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Juicy, moist, Slow Cooker Turkey in Gravy is the easiest way to make never-dry turkey that is totally foolproof!
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Shredded Turkey in Gravy
There’s no reason to resort to tough, dry, boring turkey if you’re not comfortable cooking a big bird on holidays when you have this amazingly delicious, never dry, and crazy easy Slow Cooker Turkey in Gravy recipe!
I can not claim credit for this marvel – I unabashedly got the idea from my kids’ preschool teacher (who is possibly one of my favorite people on earth) who brings shredded turkey in a big crockpot full of gravy every year for the Preschool Thanksgiving. I’ve looked forward to her turkey year after year, and have thought about sneaking in again even though my kids have outgrown her class.
My slow cooker turkey in gravy is a touch different since it’s all in one package- making it perfect to serve over mashed potatoes, rice, stuffing, and in deliciously moist and juicy sandwiches!
This is also perfect for big potluck holiday dinners, because it won’t dry out. The leftovers also freeze well – simply toss back in a slow cooker and let cook until piping hot!
How Make Slow Cooker Turkey In Gravy
To make this recipe, you will need:
- Turkey breast. Wer’re going to slow cook a turkey breast in gravy, and then shred it and cook more for perfect, never-dry, juicy turkey that is hearty and rich.
- Celtic sea salt. Use a high quality salt whose flavor you like.
- Cracked pepper. I crack pepper freshly so the flavor is better – pepper that is ground before you use it often loses flavor, so try to crack it fresh just before using.
- Oregano. You can use fresh or dried oregano for this recipe to bring a woodsy, citrussy kick to your turkey that helps balance out the buttery gravy flavor and enhance the lightly sweet turkey meat.
- Cilantro. Cilantro has an herbal, light, earthy flavor that is great with turkey – but some people can’t eat cilantro because it tastes like soap to them! If you don’t like cilantro, you can swap for parsley, or skip it all together.
- Rosemary. Rosemary has a woody, pine-like flavor and amazing aroma that enhances turkey’s flavor and gives it more dimension.
- Paprika. Paprika brings out a smoky, lightly sweet flavor to turkey as well as a bit of a deeper red color to your gravy to make your dinner look as great as it tastes!
- Gravy. You can use canned gravy, packets of gravy made according to it’s directions, or make your own gravy – whatever you want to use works just fine for this recipe, as it will taste great! Honestly, I don’t love the flavor of gravy from a jar, but in this recipe, it works really well as it cooks with the turkey in the slow cooker.
- Prep. In a large crockpot, drizzle oil at the bottom to prevent sticking.Season turkey but rubbing herbs onto the skin. Roll up two sheets of aluminum foil into balls. Place the balls of foil on each side of the turkey, propping it up so the bony cavity is at the bottom and the fat is up top (this helps baste the bird in it’s own juices).
- Cook. Cover and cook on high two hours. Remove foil. Add one package (or packet’s worth) of gravy. Add cover back and cook another two hours.
- Shred. When turkey is 175 degrees internally, and a bright opaque white, remove skin and shred with forks. Remove bones and carcass from slow cooker.
- Simmer. Add additional gravy to slow cooker and let simmer on low until ready to be served.
- Serve! Great over mashed potatoes, in sandwiches, over rice, or on it’s own!
Slow Cooker Turkey In Gravy Recipe Tips and FAQs
This slow cooker turkey is great because it is so simple – it isn’t much work for a delicious dinner! This turkey in gravy recipe is perfect if you don’t have many guests coming over – it is simple, foolproof, and so delicious!
Plus you don’t need any previous cooking experience for a delicious homemade Thanksgiving dinner. We love the flavor of shredded turkey – it is loaded with gravy and amazing with mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, soft dinner rolls, and cranberry salad!
This recipe uses a simple trick to shred turkey – a stand mixer!
We recommend shredding turkey breast by placing it in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment while steaming hot – start with a low speed to start breaking the meat apart, and work up to a medium speed.
It will only take about 30-40 seconds to shred turkey in stand mixer.
If you do not have a stand mixer, you can use forks to pull at the meat and shred it.
This trick also works with pulled pork, shredded chicken, and other pulled meats.
Turkey is fully cooked when a thermometer reads 180 degrees in the thigh and 170 in the breast.
We love cooking turkey in a slow cooker in gravy – it keeps the turkey moist, juicy, and delicious – no dry turkey breast meat!
For a family of four, get a turkey breast of around 2-3 pounds, uncooked.
When planning Thanksgiving dinner, we go off uncooked turkey weight to plan how much meat to serve per person, so you know how much to buy.
For a bone-in turkey breast, plan on 1 pound of uncooked turkey breast meat per person.
For boneless turkey breasts, plan on 1/2 pound of uncooked turkey breast per person.
You’ll want an extra pound, uncooked, for seconds or leftovers, depending on your guests.
If the gravy is too thin, you can mix a small amount of cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry, then stir it into the hot gravy. Simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.
Yes, you can substitute chicken breasts or even pork loin for the turkey. Adjust the cooking time accordingly based on the type and size of the meat.
What To Serve With Slow Cooker Turkey In Gravy
For some of our favorite sides to serve with this turkey, visit our The Best Easy No Knead Bread recipe, our Bacon Ranch Potato Salad Recipe, The Best Keto Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Recipe, Easy Apple Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe, and our Perfectly Broiled Lobster Tails Recipe!
To find more easy Thanksgiving side dishes, click here to see our complete Thanksgiving side dish recipe index here.
Slow Cooker Turkey in Gravy Recipe
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Slow Cooker Turkey in Gravy
Juicy, moist, Slow Cooker Turkey in Gravy is the easiest way to make never-dry turkey that is totally foolproof!
Ingredients
- 1 turkey breast - 12 lb
- 1 tbsp celtic sea salt
- 1 tbsp cracked pepper
- 1 tbsp oregano, fresh or dried
- 1 tbsp dried cilantro
- 1 tbsp rosemary, fresh or dried
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 8-10 oz cartons ready-made gravy, or two packets of gravy, made per their instructions, divided.
Instructions
- In a large crockpot, drizzle oil at the bottom to prevent sticking.
- Season turkey but rubbing herbs onto the skin.
- Roll up two sheets of aluminum foil into balls.
- Place the balls of foil on each side of the turkey, propping it up so the bony cavity is at the bottom and the fat is up top (this helps baste the bird in it's own juices).
- Cover and cook on high two hours.
- Remove foil.
- Add one package (or packet's worth) of gravy.
- Add cover back and cook another two hours.
- When turkey is 175 degrees internally, and a bright opaque white, remove skin and shred with forks.
- Remove bones and carcass from slow cooker.
- Add additional gravy to slow cooker and let simmer on low until ready to be served.
- Great over mashed potatoes, in sandwiches, over rice, or on it's own!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra expense to you.
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Fire & Flavor Turkey Perfect All-Natural Herb Brine Seasoning Kit, Perfect for Roasting, Grilling, Smoking, and Frying, Including Durable Double-Zipper Gusseted Brining Bag for Birds up to 25 lbs -
KitchenAid KSM150PSPT Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - Pistachio
-
Hamilton Beach Portable 6-Quart Set & Forget Digital Programmable Slow Cooker With Temperature Probe, Lid Lock, Stainless Steel (33969A)
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 162Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 23mgSodium 847mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 5g
Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.
How many pounds of turkey does your recipe call for?
A 12 pound turkey, but this recipe is pretty generous.
Degrees? Or I just cook on high? ..first time ever cooking turkey! Help
In the slow cooker, I just cook on high. You’ll know its done when the internal temperature is 160 degrees (it will carryover cook the final five degrees)
What gravy packets do you use?
Whichever is your favorite – they all work!
What should I do if my whole turkey doesn’t quite fit in my slow cooker? Any way to get same results by cutting it up first?
You can spatch cook it – I dont have directions down on site here but that will break it down to fit!
This looks wonderful!!