WW Recipe of the Day: Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Garlic
Now that I've discovered the ease of cooking turkey breast in the slow cooker, I'll never go back to roasting it in the oven. It's just too simple + delicious.
Since first making this slow cooker turkey breast with garlic, I've used several different seasonings and sizes of turkey breast with good success.
Easy Slow Cooker Garlic Turkey Breast
And a great way to enjoy turkey in the summer without heating up the house! This Weight Watchers herb-rubbed slow cooker turkey breast turned out moist and flavorful. The cloves of garlic, sweet and mellow. It's definitely on my do-over list.
How Many Calories/Weight Watchers Points in this Turkey Breast with Garlic?
According to my calculations, each serving (6 ounces without skin) has 208 calories, *0 Freestyle SmartPoints and works with WW Simply Filling.
1 *SmartPoint (Green plan)
0 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
0 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
The original recipe called for a whole 6 pound turkey breast. I substituted a 2-¼ pound bone-in half turkey breast, which was just the right size for our little family, providing dinner and a reasonable amount of leftovers. You can cook whatever size turkey breast you prefer, provided it fits in your slow cooker.
Served with with mashed baked sweet potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and a simple fresh cranberry relish, it made for a wonderful, satisfying dinner. Enjoy!
WW Friendly Low-Fat Turkey Breast with Garlic
More Tips for Cooking Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker
- What type of turkey breast?
Either bone-in or boneless, fresh or thawed frozen, will work. Keep the skin on while cooking to help lock in moisture in flavor. Then discard it once your turkey id done. - What size/weight of turkey breast?
Turkey breasts come in a wide range of weights. The beauty of this recipe is that it will work for any turkey breast size – as long as it fits in your slow cooker! - How long to cook turkey breast in the slow cooker?
This will depend on the size of your turkey breast and how hot your slow cooker cooks. The turkey breast is ready when the temperature reaches 165F degrees. Here are some cook time ranges to help:- 2.5-4 pounds: 4 to 6 hours on LOW
- 4-6 pounds: 5 to 7 hours on LOW
- 6-8 pounds: 6 to 8 hours on LOW
- How should the turkey be seasoned?
Any blend of herbs & seasonings, fresh and/or dried, you like best can be rubbed on to provide flavor and color. Here are some suggestions:- Garlic Herb: 1 teaspoon each rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Italian: 1 teaspoon each Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, seasoned salt, paprika and pepper
- Lemon Garlic: ¼ cup minced fresh parsley, 8 minced garlic cloves, 4 teaspoons grated lemon peel, 2 teaspoons salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning and 1-½ teaspoons salt
- Rotisserie Blend: 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons each coriander and salt, 1 teaspoon each cumin and black pepper
- Zesty: 1.5 teaspoons onion salt and chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- How should the turkey breast be cooked?
For even cooking it is best to prop the turkey breast up so it is out of the cooking juices. You can do this by setting it on a bed of vegetables, halved onions and heads of garlic, or 3 to 5 balls of aluminum foil. You can also wrap 3-5 small potatoes in the tinfoil and place those in the bottom of the slow cooker beneath the turkey breast.
I used the following kitchen tools to make this slow cooker herb-rubbed turkey breast with garlic:
- 6-Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link)
- Vegetable Peeler (affiliate link)
- Cutting Board (affiliate link)
- Chef's Knife (affiliate link)
Weight Watchers Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Garlic
If you like this easy recipe for garlicky slow cooker turkey breast, be sure to check out my other easy, healthy Weight Watchers friendly slow cooker recipes including Slow Cooker Rosemary Chicken, Crock Pot Turkey Bone Broth, Slow Cooker Chicken with Beer + Herbes de Provence, Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing and Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
If you've made this Crock Pot Turkey Breast, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
WW Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Garlic Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (1 tablespoon fresh)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (1 tablespoon fresh)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (I used granulated garlic)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2-½ pounds bone-in turkey breast half
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 20 cloves garlic, unpeeled
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 5- to 6-Quart.
- Place the onion, carrot and celery in bottom of the slow cooker.
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl (affiliate link). Rub the turkey breast with the seasoning blend on the meat either under the skin or on top of it, whichever you prefer.
- Place the turkey breast on top of the vegetables. Add the garlic cloves around the turkey breast.
- Cover and cook until the turkey is fork-tender and the garlic is very soft. (You know it is done done when an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees.) This should take from 3 to 4 hours on LOW depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks. To avoid drying out your turkey, don't use the HIGH setting!
- Remove the garlic and set aside.
- Transfer the turkey to a platter and remove the skin.
- Strain the vegetables from the broth and discard them. Remove any fat from the broth.
- Serve turkey with the broth and garlic.
Recipe Notes
- 2.5-4 pounds: 4 to 6 hours on low
- 4-6 pounds: 5 to 7 hours on low
- 6-8 pounds: 6 to 8 hours on low
- Garlic Herb: 1 teaspoon each rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Italian: 1 teaspoon each Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, seasoned salt, paprika and pepper
- Lemon Garlic: ¼ cup minced fresh parsley, 8 minced garlic cloves, 4 teaspoons grated lemon peel, 2 teaspoons salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning and 1-½ teaspoons salt.
- Rotisserie Blend: 2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons each coriander and salt, 1 teaspoon each cumin and black pepper,
- Zesty: 1.5 teaspoons onion salt and chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
For even cooking it is best to prop the turkey breast up so it is out of the cooking juices. You can do this by setting it on a bed of vegetables, halved onions and heads of garlic, or 3 to 5 balls of aluminum foil. You can also wrap 3-5 small potatoes in the tinfoil and place those in the bottom of the slow cooker beneath the turkey breast. Click here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site. 1 *SmartPoints (Green plan) 0 *SmartPoints (Blue plan) 0 *SmartPoints (Purple plan) 5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
Source: Weight Watchers Slow Good Super Slow-Cooker Cookbook (affiliate link)
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
Watch this video to see how easy it is to make your own slow cooker turkey breast with herbs at home:
If you like this easy slow cooker turkey with garlic, you might also like:
- Slow Cooker Turkey + Wild Rice Casserole (SimpleNourishedLiving)
- Easy Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup (SimpleNourishedLiving)
- Sunday Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken (SlenderKitchen)
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast + Gravy (SkinnyTaste)
- Crock-Pot Rosemary Turkey Breast (SkinnyKitchen)
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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geri
This was very moist and full of flavor!
Martha McKinnon
Glad you liked it Geri! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it 🙂
Judy O'Brien
Would this take the same amount of time if I do use a larger turkey breast. It is just my husband and myself, but we like leftovers.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Judy, It depends on how much larger. If you are doing a whole turkey breast instead of half, as I did here, I would increase the cooking time to 5 to 7 hours on LOW. You can always use an instant read thermometer to be sure. You want the breast to be at 165 degrees. Hope this helps.
Diane
I just found your blog and I am still exploring the W/W points Plus program and I am a bit confused. What is there in this recipes that makes it 5 additional w/w points? I thought this was a Simply Filling recipe. Thank, Diane
Martha McKinnon
Hi Diane,
The WW Points System uses the fat, protein, carb, and fiber grams to calculate the number of Points Plus in any given recipe. So, all foods have Points Plus value assigned to them, though some are assigned a value of 0 (mostly fresh fruits and vegetables.) Weight Watchers also assigns certain foods as Power Foods. These are mostly fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, fat free dairy and whole grains. They are indicated with a green triangle in the WW literature. A Simply Filling recipe is one made up of all Weight Watchers Power Foods. Hope this helps.
Sue
Made this for dinner tonight and have to say I was disappointed. I followed the recipe exactly. The kitchen smelled lovely while it cooked, but, despite having rubbed the herbs (dried) under the skin, and even adding 1/4 cup of wine with the veggies, the turkey itself (a brand I've always used and been happy with) was rather bland. My 2.5 lb. breast cooked on low for 6 hours, and seemed over-cooked. Would not make again.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Sue, Thanks for the honest feedback. Sorry it didn't work out for you.
Holly
I added 1/4 cup of Riesling to mine and my turkey turned out beautifully tonight! Nice and moist and a lot of flavor! Great recipe! Thank you!
Martha McKinnon
Love the idea of adding a bit of Riesling to the crock pot! Thanks for sharing.
Julie
How much broth with this recipe?
Martha McKinnon
Hi Julie,
I didn't use any broth. The vegetables created enough moisture in the slow cooker. If you prefer to add a bit of broth for more liquid, I'd suggest 1/2 to 1 cup. Hope this helps. - Martha
Julie
Ok thanks so much!
I will follow the recipe as you directed!
Annemarie
HI Martha! I really love all your recipes. I do have a question for you. Can you use turkey thighs for this recipe? If so, how long would you cook it for maybe 4 thighs? Thanks so much.
Gail
This was excellent. I made it exactly as written. No extra liquid needed. I used a 2.39 lb. bone in turkey breast. We eat about 2-2.5 oz of meat each so it makes about 5 servings total for us. It was done in my crock pot in 4 1/2 hrs.
Martha McKinnon
Thanks, Gail.