresh herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme if you prefer.
Poultry Seasoning – helps to add more flavor to the gravy.
Salt and Pepper – beyond these seasonings, feel free to experiment and honor your own tastebuds. You could also use garlic powder, paprika, or onion powder to season the gravy if you want to.
Parsley – I like to sprinkle fresh parsley on my plates for a pop of color to make it more visually appealing.

Slow cooker turkey breast recipe

Place the frozen turkey breast in the slow cooker insert.
You’ll remove the twine after it’s cooked.
Whisk together melted butter and flour, microwave for one minute.
Whisk in wine and microwave again for a minute more.
Whisk in the broth and seasonings.
Pour over the turkey breast.
Cook on low power for 8 hours or until the thickest part of breast reaches a minimum of 165 degrees F when checked with a digital meat thermometer.
Remove the turkey and cut away the string/twine.
Strain the gravy and return it the the slow cooker.
Slice and return the turkey slices to the slow cooker.
Continue to cook on low power until warmed through and ready to serve.

Pro Tips

The turkey breast will likely have some visible fat. I use kitchen shears to trim this away and discard before serving.
The white string wrapping is easily cut away from the turkey after it is cooked, but not before.
If you like your gravy thicker, simply add two more tablespoons each of butter and flour at the beginning of the recipe.
You can make this recipe with a thawed turkey breast as well. It should be ready in about 6 hours instead of 8 hours.
When starting with frozen meat, I prefer to cook on low power and not rush the process. I have not tested this recipe by cooking the turkey on high power.

Suggested Side Dishes

Storage Directions

Store any leftover cooked turkey breast combined with the gravy in an airtight container. It will keep for up to one week in your refrigerator. And for up to one month in your freezer. I suggest making a Turkey Hot Shot sandwich with your leftover turkey breast!

Kitchen Tools

I use a 6-quart capacity Crock-Pot to test all of my slow cooking recipes on Foodtastic Mom.
Make your gravy in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup.
Small wire whisk for helping to make your gravy smooth.
My favorite, inexpensive instant read digital meat thermometer for making sure your meat is cooked to a safe internal temperature.
Kitchen shears for helping to cut away the twine from the frozen turkey breast.
This is the type of strainer I use to clean up the gravy before serving.

More Crock Pot Recipes

Crock Pot Frozen Turkey Breast | Foodtastic Mom #crockpotturkeybreast #crockpotrecipes #howtocookfrozenturkeybreast

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