You know how much I love cooking in my slow cooker, Crockpot Whole Chicken to Slow Cooker Turkey, I'm so excited to share with you how to cook a turkey breast in a slow cooker today!

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It's really easy and it's perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday!

Spices for Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Vegetables

• salt
• ground black pepper
• ground white pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• dried thyme
• paprika

I have a quick video for you to watch in this post and I know you'll find it really helpful!

How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

I mix all of the rub ingredients together first and then smash and peel the garlic. Cut up the vegetables and add them to the slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth on top.

Quarter the lemon.

Pat the turkey breast dry.

Rub the garlic all over the turkey breast.

Add the rub to the turkey.

And then I add the lemon to the opening in the turkey breast. I always use lemon when roasting a turkey or chicken. It keeps keep the meat moist and tender.

Put the turkey breast in the slow cooker on top of the veggies and chicken broth.

Cook on low for 3.5 to 5 hours. Remove the turkey breast from the slow cooker and place in a baking dish and broil for a few minutes to crisp up the skin.

I use the broth from the slow cooker to make a gravy in a skillet. I know you'll love this!

It's a no fuss way of making a turkey breast in the slow cooker and makes it easy for your holiday get together!

My favorite kitchen tools for this slow cooker turkey breast:

slow cooker
turkey lifters
baking dish (pictured above) or this one

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Slow Cooker Turkey Breast Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 large onion chopped
• 3 carrots ends cut off, cut into thirds
• 2 celery stalks ends cut off, cut into thirds
• one 15-ounce can low sodium chicken broth
• 4 to 5 pound turkey breast with the bone-in
• 4 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
• 1 lemon quartered

Rub Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Gravy Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

• Add the onion, carrots and celery and broth to the crockpot. Turn on low.
• Mix all of the rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Rub smashed garlic on the skin. Add spice rub to turkey. Leftover spices put on top of vegetables.
• Add garlic and lemon to the inner cavity of the breast. Place the breast on top of the veggies.
• Cook on low for 3 1/2 to 5 hours, depending on the size of the breast. It should have an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey breast using turkey lifters and place in a roasting pan or baking dish. Place in the oven on the broil setting to crisp up the skin, for about 3 to 4 minutes, watching carefully so it won’t burn.

Make the Gravy

• Strain the broth from the slow cooker (mine made about 1 1/3 cups)
• Add 3 tablespoons of butter to a sauce pan and melt. Add flour and mix well, allowing the flour to cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Slowly add the strained broth and mix, until desired consistency. Allow to simmer and thicken. Add water if needed to thin out the gravy (about 2 to 3 tablespoons).
• Add dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the turkey breast.

More recipes for you to check out!

Crockpot Whole Chicken
Cook a whole turkey in a slow cooker: Crockpot Turkey
Roast Turkey with Wine and Herbs
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy
Use your leftovers to make this Turkey Tetrazzini or Turkey Stuffed Peppers

The post How to Cook a Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

This crockpot turkey is so easy to put together and what I love most about it is you free up your oven for sides and desserts! You'll love how easy it and tasty is it is to cook a whole turkey in a slow cooker!

There are affiliate links in this post. I get commissions for purchases made through these types of links in this post. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

If you're looking to make turkey but want to make something smaller, you can always make my slow cooker turkey breast recipe!

Every year, at a company that I worked at for 8 years, we had a Thanksgiving luncheon. Everyone signed up to bring different things. Since there were so many of us, five to six people signed up for the stuffing, different veggies, the pie, and so on. We even had many turkeys! My former boss, BJ, always cooked his turkey in the slow cooker. He said his mom cooked it that way when he was growing up. The turkey always turned out moist.

I emailed him the other day because this year, we decided to cook our Thanksgiving dinner early- we enjoyed it on Sunday night and I wanted to try my hand at cooking the turkey in the slow cooker. He told me you can leave it in longer than the 6 to 8 hours but it starts to fall apart, which is totally fine! Just make sure the turkey you buy will fit in your slow cooker!

If you're running low on oven space or just want a low maintenance way to cook a turkey- the slow cooker is the way to go! This turkey version is a modified version of my popular crockpot whole chicken recipe that we LOVE to make all the time!

Prep the dry ingredients.

Cut up the vegetables and add them to the crockpot.

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Pat the turkey dry.

Fold back the wings and rub the turkey with garlic.

Add the rub to the inside of the turkey and all over it.

Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

All ready to go into the slow cooker.

I put one of the garlic cloves and the rest of the dry ingredients I didn't use on top of the veggies.

Place the turkey on top of the vegetables and cover the crockpot. Cook for 6 to 8 hours.

Remove the turkey and place on an oven-safe baking dish. Broil the skin in your oven broiler for 4 to 5 minutes, watching it carefully so it doesn't burn. Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Skim the fat from the broth and save it for another recipe! I'm thinking turkey ramen noodle soup are in order for this week!

Once you carve the turkey, add some broth to the turkey to keep the meat moist.

We loved this and it made it less stressful in the kitchen since I was able to do all of my sides in the oven without them having to compete with the turkey. We'll definitely do this again!

Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving and hoping that you have a lot to be thankful for! I know I do! Huge hugs!

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Whole Turkey in a Slow Cooker Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Rub Ingredients for the Turkey:

• 4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Crockpot:

• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 2 carrots scrubbed, no need to peel, chopped in halves or thirds
• 2 celery stalks cut in thirds
• 4 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
• 1 whole lemon quartered
• 8 to 9- pound whole turkey fresh, if frozen then defrosted

Instructions

• Combine salt, paprika, onion powder, dried thyme, white pepper, garlic powder and black pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Prep the vegetables and place inside the slow cooker (I use a 7 quart that's oval shaped but this one is an 8-Quart or this one).
• Remove turkey from packaging and remove neck and pouch with organs. Discard or save for use in another recipe. Optionally, rinse turkey with water. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Fold back the wings. Rub smashed garlic all over outside of the turkey. Put one garlic in the slow cooker and the rest inside the turkey. Put the rub all over the outside and inside the turkey. Add the quartered lemon to the inside of the turkey. Tie the legs with kitchen twine.
• Place turkey on top of the vegetables, you may need to move the veggies around depending on the size of your slow cooker. Cover slow cooker and cook turkey on low for 6-8 hours. (I used a 9.82-pound turkey, it took about 6 1/2 hours. The time will depend on the size of the turkey and your slow cooker.)
• Remove turkey and place in a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven under the broiler for about 4-5 minutes but watch it carefully. It may take less time or a little longer, depending on the temperature of the broiler in your oven, you don’t want to burn your turkey.
• Allow turkey to rest after removing it from the broiler for 25 to 30 minutes.

Notes

Notes: No need to add water to the slow cooker. The turkey creates a broth while cooking.

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The post Slow Cooker Whole Turkey appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

I had no idea potstickers were so easy to make. Seriously…so easy or you can make them into dumplings. Whichever way you like them – either pan fried and steamed or just steamed.

I probably sound super cheesy when I say over and over again that I'm truly thankful for my friends. I have had to learn the hard way, after hitting some bumps, that I need to appreciate those true friends that I do have and to hold them close. I have a handful of friends who are incredibly generous and supportive and I feel like such a lucky girl! One of those friends is Aggie. We had been chatting about getting together (we live an hour away from each other) and cooking forever. It finally happened last week and we made these potstickers and Aggie made these amazing Asian turkey meatballs. She also made this amazing salad with the meatballs (she's sharing it soon)…seriously layers of amazingness in that salad. I can't wait to make it myself at home!

So for the potstickers – they are cooked in a skillet with some oil (covered) and then you after they brown, you can add some water and cover again to steam them. To make them as dumplings, you just steam them in a wok. My favorite wok? Jaden's wok – hands down. I love it for stir fries, for steaming and to make fried rice of course! For inspiration and the how to wrap the potstickers – I used Bee's book, Easy Chinese Recipes. And with the Chinese/Lunar New Year coming up in a couple of weeks, this is the perfect dish to serve!

Start by getting all of the vegetables ready – carrots, Napa cabbage, green onions and fresh ginger. Nothing beats fresh ginger – except for maybe fresh garlic. Skip the jarred stuff when it comes to garlic and ginger, trust me.

A tip I learned from my friend, Jaden, cook a couple pieces of your filling in a skillet to make sure you have the seasoning right.

Combine the veggies with the meat – I have officially made this recipe three times now. Once with Aggie and twice by myself. We used ground turkey and I have even made it with ground chicken. Both work great and I'm not sure I have a favorite between the two. This is a little different since traditional potstickers are made with ground pork.

Aren't they cute? Those cute little pleats aren't hard at all. Aggie filmed me wrapping potstickers or dumplings to show you how easy it is! (Video below)

So simple, I know you can do it. Seriously you can, I believe in you! Thank you, Aggie, for your wonderful video handiwork!

If you're steaming them, hopefully your wok has a steamer rack like Jaden's does and place a piece of parchment paper on top. Fill the wok up with water just below the steamer rack.

Add your dumplings and be sure to cover your wok and steam for 5 to 8 minutes.

These potstickers even freeze really well. I put them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and stuck them in the freezer (for about a couple of hours) and then you can put them into freezer-friendly zippered plastic bags – be sure to label them and date them.

Fresh or frozen, potstickers cook up nicely. I used a non-stick skillet and heated canola oil on medium heat. Add the potstickers and cover.

Cook for 3 to 5 minutes and then add 1/4 cup of water (1/3 cup if they are frozen) and cover again to steam.

This is a photo of the potstickers right after I added the water. Be careful, the water will sizzle and pop!

This is after about 4 to 5 minutes of cooking the potstickers covered. If there's a little bit of water left, I usually uncover and let the water evaporate with the heat turned off.

And they are ready to serve with your dipping sauce. Easy peasy. The ones above are steamed Chinese dumplings. I hope this motivates you to try them and try them with different meats and different vegetables – the possibilities are endless and I love that they freeze easily. Curtis enjoyed them with steamed Jasmine rice. And you can make them a few weeks ahead of time and cook them right before a party and everyone will be so impressed!

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Chinese Potstickers with a Ginger-Scallion Dipping Sauce

Servings 40 to 50 Potstickers or Dumplings

Ingredients

Potstickers or Dumplings

• 1/2 cup cabbage chopped small
• 1/4 cup carrots washed, peeled and grated/shredded (about 1/2 carrot
• 1/4 cup green onions chopped (about 3 green onions)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger minced
• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 package dumpling or wonton wrappers if square, cut into round circles with a cookie cutter, about 48-50
• canola oil for making potstickers
• water

Ginger-Scallion Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons green onions chopped (about 1 1/2 green onions)
• 1/2 Tablespoon fresh ginger minced

Instructions

Potstickers or Dumplings

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey or chicken with vegetables and sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Cook a couple of pieces of your filling either flat or rolled up as a meatball in a skillet on your stove before filling the potstickers to make sure the seasoning is right. If needed, add more soy sauce, salt and/or pepper.
• Set up a small bowl of water and wnwrap dumpling wrappers (leaving them in the wrapper but also covering with a wet paper towel to insure they don't dry up) and one at a time, scoop about a teaspoon of filing into the middle of your wrapper. Dab a small spot of water onto the middle top of your dumpling, fold in half and press to seal. Using your thumb and finger, fold pleats into the dumpling on one side and then do the same for the other side. For reference, check out my video on how to wrap potstickers.
• Repeat until you have no more dumpling wrappers or no more filling.

How to Make Potstickers

• I usually make about 8 to 10 at a time to not crowd the pan. Add 1/2 Tablespoon oil to a non-stick skillet and turn heat to medium. Add dumplings to the skillet and cover. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. If frozen, add an extra minute. Uncover and add 1/4 cup of water (1/3 cup if frozen) and recover and allow potstickers to steam for about 3 to 4 minutes (4 to 6 minutes if frozen).

How to Make Steamed Dumplings

• Same for steamed dumplings, I only like to make 8 to 10 at a time. Add steamer rack to your wok and and fill with water - not allowing the water to touch the rack. Top with parchment paper (don't cover the entire rack). Cover and turn heat to medium high. Once the water starts bubbling up to a boil, add dumplings and steam for about 5 to 8 minutes (add 4 to 6 extra minutes if dumplings are frozen).
• Serve with dipping sauce or even just soy sauce.
• These are definitely freezer friendly. Place uncooked dumplings onto a plate or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for at least 2 hours. Once frozen, they can go into a freezer friendly container or zippered plastic bag. Label your containers and when steaming or making them as potstickers, follow instructions above on what times and how much water to increase by.

Ginger-Scallion Dipping Sauce

• Mix ingredients together and set aside until ready to serve.

Notes

Adapted from these Potstickers that also appear in Easy Chinese Recipes.

Disclosure: I was given Jaden's Steamy Kitchen wok for review and my opinions are my own and I only share with you products I love! There are affiliate links in this post.

The post How to Make Chinese Potstickers (with Video) appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

It's Thanksgiving week and if you haven't already started thinking about what you're making for the big feast, it's time!

I'm excited to share this wonderful recipe with you from McCormick! This is another installment of my Seasonal Seven Flavors posts that I'm sharing with you. I previously shared with you Brown Butter Gorgonzola Fries and Pork Chops with Parmesan Sage Sauce – all made with sage!

Every year, I create a Thanksgiving meal game plan which I'm sharing with you. It has my menu as well as a timeline for when to do what so I don't have to try to remember EVERYTHING. I print this out and usually put it into one of those plastic sheet protectors. I go back to this plan all the time on Thanksgiving day. I also shared it on Google docs, so feel free to create a copy of it and use it as a starting point for your game plan.

One other thing that is really helpful, I have at the bottom all of the oven temperatures for all of my recipes – I have all of my recipes printed that I use throughout the day but it's nice to have all of these times and temperatures laid out so I can reference them quickly.

Here's my 2012 Thanksgiving menu:

Savory Herb Rub Roasted Turkey
Turkey Gravy
Bread and Celery Stuffing
My Favorite Mashed Potatoes
Potato Casserole
Autumn Vegetable Succoash – martha
Sweet Potato Casserole
Garlic & Olive Oil Sauteed Green Beans
Some Other Veggies (depends on what I see at the store)
Salad
Yeast Rolls

**Yes, I always have to have at least two kinds of potatoes at my Thanksgiving.

Oh shoot, I just realized in my haste to get my plan together, I forgot about dessert! Adding that to my plan!

To make this wonderful savory herb rub roasted turkey recipe, first get all of your spices together and mix them up.

Prep the turkey on your roasting rack. I always rinse the turkey and then pat it dry with paper towels. Then, tuck the wings underneath and against the turkey. This helps to ensure your turkey cooks nicely and evenly.

All set!

How to make sure your turkey is moist

This recipe calls for putting half of the herbs, the cut up onion and bay leaves into the cavity of the turkey. I went a step further and added lemons. I ALWAYS stuff turkeys and chickens with lemons before roasting them. They don't add a lemony taste but they do ensure your poultry is always moist.

Always, let your turkey rest at least 20-30 minutes before carving. Same with any meat or steak your cooking, always allow it to rest! The juices get redistributed back into the meat and you don't have it all leaving your meat if you carve it or cut it too soon.

Enjoy and hope you have a happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends!

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Savory Herb Rub Roasted Turkey Recipe

Fragrant herbs bring mouthwatering aroma and show-stopping flavor to this holiday favorite.

Note from The Little Kitchen - the only modification I made was, I added a quartered lemon to this recipe. I always roast turkeys and chickens with a lemon inside to help keep it moist!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Resting Time 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons McCormick® Sage Rubbed or McCormick® Poultry Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon McCormick® Paprika
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 2 teaspoons McCormick® Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper Ground
• 3/4 teaspoon McCormick® Nutmeg Ground
• 1 whole turkey 12 to 14 pounds, fresh or frozen, thawed
• 1 large onion cut into wedges
• 6 McCormick® Bay Leaves
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

• Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place roasting rack in shallow roasting pan. Mix sage, paprika, seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepper and nutmeg in small bowl.
• Place turkey, breast-side up, in prepared pan. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the seasoning mixture inside turkey. Stuff with onion and bay leaves. Brush turkey breast with oil. Spread remaining seasoning mixture over entire surface and under skin of turkey. Add 1/2 cup water to pan. Cover turkey loosely with heavy duty foil.
• Roast 1 hour. Remove foil. Roast 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer or until internal temperature reaches 165°F (175°F in thigh), basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove turkey from oven. Let stand 20 minutes. Transfer to platter or carving board to slice. Reserve pan juices to make gravy or to serve with turkey.

Notes

From McCormick.com

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by McCormick. I love working with them and as always opinions are my own!

The post Savory Herb Rub Roasted Turkey appeared first on The Little Kitchen.