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    Home » Recipes » Cooking Style » Slow Cooker Recipes

    Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing

    Published: Nov 15, 2020 by Terri Gilson · Modified: Apr 12, 2023 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

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    Pinterest pin with text on the top and bottom and photo of turkey breast with Cranberry Quinoa Dressing and roasted, glazed carrots on a beige dinner plate and black tray of turkey and dressing in the background
    collage of 4 photos of slow cooker turkey breast with quinoa cranberry stuffiing

    Sometimes you want turkey but you don't want to cook an entire turkey dinner in the oven. And if this is one of those times, this Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Stuffing is ideal! It's the perfect meal for special occasion small gatherings.

    sliced slow cooker turkey breast on bed of cranberry quinoa dressing (on black platter) with black bowl of roasted carrots and festive oven mitts in the background

    It feeds up to 6 people, but it's perfect for 4 if you want leftover turkey sandwiches (and who doesn't?!) Or you can cut this Crock pot Turkey with Stuffing recipe in half and it's ideal for 2 (see servings). It's also a healthy dinner that's Weight Watchers friendly, dairy-free and gluten-free.

    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 📖Variations & Substitutions
    • 🥗 Side dishes
    • 💭 Top tip
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍽Equipment
    • 🦃How do you know when turkey is done?
    • 👪 Serving size
    • 🔢WW Points
    • 🌡️Storage
    • 💭Leftover Turkey Recipes
    • ⭐ Reviews
    • 📋 Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing Recipe
    • 🍰Holiday Desserts!

    We're Canadian, so we celebrate Thanksgiving in October. But for my American friends, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This slow cooker turkey breast makes a great Thanksgiving meal.

    🥘 Ingredients

    This slow cooker boneless turkey breast is my version of a recipe I found in a very old mini crockpot cookbook called "Crockstar."  I don't know where it came from or even what year it was published, but it' s a great recipe. Of course I changed some things to make it more practical, modern and gluten- free. The original recipe used barley and a bone in turkey breast. Quinoa is  a lot more palatable to most people and gluten-free so I changed that up. And I opted to use a boneless whole turkey breast, as it was easier to find. However, if you prefer, you can use bone in. Either way, it makes a great Thanksgiving turkey meal that's made in one pot and ready in under 4 hours. 

    For this crockpot turkey and stuffing recipe you'll need:

    • skinless and boneless turkey breasts
    • slivered almonds
    • quinoa
    • onion
    • dried cranberries
    • poultry seasoning
    • minced garlic
    • chicken broth
    • dried parsley

    *see printable recipe card for quantities

    slices of slow cooker boneless turkey breast on a white plate with glazed carrots and quinoa dressing

    📖Variations & Substitutions

    • Turkey breast- you can use bone in turkey breast, but it will take a little longer to cook or you could use another lean meat like chicken breast instead of turkey breast (see reviews)
    • Quinoa - you could substitute rice or couscous

    If you've been following along with me for a while you already know how much I love my slow cooker. The idea of being able to put everything into one pot, walk away and have that wonderful little appliance do all the work, especially an entire holiday dinner, is simply magical! And slow cooker turkey breast is such a simple and delicious way to make a festive holiday dinner! It's an easy meal in one pot that only takes a few minutes to prepare and you won't believe how incredible it tastes! If you also love your slow cooker as much as I love mine, then check out my other Slow Cooker Recipes!  And if you need a slow cooker, check out my recommendations under Equipment!

    sliced slow cooker turkey breast on bed of cranberry quinoa dressing (on black platter) with slow cooker and checkered red tea towel in the background

    In my family, the holidays are not the same without a turkey dinner. Even when it's just the 4 of us and I suggest doing something different, I get resistance; they want the turkey dinner! Turkey dinner is not only comforting, it's tradition. And when you can't have normal, like our big family holiday dinners, tradition is even more important. If you're looking for Thanksgiving crockpot recipes that still taste like a traditional turkey dinner, you'll love how easy, healthy and delicious this is!

    slices of slow cooker boneless turkey breast on a white plate with glazed carrots and quinoa dressing

    🥗 Side dishes

    And if you don't want to go all out and make the big oven roasted turkey dinner, this turkey breast in the crockpot is the perfect alternative! I made this turkey dinner with Healthy Roasted Carrots with Brown Sugar (pictured above). They are only 2 WW points on my plan.

    And if you're looking for even more WW friendly side dishes to go with this recipe, my other favorite side dishes are:

    • Green beans and Mushrooms (pictured below - 4 WW points on my plan) It's a lighter alternative to the classic green been casserole
    • Turnip and Apple Casserole (3 WW points)
    •  WW Friendly & Gluten-free Corn Succotash (1 WW point on my plan)
    green beans and mushrooms in a white round casserole dish

    💭 Top tip

    Brown your turkey breast before adding it to the crockpot: Boneless turkey breast recipes that are as flavorful as this are not that easy to come by. Turkey can dry out very easily. But browning it, then cooking it in the slow cooker, locks in the juices and keeps it moist. 

    🔪 Instructions

    You will not believe how easy this crockpot turkey breast is to prepare!

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast almonds: spread in a single layer on baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 4-6 minutes) stirring frequently. Spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and and brown turkey breast on all sides (I do this on high for about 3 minutes on each side). Spry bowl of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and place turkey breast on bottom of the slow cooker bowl.
    2. Add quinoa, cranberries, toasted almonds, onions, garlic, parsley and poultry seasoning on top of the turkey breast, then pour chicken stock over everything. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (see NOTES) or is cooked through (no longer pink.) * This will depend on how thick your turkey breasts are.
    collage of 2 photos of steps for how to make slow cooker turkey breast with quinoa dressing

    🍽Equipment

    For this slow cooker turkey breast, you'll need a 6 quart slow cooker. A meat thermometer (affiliate links) also comes in handy too!

    🦃How do you know when turkey is done?

    The very BEST way to make sure turkey is done is by taking its temperature. You want to cook it until the internal temperature hits 165 degrees F. It takes about 3- 4 hours in the crockpot. I use this Thermapen - Instant Read Thermometer (affiliate link.) I searched for years to find a great quality and reliable meat thermometer and finally found this one. And it's not only great for meat, it's an all-in-one thermometer for candy, casseroles, desserts, breads, doughs, drinks and more! You can even use it to check the temperature of your bath water haha.... You (or the cook in your life) will LOVE this kitchen tool!

    and orange Thermapen - Mk4 thermometer

    👪 Serving size

    This crockpot Thanksgiving recipe makes 6 but can easily be reduced to 4 or even 2. Simply click on the blue servings number on the recipe card, select the number of servings you want and the ingredient amounts will adjust accordingly.

    🔢WW Points

    This recipe is 6 Weight Watchers points per serving.

    🌡️Storage

    Store this turkey breast in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This recipe freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months. If you're looking for healthy leftover turkey recipes, see below!

    So, if you want to make turkey with stuffing in the crockpot, or are looking for turkey breast meal ideas, then give this a try- you won't be disappointed!

    Piece of turkey breast being held up on a fork, over a platter of sliced turkey breast on cranberry quinoa dressing

    💭Leftover Turkey Recipes

    If you are lucky enough to end up with leftover turkey, then give these WW friendly leftover turkey recipes a try: Turkey Reuben Panini, Healthy Leftover Turkey Wraps and Easy Leftover Turkey Enchiladas (shown below)

    leftover turkey enchilada on a blue plate with glass dish of enchiladas in background and blue ramkins with sour cream and salsa right behind the dish

    And if you're looking for desserts to accompany your holiday dinner, then check out the desserts at the bottom of this post (underneath the recipe card)! This Weight Watchers Crustless Pumpkin Pie (2 WW points on the blue plan), makes a great dessert if you're looking to keep things light!

    weight watchers crustless pumpkin pie on a white plate

    Happy Thanksgiving and healthy eating!

    ⭐ Reviews

    Did you make this slow cooker turkey recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below.

    Here's what others are saying: "I made this today but I used 4 chicken breasts. I also got a bit lazy and didn’t pre-bake the chicken breasts but just put them raw in the bottom of the slow cooker (greased) and it turned out just fine……breasts were still moist, not dried out at all. The flavour was really good and I’ll be sure to use this recipe again. Thanks for all your great recipes!!"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Please SUBSCRIBE  (get my FREE E-cookbook) and be sure to FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    sliced slow cooker turkey breast on bed of cranberry quinoa dressing (on black platter) with black bowl of roasted carrots and festive oven mitts in the background
    Food Meandering Logo

    📋 Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing Recipe

    This Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing is a simple and delicious way to make a small, yet festive holiday meal. It's a one-pot turkey and stuffing meal that takes only a few minutes to put together and is perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving meal or Christmas dinner gathering! It's also Weight Watchers friendly and gluten-free!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner, supper
    Cuisine: American, Canadian, North American
    Keyword: slow cooker turkey, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey breast
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 164kcal
    Author: Terri Gilson
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 3 hours hours 45 minutes minutes
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 large boneless and skinless turkey breasts (about 3 lbs)
    • 2 tablespoon slivered almonds toasted
    • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
    • 1 small onion, chopped
    • ½ cup dried cranberries (craisins)
    • ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
    • 1 ¾ cups chicken broth gluten- free
    • ½ tablespoon dried parsley

    Garnish

    • ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast almonds: spread in a single layer on baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 4-6 minutes) stirring frequently.
    • Spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and and brown turkey breast on all sides (I do this on high for about 3 minutes on each side).
    • Spray bowl of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add browned turkey breast to bottom of the slow cooker bowl.
    • Add quinoa, cranberries, toasted almonds, onions, garlic, parsley and poultry seasoning on top of turkey, then pour chicken stock over everything.
      quinoa, chicken broth, cranberries, toasted almonds, onions and parsley on chicken in slow cooker
    • Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (see NOTES) or is cooked through (no longer pink.) * This will depend on how thick your turkey breasts are.

    Garnish

    • Stir fresh parsley into stuffing mixture and garnish with fresh parsley as desired . Slice turkey and serve with stuffing and vegetable side of choice.

    Notes

    *SEE POST CONTENTS FOR IMPORTANT RECIPE INFORMATION AND TIPS!
    Nutrition Facts
    📋 Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing Recipe
    Amount Per Serving (1 g)
    Calories 164 Calories from Fat 36
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4g6%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Cholesterol 1mg0%
    Sodium 254mg11%
    Potassium 255mg7%
    Carbohydrates 29g10%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin C 6mg7%
    Calcium 31mg3%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 164kcal (8%) | Carbohydrates: 29g (10%) | Protein: 5g (10%) | Fat: 4g (6%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 254mg (11%) | Potassium: 255mg (7%) | Fiber: 3g (13%) | Sugar: 7g (8%) | Vitamin C: 6mg (7%) | Calcium: 31mg (3%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)
    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
    Rate this Recipe

    🍰Holiday Desserts!

    • Grand Marnier Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze
    • Prize Pumpkin Pie: Easy Pumpkin Pie Filling
    • Cranberry Gingerbread Stovetop Rice Pudding (Gluten-free)
    • Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake with Coffee Glaze
    • Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Whipped Cream
    • Cranberry Bread Pudding Cheesecake
    • Skinny Pumpkin Cheesecake with Oreo Cookie Crust

    « Cranberry Coffee Cake (with leftover cranberry sauce)
    Granny Buns (Dinner Buns) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sabrina

      November 30, 2020 at 9:24 am

      This recipe is so perfect for this year! I definitely did not want to cook a whole turkey for my small family. I love the simplicity and the healthy choice of quinoa. Really delicious, thank you.

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        December 01, 2020 at 9:18 pm

        Thanks, Sabrina - so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Susanne Sulkers

      December 15, 2020 at 9:25 pm

      I made your “Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Quinoa Cranberry Dressing” today but I used 4 chicken breasts. I also got a bit lazy and didn’t pre-bake the chicken breasts but just put them raw in the bottom of the slow cooker (greased) and it turned out just fine……breasts were still moist, not dried out at all. The flavour was really good and I’ll be sure to use this recipe again. Thanks for all your great recipes!!

      Reply
      • Terri Gilson

        December 16, 2020 at 6:21 am

        Hi Susanne,
        I'm so glad you enjoyed it and it turned out for you! And it's great to know that the turkey was still moist even when you skipped the pre-cooking!
        Happy holidays!!!
        Terri

        Reply

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    I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer, and a busy working mom who is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks, and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

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