Your oven is crammed with casseroles, pies, and roasted vegetables. The turkey? It’s taking up residence in the crockpot. Count on 3 to 8 hours depending on size and temperature setting. The result? Tender, juicy meat that practically falls off the bone.
Crockpot Turkey Cooking Times by Size
| Turkey Weight | HIGH Setting | LOW Setting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-10 lbs | 3 to 4 hours | 6 to 8 hours | Ideal crockpot size |
| 5-7 lbs | 2.5 to 3.5 hours | 5 to 6 hours | Perfect for smaller models |
| 10-12 lbs | 4 to 5 hours | 8 to 9 hours | Maximum limit |
These times are guidelines, not gospel. Every slow cooker heats differently. Some run hot, others take their sweet time. That’s why a meat thermometer becomes your best friend. Insert it into the thickest part of the breast without touching bone. When it reads 165°F, your turkey is done. End of story.
HIGH or LOW: Which Temperature to Choose
HIGH speeds things up. Three to four hours for a medium turkey. Perfect when you start cooking mid-afternoon and dinner is planned for evening.
LOW gives you flexibility. Six to eight hours of slow cooking works beautifully when you start the turkey in the morning before heading out or tackling other dishes. The meat has time to absorb its own juices gradually.
Either way, the final result is nearly identical: tender meat, nice and moist, that rivals any oven-roasted turkey. The crockpot forgives delays. An extra hour? The meat stays juicy.
Will Your Turkey Actually Fit?
Critical question. An oval crockpot holding 6 to 7 quarts comfortably fits an 8 to 10 pound turkey. Beyond that, things get tight. The lid must close properly, otherwise heat escapes and cooking time stretches out.
If your turkey exceeds 10 pounds, you have two options: switch to a turkey breast only (much easier to fit), or pull out the traditional oven. No point forcing it. A turkey crammed against the walls won’t cook evenly.
The One Tool You Absolutely Need
The meat thermometer isn’t a gadget. It’s insurance. Cooking times vary depending on your appliance, the shape of the bird, its starting temperature. Relying solely on the clock is playing roulette.
Aim for 165°F at the center of the breast. If you want to check the thighs too, go for 180°F. At this temperature, bacteria are eliminated, the meat is cooked through while staying juicy. Below that, you’re taking a health risk. Above 175°F on the breast, you start drying out the meat.
The Skin Problem, and How to Fix It
Let’s be honest: crockpot turkey skin doesn’t crisp up. It stays pale, soft, frankly unappetizing. That’s the price of moist cooking. But there’s a simple workaround.
Once the turkey is cooked, transfer it to an oven-safe baking sheet. Slide it under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes. Watch closely, it browns fast. The skin colors, tightens slightly, becomes edible. Not crispy like oven-roasted, but much more presentable.
If this detail doesn’t matter to you (and plenty of people couldn’t care less), skip this step. The meat itself is perfect.
Prep in 3 Simple Steps
No complicated brining or day-ahead preparation needed. The crockpot does the work for you.
1. Season generously. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dried herbs. Rub everywhere, top, bottom, inside the cavity. If you want to get fancy, slip softened butter under the breast skin.
2. Pour in half a cup of liquid. Water, chicken broth, white wine. This liquid prevents sticking and creates steam. You can add halved onions, garlic cloves, celery to the bottom of the pot for extra flavor.
3. Place the turkey, close, set. HIGH or LOW depending on your timeline. Now you can forget about it for several hours. That’s the whole point.
If Your Turkey Is Too Big
A 15 or 16 pound bird will never fit in a standard home crockpot. Rather than forcing it, adapt your strategy.
Cook just a turkey breast, bone-in or boneless. It fits easily, cooks faster (4 to 6 hours on LOW), and you get all the white meat everyone fights over.
Another solution: cut the turkey into pieces before cooking. Thighs on one side, breasts on the other. Less dramatic at the table, but perfectly functional. You can even use two crockpots simultaneously if you have them.
Otherwise, the oven remains your friend. No shame in that.
The Real Advantage of the Crockpot
Beyond cooking time, it’s the freed-up oven space that changes everything. You can slide in your casseroles, roasted vegetables, pies while the turkey simmers quietly on the counter. No complicated calculations to rotate dishes.
The meat bathes in its own juices for hours. Impossible to mess up. Even if you forget to take it out exactly on time, it stays tender. It’s forgiving cooking, perfect for stressed cooks or big dinner days.
The juices collected at the bottom of the pot? Don’t throw them out. Skim off some fat, thicken with a bit of cornstarch, and you get an incredibly flavorful natural gravy. Nothing like those packet sauces.
So yes, your turkey won’t have that golden crispy calendar-worthy skin. But it will be melt-in-your-mouth tender, flavorful, and you’ll have spent less time watching it than preparing the rest of the meal. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
