• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Simply So Good

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Recipes / Chicken and Poultry / Fresh Herb Crockpot Turkey Breast with Brown Butter Pears

Fresh Herb Crockpot Turkey Breast with Brown Butter Pears

November 16, 2018 2 Comments

130 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Fresh Herb Crockpot Turkey Breast with Brown Butter Pears on a platter

Fresh Herb Crockpot Turkey Breast with Brown Butter Pears is perfect for a small Thanksgiving dinner group.  My family isn’t really shrinking they are just disappearing which makes holiday gatherings smaller and smaller.

Our family has scattered across the globe in the past few months.  Singapore, Sweden, and Colorado have become their new homes.  While one son and daughter-in-law remain close by we have to adjust the quantity of our holiday feast.  

Using a crockpot or slow cooker frees up the oven for baking rolls and pies that I want to serve fresh and hot.  Fresh herbs and brown butter pears make a simple crockpot turkey a gourmet meal.  I have broken the recipe down into segments that can be made ahead of time, which helps with meal prep.

To make fresh herb butter:

DSC_0120
DSC_0131
DSC_0124
DSC_0134
  • You will need fresh parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary.  1/2 cup butter and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
  •  Chop 3 tablespoons of parsley, sage, and thyme and 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary.
  •  Combine fresh herbs and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture to add to the gravy.
  •  Mix remaining herbs into softened 1/2 cup butter.  Set aside while preparing turkey breast.

Assemble Turkey Breast:

DSC_0144
DSC_0142
DSC_0148
DSC_0150

Purchase a boneless, skin-on turkey breast.  I have a local grocer that removes the breast from a large turkey and keeps the skin intact.  I like an all natural breast that has not been preseasoned or brined.

  • Carefully lift the skin from a 3 1/2 – 4 lb turkey breast.  Spread the herb butter over the breast reserving 2 tablespoons for the outside of turkey.
  • Cover with the skin flap, rub remaining herb butter mixture on top and underneath the breast.  Tie the skin on with twine or string.
  • To the bottom of a crockpot and 1 peeled carrot, 1 onion cut in half, and 1 pear cut in half, along with a few sprigs of parsley and thyme.
  • Place turkey breast on top of veggies and pears.  Cover with a lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours (depending on the size of the turkey breast) or until internal temperature reaches 160-165F degrees.  An instant-read thermometer comes in handy for testing the temp. 

Meanwhile, start the gravy prep

DSC_0156
DSC_0159
  • In a saucepan combine 3 cups turkey stock or turkey bone broth with 1/2 cup fresh apple cider or juice.
  • Simmer until the mixture has reduced to 2 cups.  
  • This can be made in advance and refrigerated for a few days.

Turkey has finished cooking and it’s time to make the gravy

DSC_0253
DSC_0264
DSC_0254

One the turkey has reached 160-165 degrees, remove from crockpot and allow to sit while making the gravy.  Letting the turkey sit before carving allows the juices to settle in the meat and not run out while carving.  

  • Remove turkey from crockpot and allow to sit.  Pour the liquid and solids that remain through a strainer.  Discard solids.  Carefully remove as much of the fat/butter that you can and reserve. 
  • In a saucepan, add 1/3-1/2 cup of fat/butter.  Stir in 1/3 -1/2 cup flour depending on how thick you like your gravy.  I like my gravy on the thin side. Stir together and cook for a minute or two to cook the flour taste out of the mixture.
  • add reserved broth/cider mixture and whatever liquids you have from the crockpot.  Stir until smooth.  Add reserved fresh herbs and 1/4 cup cream (optional, but good)

Making brown butter pears

DSC_0246
DSC_0248
  • This step can actually be made while the turkey is cooking and set aside.
  •  Peel, core and cut pears into quarters.
  • Add 3 tablespoons butter to a saucepan and melt over medium/low heat.  Add the pears and brown on all sides.  While the pears are sauteeing the butter will begin to brown and caramelize the pears.

Serving the turkey

Cooking a turkey in a crockpot does not crisp the skin.  If you like a nice crisp skin, place turkey on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes.  I use the lowest rack in my oven and watch carefully.

Slice turkey and serve with plenty of herb gravy and brown butter pears.  Don’t forget to serve with plenty of Easy No-Cook Cranberry Apple Relish for the perfect bite.  

If you try and like this recipe please leave a comment and give the recipe a rating at the bottom of this page.  Enjoy your Holiday season.

Fresh Herb Crockpot Turkey Breast with Brown Butter Pears on a platter
4.47 from 13 votes
Print

Fresh Herb Crockpot Turkey Breast with Brown Butter Pears

Slow cooked turkey breast with fresh herb butter, gravy and brown butter pears.

Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword crockpot, crockpot turkey, roast turkey
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
rest time 10 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 596 kcal
Author Janet Barton

Ingredients

Herb Butter:

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 3 tbsp parsley chopped
  • 3 tbsp thyme chopped
  • 3 tbsp sage chopped
  • 1 tbsp rosemary chopped
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Turkey:

  • 1 4 lb Boneless Turkey breast skin on
  • 1 lrg onion cut in half
  • 1 pear cut in half
  • 1 carrot peeled
  • 2 sprigs parsley
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste

Cider Herb Gravy:

  • 2 cups turkey or chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • reserved liquid from crockpot turkey
  • 1/2 cup butter drippings from Turkey
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp reserved fresh herb mixture
  • 1/4 cup cream optional
  • salt and pepper to taste

Brown butter Pears:

  • 2-3 pears Bosc
  • 3 tbsp butter

Instructions

Herb Butter:

  1. Chop fresh herbs and toss together with nutmeg.  Reserve 2 tablespoons fresh herbs for gravy.  

  2. Blend fresh herbs with softened butter.  

Turkey:

  1. Carefully fold the skin of the turkey off of the breast meat.  Spread with herb butter reserving 2 tablespoons.  Lay skin back on top of the butter.  Rub reserved butter over skin and bottom part of the breast. Season top with salt and pepper Tie with baking twine.  Set aside.

  2. In the bottom of the crockpot arrange onion halves, pear halves, carrot, parsley, and thyme.  Place turkey breast on top.  Cover with crockpot lid and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or until internal temperature reaches 160-165 degrees F.

  3. Remove from crockpot and place on a baking sheet.  Allow turkey to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.  

  4. For crisp skin:  Place turkey breast, skin side up, on a baking sheet under a broiler set on the lowest oven rack for 5 minutes.

  5. Serve with herb gravy and brown butter pears.

Cider Herb Gravy:

  1. In a saucepan add turkey stock and apple cider.  Bring to a simmer and reduce liquid to 2 cups.  Set aside until ready to make gravy.  This can be done ahead of time.

  2. When ready to make gravy, drain solids from crockpot through a strainer.  Discard solids and skim off any butter/fat.  Combine juices and reserve stock/cider mixture and bring to a simmer.  In a saucepan add 1/2 cup butter/fat mixture and flour to make a roux.  Add hot stock and whisk constantly until gravy mixture is smooth.  Add 2 tablespoons reserved herb mixture and 1/4 cream (optional).

Brown Butter Pears:

  1. Peel and core pears. Cut into quarters.  

  2. Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add peeled and quartered pears.  Saute until brown on all sides.  Serve with turkey breast.

Nutrition Facts
Fresh Herb Crockpot Turkey Breast with Brown Butter Pears
Amount Per Serving
Calories 596 Calories from Fat 387
% Daily Value*
Fat 43g66%
Saturated Fat 26g130%
Cholesterol 182mg61%
Sodium 717mg30%
Potassium 593mg17%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 31g62%
Vitamin A 3410IU68%
Vitamin C 14.8mg18%
Calcium 76mg8%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More recipes you’ll love to complete your holiday celebrations:

Make one refrigerated dough recipe and create two different rolls:  Orange Rolls and Crescent Dinner Rolls

Family Favorite holiday recipe:

If you only make one of my recipes this year, make Southern yams.  You’ll never regret it.

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Chicken and Poultry, Entrées

Previous Post: « Easy No-Cook Cranberry Apple Relish
Next Post: Buttery Parker House Rolls »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle says

    November 18, 2020 at 10:46 pm

    This looks wonderful!
    A few questions:
    What Size crOck pOt?
    What setting For crock pot?

    Thanks for Sharing Your fantastic
    Recipes! XO

    Reply
    • Janet Barton says

      November 19, 2020 at 1:52 am

      Thank you, Michelle. My crockpot is a 7-quart. It only has 2 settings High and Low. I cooked the Turkey breast on the low setting. I hope this helps.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Me

Janet Barton

Hi I'm Janet and this is where I share my delicious made-from-scratch seasonal recipes that I make at home for my family every day.

I believe cooking from scratch, using unprocessed and whole foods is an important part of healthy eating. My goal is to help you create amazing recipes by providing easy step-by-step photos and instructions.

Read More »

Trending Recipes

  • No-knead Crusty Bread in a Dutch oven No-knead Crusty Bread
  • pink iced heart sugar cookies Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
  • Glass of almond milk with 2 gray striped straws on wood board with container of almond milk in background Quick Homemade Almond Milk
  • Lemonade and raspberry lemonade in tall glasses Old Fashioned Lemonade
  • Semlor buns with dusting of powdered sugar Swedish Semlor Buns
  • assortment of sprinkles on heart shape sugar cookies Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
  • overhead shot of no-knead Dakota Bread on a blue cloth No-Knead Dakota Bread
  • Overhead shot of chicken broth soup with herbs, vegetables and farina dumplings Chicken Soup with Farina Dumplings
  • Slices of No-knead Partially sliced Green Chile Cheddar Bread No-Knead Green Chile Cheddar Bread
  • Lemon Curd Ice Cream in bread pan with spoon Lemon Curd Ice Cream

Latest on Instagram

simplysogood

The lunar new year is soon approaching this Sunday The lunar new year is soon approaching this Sunday, January 22. We are celebrating the year of the rabbit with these homemade Mandarin Pork Potstickers with Ginger Soy Sauce for dipping!!

Wishing you a fabulous year filled with love, peace, bunny ears, and potstickers. ✌️❤️🐰 🥟

#lunarnewyear #potstickers #yearoftherabbit
Why I love slow cooker lentil soup: * I can throw Why I love slow cooker lentil soup:

* I can throw the ingredients into a slow cooker before I go to bed and it will be hot and steamy when I finish a long, cold run in the morning.
* I can toss the ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning and let it do its magic all day for a quick supper. 
* It’s brothy!  I love brothy soups. 
* It’s noted with healthy and nutritious ingredients.
* This recipe can be made in an instant pot in about 20 minutes!
Recipe link in bio

#lentilsoup #crockpotsoup #slowcookersoup
This is a very quick version of Christmas Stollen This is a very quick version of Christmas Stollen flavored bread. The sweet dough is filled with dried fruit, candied orange and lemon peel, and almonds. 

The dough is wrapped around a ribbon of marzipan filling. Bake until golden then dust heavily with powder sugar. 

I like to toast a thick slice then scoop out the warm marzipan and spread it all over my toasted Stollen 🤤

#christmasbaking #stollenbread
#christmasrecipe
Biscotti literally means “twice baked”, and do Biscotti literally means “twice baked”, and double baking is the secret to these crunchy Italian cookies. Their hard texture makes them perfect for dipping into your hot drink. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti are my favorite and I add them to my Christmas cookie list because they make such a cute gift, but most of all I love dipping them in my cocoa. 

#biscotti #christmascookies #christmasbaking
During my September runs I start looking for the p During my September runs I start looking for the perfect juniper bush for my natural gingerbread houses. 
The bushes must be filled with perfect purple berries. 

In December in start snipping those twigs and berries to adorn my natural little houses. I add nuts, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, herbs, and a dusting of powdered sugar. ☺️

#gingerbreadhouse #gingerbread
#nature
I added a Christmas vibe to my Aunt Erma’s famou I added a Christmas vibe to my Aunt Erma’s famous chocolate drop cookies. 

Chocolate drop peppermint cookies are cake like cookies with a swirl of peppermint cream cheese, icing topped with a little pillow peppermint candy. 

I just posted the recipe on my blog and put the link in my bio. 

#christmascookies #candycane #peppermintchocolate #holidaycookies
It was sad and times past that a proper Norwegian It was sad and times past that a proper Norwegian wife should have seven types of cookies to serve her Christmas guests.

According to my DNA testing I’m only 5% Norwegian. Im going with that as an excuse to bake at least 7 types of cookies. 

Top on my list is this adorable 
Norwegian Berlinerkranser. 

This cute little cookie from my childhood is buttery with a hint of orange. 🤤 I can’t have a Christmas without these cute little cookies. 

How many types of cookies are you baking this year?

#christmascookies #cookiesforsanta #holidaycookies
Quick and Easy Marzipan is just that…Quick and E Quick and Easy Marzipan is just that…Quick and Easy!!

It’s made with just 5 ingredient - blanched almond flour, powdered sugar, egg whites, almond extract, and rose water. 

The subtle addition of rose water makes this my absolute favorite❣️

Recipe link in bio

#easymarzipan #homemademarzipan
#marzipan
If you’re a marzipan lover, then I have a cookie If you’re a marzipan lover, then I have a cookie for you!!
 
These cookies are so easy to make!
They are soft and chewy with a luscious dose of marzipan. 🤤

#christmascookies 
#christmasbaking
#marzipan #almondcookies
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Footer

Featured on

The Daily Meal Logo The foodgawker-logo reddit Logo BuzzFeed Logo halfbaked Harvest Logo Browneyed Baker Logo FOOD52 Logo University of Washington Logo sheknows Logo

Copyright © 2023 Janet Barton
Privacy Policy

 

Loading Comments...