Christmas Turkey In The Slow Cooker

[anthro-nerd]

Has anyone tried this?

I'm hosting Christmas dinner this year and I'm so excited! But, my oven is tiny and to be quite honest if I wanted to cook the turkey in it, I'd have to start now! (It has two 'settings'... hot and cold, and basically grills from the bottom!)

I do however have a slow cooker. I know using that to cook the turkey won't ensure a crispy skin of course, but will the actual meat be okay? Has anyone tried it? Advice welcome!

[Tilly2]

Will your turkey fit in a slow cooker?

[Old_Geezer]

Your oven is too small for the turkey, but the turkey fits perfectly in your slow cooker ? That's a fair sized slow cooker.

I'd doubt there would be an issue, but as you say, one of the best bits of the roast turkey will be sacrificed. I think I'd give it a miss.

[anthro-nerd]

Well it's only for 6 of us... and I'll just be doing a crown... so I hope so.... in my head it will fit!

[anthro-nerd]

OG, ah I should have explained, they'll be no room in the oven once I've got the roasties, parsnips, pigs in blankets, stuffing & yorkshire puds in there!!

[crisper]

Hiya Anthro - Nerd.. yep I have cooked Turkey in the slow cooker and will do again this year... but I only do a Turkey crown.. not the whole Turkey.. big enough to feed 8 people as you said the skin doesn't crisp.. but the Turkey is moist & lovely.. good luck Mrs C x

[Tilly2]

A crown should be fine, if it's a smallish one. It will cook beautifully. I do chicken in mine and take it out for the last thirty minutes and pop it in a hot oven to crisp up.
Don't forget to put some walnut sized scrunches of foil under it, in the slow cooker. That stops it sticking to the bottom.

[Old_Geezer]

How about treating the family to one of these for Xmas ?

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/6996912

Veg should fit in there. The turkey might be a little optimistic.

[B00]

"in my head it will fit! "

Don't think it'll cook in there.

[Buenchico]

There are plenty of posts on the web to suggest that it's perfectly possible. (The secret seems to be to cook it in some decent wine):

A recipe, with 33 reviews for you to read, here:
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/30923/slow-cooker-tender-turkey-crown.aspx

Another recipe, with 2 reviews:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-turkey-breasts-wine-bacon

Another recipe:
http://simplybeingmum.com/2013/12/04/simple-slow-cooked-christmas-turkey-controversial/

A report from a blog on slow cooking:
http://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/2008/11/crockpot-whole-turkey-recipe.html

[EDDIE51]

I cook the turkey the night before and only do the potatoes veg and pigs in blankets on the day , can you not do the same. I serve the turkey sliced with hot gravy onto the hot dinner plates with the roast potatoes and the rest. No one realises that the turkey meat was not straight out of the oven. In our and my parents families we have never eaten the turkey skin that is reserved for the dog.

[Tilly2]

Turkey skin is lethal for dogs!

[Tilly2]

https://www.dfordog.co.uk/blog/dog-christmas-food-safe-avoid.html

[EcclesCake]

Cold meat hot gravy reminds me of school dinners.

[shoota]

Turkey skin is not in itself toxic for dogs but large quantities can cause pancreatitis which can be fatal.

[diddlydo]

Errrrr - Yorkies with turkey and with limited cooking facilities??? No and no!

[woofgang]

Tilly, Turkey skin is not lethal for dogs. The issue with turkey skin is that it can be very fatty and it is the excess of fat that can cause pancreatitis in some dogs. Small amounts of turkey skin (as with any other fat) are fine and a good addition to the diet. The other thing you can do is crisp the skin up in a hot oven. Most of the fat runs out and the remaining crispy golden skin is delicious, I know because I eat it too. This is important and not just me being pedantic because its ANY fat that causes pancreatitis if fed in excess and people have been know to scrupulously avoid giving their dogs turkey skin but give them the fat off steak or fatty pork.

[anthro-nerd]

Ah, thank you everyone! Thanks Buenchico for the links. I'll certainly be giving this a go!

:-)

[Islay]

I cook a whole chicken in my slow cooker and it is lovely and moist