Crock Pot Turkey Breast with Cranberry Sauce

Name: Crock Pot Turkey Breast with Cranberry Sauce
Prep time: 1 d
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 1 d 6 h
Yield: 8 -14
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 c. water; 1 cups white wine; 3 cups orange juice; 2/3 c. table salt; 2/3 c. brown sugar; 1/4 cup ginger paste; 1 tablespoon black peppercorns; 6 sprigs fresh thyme; 5-8 lb Turkey Breast; 1 Tbsp. olive oil; 1/2 tsp. paprika; 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. ground mustard; 1/2 tsp. onion powder; 1/2 tsp. garlic powder; 12-ounce bag frozen cranberries; 1/4 c. ginger paste; 1 Tbsp. orange zest; 1 1/3 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup orange juice; 1 c. water; 3 Tbsp flour; 1/4 c. Chambord, black raspberry liqueur; 1/2 tsp. salt

December 5, 2019 by Danielle Green 67 Comments

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Crock Pot Turkey Breast with Cranberry Sauce is a delicious slow cooker recipe perfect for a small crowd at the holidays. A small breast is cooked and infused with a homemade cranberry sauce for amazing flavors!

Crock Pot Turkey

Crock Pot Turkey Breast with Cranberry Sauce is the BEST turkey recipe you will every try! This turkey breast is brined for 24 hours and slow cooked for another 4-8 hours for a wonderfully flavorful and crazy juicy piece of meat, all cooked on top of a cranberry sauce that makes itself in the slow cooker. You can make a full spread in yoru slow cooker by pairing it with Crock Pot Cranberry Pecan Stuffing.

The cranberry sauce gets it richness and flavor from the turkey drippings as well as Chambord and orange juice for a unique sauce that pairs perfectly with the turkey. Not only is this turkey delicious, but it is low-calorie, low-fat and low-carb for something you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying this Thanksgiving and Christmas. I promise you, if you give this recipe a try, you will never look at turkey the same way again!

I have long dreaded the dried out and bland turkey that is too often served at Thanksgiving, but no more! This brine and the slow cooking process allow the meat to retain it’s juices in addition to absorbing some of the great flavors of the brine and cranberry sauce. Even after reheating the meat the next day, my husband was in awe at how great the turkey tasted. Please, I beg you, give this recipe a shot. While it may take a few extra steps, it is completely and totally worth it.

How to Make Crock Pot Turkey

The first important step in this cooking process is the brine for your turkey breast. Because we are using a smaller piece of meat, it isn’t as cumbersome as brining a full size turkey. This small breast can fit in a 2 gallon ziplock bag along with the orange juice, wine, sugar, peppercorns, thyme, ginger and of course salt.

Be sure to keep a close eye on the turkey while it is cooking to ensure it doesn’t overcook, as that is the surest way to ruin any meat. Whether you use a pop-up timer or check the bird every 20-30 minutes with a traditional thermometer, turn off the Crock Pot and remove the turkey as soon as it reaches an internal temperature of 165°.

Turkey Breast in Crockpot

Another crucial step in maintaining a juicy turkey, is allowing it to rest after the cooking process. Give it a good 15-20 minutes to let the juices settle and your patience will reward you with a surprising moist bird.

I usually have to bat my parents away from the turkey because they think they need piping hot turkey carved right away. This large piece of meat keeps hot while letting the juices settle for quite awhile. So don’t fret Dad, I will call you to carve the bird when it is ready!

After you remove the turkey from the Crock Pot to allow the meat to rest, you can process the cranberry sauce. If you prefer your cranberries whole, feel free to enjoy the sauce as it is and just give it a good stir to incorporate all the bits and pieces from the turkey. If you are like myself, however, and like a smooth sauce to dunk your turkey in, you can blend it up.

I simply took my immersion blender to the cranberry and turkey juices in the Crock Pot and blended it until smooth for a wonderfully rich and flavorful sauce. My immersion blender is one of my all-time favorite kitchen tools. I

nstead of having to transfer hot liquids to a blender and make yet another dish (and usually a mess in my case!), you can do it all in whatever pot you are already working with. So, if you don’t have an immersion blender yet (because you really should get one), you can add the sauce to a blender or food processor to blend it up.

The perfect side dishes for your holiday meal!