Easy Turkey in Crock Pot Recipe - Southern Plate (2024)

FAQs

Do I have to brown turkey before crock pot? ›

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't 100 percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

Then turn the cooker to "Low," if desired (or continue cooking on High). Do not remove the cover during cooking. It can take 20 to 25 minutes to regain the lost steam and temperature if the cover is removed. Make sure the turkey reaches 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.

Mar 23, 2023

It is best to thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. Frozen pieces will take longer to reach a safe internal temperature and could possibly result in foodborne illness. Frozen or partially frozen foods can also cool everything else in the slow cooker.

Add ground turkey to the slow cooker and break up the turkey with a spoon. Add in sliced mushrooms, ¼ cup of gravy mix (recipe below) and water. Stir with a spoon. Cover and cook on LOW for 3-5 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.

Browning Is Better

And if you dredge the meat in flour before you brown it, your sauce will thicken up to make a gravy. You should always brown ground beef or any ground meat in a skillet before adding it to your slow cooker to prevent the meat from clumping up or from adding excess grease to your cooked dish.

🍗 Start the bird at a higher temperature (I do 425F) for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat (I do 350F) for the remainder of the cooking time. 🤓 This technique works because the higher temperature gives the skin a head start on browning.

Most slow cooker meals take 8-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, but there are also recipes for slow-cooked meat that take up to 24 hours. If you want to avoid overcooking your dish, follow the given guidelines as closely as possible.

Slow cooking turkey GUARANTEES juicy and succulent meat!

Absolutely! Reheating the turkey with gravy in the crock pot is a great idea. It will help keep the turkey moist and flavorful. Simply pour the desired amount of gravy over the turkey before placing it in the crock pot and allow it to warm up along with the meat.

Is it better to thaw turkey or cook from frozen? ›

It is perfectly safe to cook a turkey from the frozen state; it will just take longer to cook. A solidly frozen turkey will take at least 50 percent longer to cook than a thawed turkey. If your turkey is only partially frozen, remember that it will take a bit longer to cook.

My slow cooker manual gives, for 500-800g (1-1.5lbs) of poultry 3.5-4 hours on high. However I find this one a little fierce, so I looked in an older recipe book. Recipes for similar amounts of poultry with sauce also come to 3.5-4 hours on high, but assume you brown the meat first (but nowhere near fully cook).

Raw turkey meat should be light pink or beige, depending on the type of meat and its fat content. The meat color becomes dull as time passes, which is normal. However, if the meat has a brown, gray or yellow or green hue, you will want to part ways with it.

Generally, it takes around 4 to 6 hours on low heat or 2 to 3 hours on high heat to fully cook ground turkey in a crock pot.

If you have a few extra minutes when preparing anything in a slow cooker, try browning your meat before adding it to the cooker. It boosts the flavor and color of any dish, but can be skipped if you're in a hurry.

No, you do not have to brown the roast. You can toss the roast in the slow cooker without any prep work. However, if you like to brown your roast first that is totally fine. Some people prefer to brown the roast a few minutes on each side before slow cooking.

So come up with a rough estimate for the overall cooking time, and then make sure to check how the turkey is doing well before it is supposed to be done! Put the turkey in the oven at 400°F, uncovered. For the 15 lb turkey, start the cooking at 400°F for the first 20 minutes to brown it.