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Turkey stewed in a slow cooker

Slow-Cooker Braised Turkey

Tender, delicious turkey the quick and easy way. The recipe is simple, and your trusty kitchen helper does almost all the work for you — all you have to do is get everything ready to go in. It's great for an everyday meal and holds its own on the holiday table, too. Braised turkey works both as a main all on its own (especially stewed with vegetables) and as the meat to round out any side dish.

wella

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Turkey

350

Water

0.5

Sour cream

Onion

Carrots

Garlic

Bay leaf

Salt

Ground black pepper

Dry spices

Vegetable oil

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 48 % 11 g

Fats 39 % 9 g

Carbohydrates 13 % 3 g

138 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

I used a turkey drumstick steak — I simply cut it into small pieces.
Step 2:

If you know the braised turkey won't be shared with young kids, season it with ground pepper and your favorite spices. Don't forget to salt it to taste. Let it marinate.
Step 3:

Meanwhile, let's prep the vegetables that go into the braise. Chop the onion however you like — a fine dice works well (it thickens the gravy and disappears into the sauce).
Step 4:

You can shred the carrot on a coarse grater, or cut it into pieces so it adds a nice pop of bright color to the dish.
Step 5:

If you like to sauté first, pour a little oil into the bowl and add the onion and carrot. Cook for about 15 minutes on the "Fry" setting. I did it a bit differently — I put the carrot and onion in the oil and cooked them, covered, on the "Bake" setting for 10 minutes. Don't forget to stir with a spatula!
Step 6:

For a more rounded, finished flavor, you can brown the meat too. It's easy — lift the vegetables out of the bowl, brown the meat on its own, then combine everything and carry on. Or just brown it all together. I skipped browning, so I simply added the turkey pieces to the onion and carrot and cooked them, covered, on the "Bake" setting for about 10 minutes.
Step 7:

Now switch to the "Stew" setting for an hour and a half. Add the bay leaf and the crushed, minced garlic, then pour in the water (I brought mine to a boil first) and the sour cream. The recipe calls for half a cup of water, but that's just a guideline — your slow cooker's bowl may be a different size, so use your judgment: you want the meat to braise properly and end up with plenty of gravy. Same goes for the sour cream — feel free to add more, and you can stir in tomato juice or tomato paste to add even more flavor to the meat and the gravy.
Step 8:

Once the program signals it's done, serve the braised turkey piping hot, or keep it on the "Keep Warm" setting. If it's going with a side dish, spoon the gravy over the top. It's also great served on its own — just the meat.

A few more tips: turkey can be braised in its own juices, with vegetables, with mushrooms, or with dairy. Turkey is a big bird and a whole one is unlikely to fit in a slow cooker, so it's best to cut it into manageable pieces. Any cut works for braising, but white meat, drumsticks, wings, and so on each have their own flavor and calorie count. Whether or not to remove the skin is up to you — many leave it on for a more appetizing look, but keep in mind that's where a lot of the fat is. Don't forget to rinse the meat in cold water before cooking and pat it dry. Braised turkey will still be delicious even if you skip the browning step, since you're adding tasty spices anyway. But if you know kids will be eating it, leave out the spices and the frying.