Slow Cooker Turkey Crown

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4.84 from 49 votes

Slow Cooker Turkey Crown

A turkey breast or crown cooked with a delicious rub with smoked paprika and herbs in your slow cooker, hassle free!

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, Slow Cooker

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5 5

Servings

Calories 483kcal

Author Lucy Allen | BakingQueen74

Equipment

Ingredients

2 kg turkey crown or breast defrosted completely
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions halved
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

For the glaze:

50 g butter
2 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

UK Measurements - US Measurements

Instructions

Mix the oil, paprika, garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dried rosemary, salt and pepper to taste
Rub it over the turkey crown.
2 kg turkey crown or breast
Halve two onions and place them in the base of the slow cooker pot.
2 onions
Put the prepared turkey crown on top of the onions.
Put on the lid and cook on high for 5 hours (or on low for 8 hours if cooking overnight).
During cooking, baste occasionally with the cooking liquids which will collect under the turkey crown.
Before serving, melt the butter, mix with smoked paprika, salt and pepper and pour it over the turkey crown to glaze.
50 g butter, 2 tsp smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste
Optional. If you'd like to have crispy skin on your turkey crown, remove the turkey crown carefully from the slow cooker pot once cooked through, transfer to a roasting tin and put it in a hot oven to brown for approx 10-15 minutes (at 180°C/350°F).
You could also lay slices of bacon across it before putting it in the oven.

Video

Notes

Cooking times

For a 1 kg / 2 pound turkey crown or breast - 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low
For a 2 kg / 4 pound turkey crown or breast - 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low
For a 3 kg / 6 pound turkey crown or breast - 6 hours on high or 9-10 hours on low

If you want no hassle on Christmas Day you can cook your turkey crown overnight on low. Let it cool then refrigerate. Then you can slice it and reheat before serving (reheat in the oven with gravy to stop it drying out, or in the microwave, not in the slow cooker).

How to defrost a turkey

Follow the directions on the packaging to defrost your turkey or crown, ensuring you know how much it weighs.

You can defrost in the fridge (takes longer, around 8-12 hours per kilo), a cold room (takes a bit less time, around 4 hours per kilo) or at room temperature which takes 2 hours per kilo.

Always follow a reliable source – in the UK I like this guide from the Food Standards Agency.

How to check your turkey is defrosted

Remove all the packaging, look for ice crystals on the underneath of the crown where the bones are. If any remain, leave it to defrost for longer until they have gone.

Use a sharp knife or skewer and pierce the turkey breast to see if it feels frozen still. If it does, leave to defrost for longer until it no longer feels frozen inside the breast.

After cooking, how to check the turkey is cooked through

This so when I turn to my trusty meat thermometer. This put the guesswork away as I know exactly what temperature the turkey has reached.

To be safely cooked through the turkey must reach 74 degrees C in the thickest part of the meat.

Using my slow cooker on high, and testing with my thermometer after cooking, I found my turkey had reached over 90 degrees C so I knew it was fully cooked.

If you do not have a meat thermometer, check the breast meat is completely white with no red or pink remaining, and that the juices run clear (no blood).

Optional - for crispy skin - If you'd like to have crispy skin on your turkey crown, remove the turkey crown carefully from the slow cooker pot once cooked through, transfer to a roasting tin and put it in a hot oven to brown for approx 10-15 minutes (at 180 degrees C).

You could also lay slices of bacon across it before putting it in the oven.

Slow cooker sides - To save even more oven and hob space for all those tasty Christmas dishes, cook some of your sides in the slow cooker too, like slow cooker roast potatoes, slow cooker roast parsnips, slow cooker Brussels sprouts, slow cooker red cabbage

Nutrition