crock pot turkey (a whole turkey)
Not long ago when I was up at the Sunflower market, I treated myself to a piece of crock pot turkey. It was love at first bite! It was tender, juicy and fell apart like butter in my mouth!!! I have decided this Thanksgiving this is how I'm doing my turkey. The trick is to know how big a turkey to fit in your crock pot. You can also cut the turkey up and just do pieces too. I'm going to do a whole one. I have a 7 quart Kitchen Aid crock pot and I've read a 9.5 lb. turkey will just fit into that size crock. Times may vary depending on your crock pot. Mine is very fast, so I might be able to cook the whole thing in 4 hours. But check it and use the thermometer to make sure it reaches the right temperature so it doesn't over cook. I thought I'd do this so those of you who want an easy way to do their Thanksgiving Turkey can use this method. NOTE: It is recommended with this recipe that you put the dry rub or herbs on your turkey 24 hours before cooking to let the flavours get into the meat. Maybe even put some inside the cavity. If you use a bouquet garni that would be great for inside the turkey as well. You can also stuff this turkey if you wish. Some of the stuffing might leak into the pot but that would probably just add to the flavour.
Ingredients For crock pot turkey (a whole turkey)
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turkey or vegetable stock
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1-9.5 lb.turkey, fresh is best
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olive oil
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potatoes
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carrots
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celery
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onions
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dry rub or mixed herbs (see below)
How To Make crock pot turkey (a whole turkey)
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1REMEMBER: DO STEPS 2 OR 3 24 HOURS AHEAD OF TIME TO ENSURE GOOD FLAVOUR!!! AND REMEMBER TO START EARLY IN THE MORNING ON HIGH IF IT'S A BIG BIRD. CHECK THE TEMPERATURE PERIODICALLY WITH A MEAT THERMOMETER. 180'F IS YOUR GOAL TEMPERATURE. IF THIS IS DONE FASTER THEN ANTICIPATED JUST PUT ON LOW OR BUFFET SETTING IF YOU HAVE ONE.
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2Once you have washed and patted dry your turkey rub it all over with Olive Oil, then coat with your favourite dry rub. Salt and pepper the whole bird too.
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3If you prefer to use just herbs using sage, thyme and marjoram is recommened. I'd even throw in a little rosemary to the mix because I like it.
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4Once the bird has sat for a day in the fridge with the dry rub or herbs on it you're ready to start to cook the bird, first start with the veggies...
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5Cut them up in good size chunks other wise they might dissintegrate on you. Lightly toss the veggies in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put in the bottom of the crock pot.
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6Pour the stock into the crock pot, but use only a small amount, it's just for steam, not to boil the turkey. Place the turkey on top of the veggies and stock. If you have more veggies then can fit under the turkey slide them along side the turkey.
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7Basting isn't necessary, it should baste itself, but if you open the lid a lot it might not baste properly, so hand baste if you like to peek a lot. You can also baste it with some whole cream or egg white to crisp the skin.
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8When it hits 180'F it's done. When serving, be careful. Chances are the bird will be very tender and the meat will fall off the bones. You might want to take the wings, legs etc. off and display them on a nice platter. If you wish serve the cooked veggies along side in a nice dish. You can also add some greens around the edge of the platter under the turkey for presentation.
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9If you have any juice left in the bottom use it to make gravy, it will be delicious.
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10Enjoy!
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!