Try this Slow Cooker Whole Turkey recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 8-10 lb whole turkey cleaned & cavity emptied
- 3 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 medium sized orange( using only half)
- 2 medium apples ( any baking apples will do)
- 2 medium onion ( yellow white, or red), chopped
- 2 stalks of celery cut
- 2 large carrots peeled & cut
- 5 sage leaves
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- Carbohydrate 7.55435005389678 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 40.7983233449232 g
- Fiber 1.38528351990833 g
- Protein 1.50099114561045 g
- Saturated Fat 5.71778825998509 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (64g)
- Sodium 2422.69692131719 mg
- Sugar 6.16906653398845 g
- Trans Fat 1.15273705026584 g
- Calories 392 calories
Step-by-step
- Stuff the turkey cavity with apple slices, half of a orange, celery, carrots, garlic, onions, and the fresh herbs.
- There will be leftover vegetables, herbs, and apples. Set them to the side.
- Drizzle the turkey with 2 tbsp olive, or vegetable oil.
- Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic powder all over the turkey.
- Rub the turkey down, to make sure that the oil and seasonings all over.
- Now take the remaining vegetables & etc, and toss them in the slow cooker.
- FYI - as mentioned within my video & blog post, I like to use slow cooker liners.
- Drizzle the vegetables & etc, with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Now place the turkey in the slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker on low, and cover with the lid.
- Now cook for 8 - 8½ hours.
- Serve & enjoy the most juiciest turkey ever!
Standard oven-roasting relies on dry, circulating heat to crisp skin, whereas thermal immersion inside a covered slow cooker traps escaping moisture entirely within the vessel. This closed environment changes the thermodynamics of poultry preparation completely. When moisture cannot escape, the surrounding air stays saturated with steam, ensuring the breast meat never dries out past its optimal internal threshold.
Ignoring cavity preparation remains the primary error cooks make with this technique. Packing dense aromatics too tightly restricts the interior airflow needed for safe thermal transfer, so always leave slight gaps between the apples, onions, and citrus halves. Furthermore, applying oil directly to the skin before seasoning acts as an adhesive for the kosher salt and garlic powder, binding the aromatics firmly to the surface during the eight-hour cooking window.
Food safety protocols dictate verifying internal doneness with a digital meat thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the thigh, ensuring it registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit before carving. Because this appliance operates at a low, steady heat output, resist the urge to remove the lid prematurely, which causes a significant temperature drop and extends cooking times by twenty minutes per peek.
Dietary adjustments are straightforward here, as the natural absence of dairy and gluten requires zero modification to the base ingredient list. Home cooks managing sodium restrictions can easily scale back the kosher salt without sacrificing flavor, relying instead on the heavy concentration of fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme to season the meat naturally.
