Ingredients
1 (about 6 lb.) bone-in, skin-on turkey breast, room temperature
2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
Preparation
Step 1Grease a large slow cooker with cooking spray. Roll a large piece of aluminum foil into a rope and then fold the rope into an oval. Place in slow cooker, creating a rack for the turkey. Step 2In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Press sugar mixture all over turkey, then place in slow cooker, breast side up. Step 3Whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, and honey and pour into bottom of the slow cooker.Step 4Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast reads 165°. Step 5Heat broiler. Transfer turkey to a rimmed baking sheet and broil until skin is crispy and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.Step 6Garnish with parsley and serve.
Turkey breast is very lean, so everyone’s biggest fear when roasting a whole bird is that the breast meat will dry out. If you don’t brine it, even if you use a meat thermometer, you risk biting into some sad meat. Well, good news: with our slow-cooker method is a way to guarantee moist meat every single time. How big should my turkey breast be? This recipe will work with any size turkey breast—so long as it fits in your slow cooker! A typical bone-in breast sold at the grocery store—which is actually half of the turkey breast—will serve 2 to 4 people, depending on how hungry you are. Don’t skip the rub. You want this bird to be flavorful! We rub it with a simple four-ingredient seasoning blend of brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder. Add some liquid. More flavor comes in with this step: You make a simple broth of chicken stock, soy sauce (for that umami flavor), and honey and pour that into the bottom of the slow cooker. Get that crispy skin. Once the bird has slow-cooked, you’re going to want to take the next step to get crispy skin. (Trust us, it’s worth it.) When you’re ready to serve, heat your broiler and bake the skin until golden and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Use drippings for gravy. Don’t toss the juices leftover in the slow cooker! Put them to good use in a gravy for your turkey. Pour them into a liquid measuring cup and add more chicken broth until you have 2 cups total. Add equal parts butter and flour to a large skillet over medium heat, whisking until it becomes a thick paste. Add 1/2 cup liquid, whisking to combine, then slowly add remaining liquid in batches until the gravy is smooth and no lumps remain. Simmer until it reaches your desired consistency, then pour into a gravy boat or serving vessel. Using a frozen turkey breast? Transfer it to the fridge a full 24 hours (and maybe longer depending on the size) to let thaw. Looking for leftover inspirations? Try giving this sinful turkey casserole a try, or our turkey tetrazzini. Made it? Let us know how it went in the comment section below.
