Carve up and serve this gorgeous, tasty, healthy slow-cooker lemon herb turkey breast with gravy. It’s a wholesome dinner that is delicious any night of the week or perfect for the holiday season. Get all the flavors of your favorite holiday at any time of the year.
This is a hands-off turkey recipe. You can toss the turkey in the slow cooker, walk away, and let it cook without fussing over it. It’s great when you want a healthy dinner but don’t have time to hover over the stovetop.
Because the oven doesn’t have to be heated, this recipe can be enjoyed at any time of the year.
This is also an ideal recipe for cooking a holiday meal for one or two people.
What is Slow Cooker Lemon Herb Turkey Breast
This turkey breast is seasoned and then slow-cooked for several hours. At the end, you can drizzle gravy over the turkey.
This main dish meal is tender, juicy, and delicious.
What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Turkey Breast With Lemon?
- turkey breast
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- salt
- thyme
- black pepper
- lemons
- water
- chicken broth
- butter
- flour
- Rosemary
Weight Watchers Points for Herb Turkey Breast
Click here to track Slow Cooker Turkey Breast in the WW app.Â
This recipe is 2 points for WW Plan 2024. Each serving is 4 ounces, or 2 slices.
What Should I Eat with this Turkey Recipe?
This turkey breast recipe is versatile. Serve it with holiday sides like mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, etc. Try our cranberry fruit salad for a sweet treat for dessert.
Pair this meat main dish with your favorite pasta salad, baked potato, baked beans, or other sides for more of an everyday meal.
Leftover turkey works well in this healthier chicken salad with fruit or turkey noodle soup.
How Long Does Turkey Last?
Once cooked, you can store your turkey in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze slices and gravy (stored separately) for up to 3 months.
How Do I Store Turkey and Gravy?
Store the gravy in a separate container from the turkey breast. This keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
When you reheat the turkey and gravy, watch it carefully. If you overheat it, it can dry out quickly. You can warm it in the microwave or stovetop, or cover it and heat it in the oven.
Can I Freeze Turkey and Gravy?
Yes, you can freeze the turkey and the gravy. Place in a freezer-friendly container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Or, wrap the turkey pieces in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze them for the same time.
When you are ready to eat, defrost the turkey in the microwave or thaw it in the fridge overnight before you reheat it.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use a boneless turkey breast to replace the bone-in. The cooking time will be shorter, as cooking thoroughly will not take as long. Watch the cooking time and make sure it reaches the proper internal temperature.
If your slow cooker is too small, you can use a smaller turkey or cornish hens.
You can use fresh herbs if you prefer. Dried herbs have a more robust flavor, so I aim to use 2-3 times as fresh as dried.
Cooking on high can be done, but if you aren’t careful, it can cause the turkey to dry out. I recommend the low setting, as it helps keep the meat juicy.
Yes, you are welcome to omit making the gravy if you wish. The gravy adds lots of flavor to the turkey, but it is not a part of the recipe that has to be made.
How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey and Gravy
Here is how to make a turkey breast in the slow cooker.
We used a bone-in turkey breast. If you use boneless, follow the directions on the package. Don’t cook it too long, or it will dry out.
Step 1: Add Lemon Slices and Herbs To Slow Cooker
Prep your slow cooker and add water to the bottom. Then add lemon slices and herbs to the bottom and sides.
Step 2: Season Turkey Breast
Next, place your spices in a bowl and mix well. Massage the mixture all over the turkey. You want to do half the seasoning under the skin and the other half over the skin of the turkey breast.
Step 3: Slow-cook the Turkey Breast
Cook on low until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees. This takes about 6 hours on low.
Step 4: Let the Turkey Rest and Prepare the Gravy
Remove the turkey and let it rest or broil in the oven to create crispier skin on the turkey. Then, whip up the gravy in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Drizzle the gravy over the sliced turkey and enjoy.
Healthy Slow Cooker Lemon Herb Turkey Breast with Gravy
Ingredients
For Turkey
- 5 pound turkey breast bone-in
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 whole lemons washed and sliced
- 3/4 cup water
For Gravy
- 4 cups chicken broth (You might not need it all.)
- 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine. I used Smart Balance Light.
- ¼ cup flour White flour gives the smoothest gravy, but whole wheat, almond flour, or gluten-free flour can be used.
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Instructions
For Turkey
- Spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and pour the water into the bottom.
- Placed the lemon slices and fresh herbs around the bottom and sides.
- Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, thymes leaves, and black pepper together to make a rub.
- Next rub half of the dry seasoning under the skin and half the seasoning on top of the skin, covering as much of the turkey as possible.
- Cook on Low for 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Remove turkey from slow cooker.
- (Optional) For crispier skin, preheat the broiler of the oven. Transfer the turkey to a baking sheet. Place under the oven broiler for 5 minutes.
- Allow turkey to sit for 10 minutes, the carve and serve.
For Gravy
- Carefully ladle out any usable drippings from the bottom of the crock pot into a bowl or large measuring cup. Add chicken stock until you have 4 cups total liquid.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and thick. Reduce heat to low.
- Slowly add the liquid to the skillet stirring constantly, until the gravy is smooth. Add the seasonings and simmer, stirring often, until the gravy has thickened, approximately 5 minutes.
- Serve sliced turkey breast with gravy.
WW Information
Notes
Nutrition
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