Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Orange and Rosemary
Hi sweet friends! With many families changing their Thanksgiving plans last minute. I wanted to share with you my deliciously simple recipe for Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Orange and Rosemary. It is perfect for 2-4 people. And if you have a larger family you can make a larger turkey breast and add more side dishes to round out the meal. We will discuss those sides in a little bit!
As far as your turkey breast goes, frozen or fresh is fine. Just make sure if it is frozen you have it fully defrosted in time. You will also see in the ingredient list it calls for fresh rosemary. Fresh is BEST for this recipe if you can get it. Also, you have the option to add a little orange juice. It adds a nice sweetness, not candy sweet, but it is tasty (not required but yummy).
As far as your slow cooker goes. You can use your Instant Pot on slow cooker mode if it is 6 qt size or larger. You can use your 6 qt or larger slow cooker. Keep and eye out for my Home Chef Gift Guide 2020. There will be a link for the fun vinyl decals like I have on my Instant Pot. They also make them for Slow Cookers! Anyway, if you decide to make a larger turkey breast make sure you have a large enough slow cooker ahead of time!
Cooking Times for Bone-In Turkey Breast
2lb 4-5 hours on low
4-6lb 5-6 hours on low
8 lb. 6-7 hours on low
10 lb. 8-9 hours on low
If you make a larger turkey breast feel free to double or even triple your seasoning and oranges!
Side Dishes to Get Excited About
Over the past couple of years, I have shared several side dishes that would be the perfect compliment to my Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Orange and Rosemary. Just in case you missed it, my Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Pancetta is a fresh, delicious take on Sweet Potatoes. And it will definitely make you feel like you made a healthy choice before you hit the dessert table! HA HA HA! Two other dishes that would help round out your meal are the Pantry Raid Corn Casserole and the Food Prep: Green Beans. With these dishes you are hitting most of the food groups and have a colorful table to boot!
Desserts to Drool Over!
This year I have shared several amazing dessert recipes. Two in particular would compliment your Thanksgiving meal so well. The first is my Apple Brandy Bundt Cake. This is a recipe that my Grandmother made for years. It has always been a family favorite and I tweaked it just a bit so I could share it with you! The other is my Instant Pot Lemon Cranberry Cheesecake. I came up with this bright, delicious cheesecake for all of you that want an alternative to pumpkin.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Orange & Rosemary
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 lb. turkey breast fresh or defrosted and giblets removed
- 1 3-4 ” spring of fresh rosemary or ½ tsp dry rosemary
- 1 large orange
- ½ cup orange juice optional
- Salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Place clean turkey breast into 6 qt or larger slow cooker.
- Chop rosemary fine and sprinkle all over turkey breast.
- Zest orange and sprinkle orange zest over turkey breast as well.
- Cut orange in slices and set to the side.
- Season turkey breast generously with salt & black pepper.
- Squeeze orange slices over turkey breast and toss them into slow cooker.
- You can add orange juice if you wish.
- Place lid on slow cooker, set to low. Cook for 5 hours for 4 lb. turkey breast and 6 hours for 5lb turkey breast. Check internal temperature of your turkey breast with a thermometer. Desired temperature is 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. (see chart in blog post for cooking times for larger sizes)
- Remove to a plate, tent with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
- If you want to brown the skin brush with canola oil and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes. Keep and eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Allow to rest before you carve it.
