Crock Pot Cranberry Turkey Breast with Orange Cranberry Gravy
By Ethan Parker
Prep
5 min
Cook
360 min
Total
365 min
Servings
8
Level
Easy
Dinner takes 5 minutes of prep time and 5 to 7 hours in a slow cooker to make a boneless turkey breast․ The Crock Pot Cranberry Turkey Breast recipe results in a delicious flaky turkey breast dish with cranberry sauce made from whole cranberries‚ orange juice‚ and onion soup mix․ Use the recipe as a lighter option for your Thanksgiving dinner․
The breast is cooked in a 6-quart crockpot seasoned with salt and pepper․ Cranberry whole berry sauce and onion soup mix and orange juice are used as braising liquids instead of a marinade․ Turkey cooking liquids are removed and simmered in a saucepan with a cornstarch and water slurry to create cranberry gravy․ Whole cranberries are visible in the cranberry sauce․
Turkey cooked with liquids will be moist and easy to carve because the netting is left on during cooking․ A common turkey-cooking error is using a frozen turkey‚ as explained in the article․ The article recommends thawing a turkey in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before cooking․ Add a slurry to the sauce and lower the heat if the sauce boils․ The prepared sauce should have a smooth‚ thick consistency․
Carve turkey after removing netting and serve with gravy․ Serve extra gravy in a jar at the table․ This recipe serves eight․ Consider this recipe for Thanksgiving if you need a smaller number of servings and do not have a whole turkey available or if you need fewer turkey servings than a whole roasted turkey would provide on Thanksgiving․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Saves oven space on Thanksgiving Day by cooking the entire turkey in a slow cooker‚ leaving oven space available for other Thanksgiving dishes and dinner rolls․
- Reduces prep time because key sauce ingredients are canned whole-berry cranberry sauce‚ onion soup seasoning‚ orange juice‚ and turkey․
- Prevents carving problems by leaving the turkey breast wrapped in a net and making it easy to slice after the net is removed․
- Uses cooking liquid to produce gravy instead of throwing away peels‚ fruit juice‚ and other ingredients․ This provides a usable gravy instead of waste․
- Avoids time limitations by suggesting a five- to seven-hour cook time and using an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part of the roast․
- Serves eight people with a boneless turkey breast as an alternative to a full turkey on Thanksgiving to reduce cooking and cleanup․
Ingredients
- •5 lbs boneless turkey breast (5-7 lbs)
- •1 tsp salt
- •½ tsp pepper
- •1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (14 oz)
- •1 packet onion soup seasoning mix
- •½ cup orange juice
- •1 tbsp cornstarch (for gravy)
- •1 tbsp cold water (for gravy)
Instructions
- 1
Thaw the turkey breast in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 days before cooking.
- 2
Unwrap the turkey breast, leaving the inner netting on, and place it in a slow cooker.
- 3
Sprinkle the turkey with salt and pepper and rub in the seasonings.
- 4
Combine the cranberry sauce, onion soup seasoning mix, and orange juice in a mixing bowl.
- 5
Pour the cranberry mixture over the turkey.
- 6
Cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees.
- 7
Remove the turkey breast from the slow cooker and place it on a serving plate.
- 8
Cover the turkey with foil to keep it hot.
- 9
Skim fat pieces from the slow cooker liquid.
- 10
Pour the remaining slow cooker liquid into a medium saucepan.
- 11
Mix the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl.
- 12
Bring the sauce in the saucepan to a boil.
- 13
Add the cornstarch mixture and whisk until the gravy thickens, about 1-2 minutes, lowering the heat if needed to prevent burning.
- 14
Remove the netting, slice the turkey, pour some gravy over it, and serve with extra gravy.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
398
Protein
62g
Fat
5g
Carbs
28g
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