Slow Cooker Turkey (with Gravy)

Slow cooker turkey – a fool-proof recipe for cooking a tender, juicy turkey for the holiday season. And you can even make the skin crispy!

This slow cooker turkey recipe is the easiest, safest way of getting a moist, succulent turkey for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas. Like all crockpot or slow cooker recipes, this one is also simple and requires you to work less than you would when traditionally cooking an entire turkey.

Cooking a whole turkey in the crockpot first and then broiling it for a short time ensures a perfect turkey with juicy meat and delicious crispy skin.

And I have two other recipes for cooking an absolutely amazing whole turkey: Dutch Oven Turkey and Red Wine Turkey. Or make Slow Cooker Turkey Wings or Slow Cooker Turkey Legs with Gravy.

Jump to recipe

• 📋Recipe ingredients
• 👩🏻‍🍳How to cook a whole turkey in the slow cooker?
• 🔪How to carve the crockpot turkey?
• ❓Recipe FAQ
• 🍽️How to serve?
• More turkey recipes
• Slow Cooker Turkey (with Gravy)

📋Recipe ingredients

• A whole turkey of appropriate size. You won’t be able to cook a giant turkey in the slow cooker; it has to fit inside, and you have to be able to close the lid properly.
  • One weighing 8-9 lbs/ 3.5 – 4 kg should be fine. The one I had weighed 8.4 lbs/ 3.8 kg, and I had to tilt it slightly on one side to be able to fit the lid tightly on the slow cooker.
  • This is enough turkey to feed 6 to 8 people (small gatherings), and you will probably still have some leftovers.

• Spices for the dry brine: Fine sea salt or Kosher salt, dried thyme and rosemary, sweet paprika, garlic powder, and ground black pepper.

• For the stuffing: Two clementines or mandarins, two small oranges, and two small apples.

• For the butter mixture: Unsalted butter (soft), salt, pepper, garlic powder, nutmeg, and dried rosemary. If you use salted butter, adjust the amount of salt accordingly.

• For the gravy: Cornstarch, cold water, and 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce (optional).

Tip: Consider the size of your slow cooker or crockpot when you buy the turkey.

👩🏻‍🍳How to cook a whole turkey in the slow cooker?

⏲️How long does it take to thaw a whole turkey?

• Allow it plenty of time to thaw. A bird of this size will need 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Tip: I always rub it with the dry rub when it’s partially thawed, after about 1 ½ days in the fridge.

🌶️How to dry rub it?

• After thawing it for 1 ½ days, the outer surface is already soft, and you will be able to remove the giblets inside the bird. Remove the neck as well if it’s still there. Keep both giblets and neck for making stock (don’t freeze them again).
• Mix all the spices in a small bowl (1).

• Pat the bird dry with paper towels, and rub it with the spice mixture, inside and outside and under the wings (2).
• Wrap it well in plastic foil; you will need 3-4 large pieces (3).
• Place the bird in a roasting tin and refrigerate it for another 24 to 48 hours until completely thawed.

🦃How do you prepare the turkey for slow cooking?

• Remove it from the fridge about 2 hours before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Unwrap it immediately to enable it to dry a bit if it is too wet.

Tip: I strongly recommend dry brining the turkey; the spice mixture imparts great flavor and helps tenderize the meat.

Butter:

• Mix the soft butter with the spices.
• Rub inside the cavity with about one teaspoon of the butter mixture.
• Set aside another two heaped teaspoons of butter (for broiling later).
• Carefully loosen the breast skin by sliding your fingers under it and gently lifting it. Spread about ¾ of the remaining butter under the skin (5).
• Use the rest to brush the bird on the upper side as well. The butter needs to be very, very soft for this purpose.
• There is no need to butter the underside.

Stuff:

• Wash and dry the clementines (oranges) and the apples. Quarter them.
• Stuff as many of them as they fit inside the bird’s cavity.
• Bind the legs of the turkey with kitchen string.

⌚How long does it take to slow cook it?

• Place the bird into the slow cooker (6) and place the remaining clementine and apple pieces around it. It's probably not possible to put them on the bottom of the slow cooker, as they lift the bird too much, and you won't be able to close the lid.
• There is no need to add liquid; the bird will release its own juices, and they will be enough. You can add some fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme if you like.
• Fit the lid on top tightly. If it doesn’t fit well, tilt the bird slightly on the side to make sure you can close the lid properly.
• Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours (7).

🍗How to make the skin crispy?

• Preheat the broiler.
• Transfer: Insert tongs on either side of the slow cooker turkey, lift it very carefully, and place it in a roasting tin or on a baking sheet.
• Brush it with the flavored butter you set aside previously. The bird is so hot that the butter will melt quickly; it doesn’t even have to be really soft now.
• Broil it until golden and crispy, keeping an eye on it at all times; the skin might burn if you don’t pay attention (9).
• There is no need to broil on the underside; the skin will remain rather floppy there, but there’s not much you can do about it.

Tip for perfect broiling: Broil it breast up for a few minutes. Once it’s golden, tilt the bird slightly on one side, broil it for a few minutes, then tilt it lightly on the other side and broil for another few minutes. This procedure will allow it to get evenly nice and golden on all sides.

🍛How to make the gravy?

• Make the gravy during the time the bird needs to rest before carving.
• Remove the fruit from the slow cooker and pour the juices into a measuring jug (10).
• Remove as much of the fat as possible using a large spoon.
• Fill the jug with turkey or chicken stock (or water if that’s all you have) to get two cups (500 ml) of liquid.
• Pour the liquid into a small saucepan, place it on the hob, and bring it to a boil.
• In the meantime, mix the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold water. Whisk the slurry into the simmering gravy. Whisk continuously for about one minute until the sauce is slightly thicker (11).
• Adjust the taste with salt and pepper if necessary; it might not be.

Tip: Add 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce for a darker-colored gravy.

🔪How to carve the crockpot turkey?

• Let the crockpot turkey rest for about 30 minutes before carving.
• Use a large, sharp chef's knife.
• Place a few paper towels on the working surface and a large cutting board on top. The towel will help stabilize the board and catch the juices that might run from the cutting board, thus making cleaning a bit easier.
• Legs: Cut the thighs of the bird at the joint. Separate the drumsticks from the thighs by cutting at the joint between them.
• Breast: Carve down the bones of each breast to remove them from the bones. Slice the breasts thickly.
• Wings: Separate the wings from the rest of the carcass by cutting at the joint.
• Rests: Pick all larger meat pieces still hanging on the bones.

❓Recipe FAQ

🍽️How to serve?

Serve the slow cooker turkey any Thanksgiving or Christmas side dishes you would usually serve on such occasions. Truffle Mashed Potatoes and Caramelized Brussels Sprouts?

You can also serve the slow cooker turkey with Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Celeriac (Celery Root Puree), Creamy Carrot and Swede Mash, or Cast-Iron Skillet Potatoes.

Make some Sweetheart Cabbage, Buttered Vegetables, Buttered Peas, or Green Bean Casserole without Soup.

More turkey recipes