Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Dinner with tender turkey thighs, candied sweet potatoes, sausage stuffing and Brussels Sprouts cooked entirely in the Slow Cooker!
We love all things Thanksgiving and if you’re looking for more than this slow cooker full of food you should check out the recipes for Green Bean Casserole, Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes and Baked Mac and Cheese.
Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Dinner for two!
Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Dinner for two with just a slow cooker, mixing bowl, knife, spoon and cutting board with all the side dishes. I know that may sound crazy, but I can assure you as someone who loves Thanksgiving dinner every month of the year you’re going to love me when you try this out.
So I guess you’re wondering either why? or how? or pfft yeah right. Well honestly if you guys have been a reader of the blog for a while you know my love for cooking meats in the slow cooker “dry” as well as how much I just love everything made in the slow cooker overall.
Yes, you’re going to get to enjoy a full thanksgiving dinner minus the cranberry sauce (pop a can!) with exactly five dirty kitchen items to wash.
Tips for Slow Cooker Turkey Thighs:
- You don’t need the butter, skip if you’d like, but turkey benefits from it for flavor and man it would also make a good quick gravy if you wanted to dirty an extra saucepan.
- Salt and pepper your turkey well! This bird is not going to get a lot of help from browning in the oven for hours, so season your food!
- Other seasonings you could add? Rosemary and lemon or thyme and garlic.
- Want a recipe for just turkey? Crispy Slow Cooker Turkey Thighs
Tips for the Sweet Potatoes:
- You could go savory and used a garlic herb mixture, but or stay sweet with the same ingredients I used for Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole and it would be DELICIOUS!
- You could even just add a single large sweet potato to the slow cooker pierced with some holes then just split and serve for a healthier option.
- You could also add whole russet potatoes like I did in this Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak and Mashed Potatoes.
- Don’t cut the cubes too small, remember they’re going to cook for a while!
- No one would judge you if you topped with some marshmallows and put the foil under the broiler (on a sheet pan, there will be turkey juices under it) if you chose to season sweetly instead of savory…ly. haha.
- Want sweet potato recipes? Try: Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes or Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
Tips for Brussels Sprouts:
- I chose them because they’re a hardy green vegetable that stands up to extended cooking. Want something green you can add in the last hour? Try broccoli, green beans or zucchini tossed in the same mixture.
- Would be extra amazing with bacon if you’ve got some!
- If you have really small Brussels Sprouts go ahead and leave them whole (just trim the bottoms).
- Recipe for Brussels Sprouts: Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Tips for Apple Sausage Stuffing:
- Any stuffing recipe will do, just pare it down to 1/5th or 1/6th the recipe.
- I like adding apple to this because it perfumes through the rest of the slow cooker really nicely too.
- A small pat of butter in the last hour on top would be amazing.
- Looking for just a stuffing recipe? Easy Apple Sausage Stuffing
Thanksgiving Dinner Tips:
- If you want good browning, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and just finish it off for 10 minutes.
- You may want to finish the food on a cookie sheet in the oven if your insert is not oven safe.
- If you want to make a gravy of the turkey juices, melt some butter in a saucepan. Add an equal amount of flour (2 tablespoons of each should be good) and cook until lightly browned. Add in the juices and whisk until thickened. SEASON with more salt and pepper.
Want More Thanksgiving Options?
Tools used in this Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Dinner:
Slow Cooker: Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is, it has been a workhorse for me… until…
My New Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker. If you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open. With this slow cooker, you can finish it in the oven in the insert then remove the food and finish off your gravy on the stovetop!
Fat Separator: If you are going to make the gravy, draining the fat before adding the butter and flour with this handy tool that makes it easy for you.
Ingredients
TURKEY
- 1 Turkey thigh (largest one you can find)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter , melted
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
- 1 pound brussels sprouts , washed and cut in half through the stem (trim the bottom off the stem a little but not all the way)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
SWEET POTATOES
- 1 pound sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1” chunks
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
STUFFING
- 6 slices bread , day old (cubed)
- 2 links breakfast sausage , cooked and chopped
- 1/2 green apple , diced
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 large egg
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Put the turkey thigh skin side up in the slow cooker and sprinkle on salt and pepper.
- Pour over the 1 tablespoon of butter over the turkey.
- Using the same bowl: Toss the brussels sprouts in ingredients and put into foil section.
- Using the same bowl: Toss the sweet potatoes in ingredients and put into foil section.
- Using the same bowl: Toss the stuffing with ingredients and put into foil section.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Video
Nutrition
Thoughts on adding another thigh and cooking until 165 degrees F . . .it would be cramped and not ideal to put one thigh on top of the other but it can work . . . there is packaging with 2 turkey thighs . . .that is why I’m asking. Your thoughts?
Sounds like you know the risks. Did you try the recipe with the extra thigh?
As a recent widow, I really enjoyed this! Thanks.
I often shy away from using my crockpot (it was a gift) because it’s just me and my son. We’re not huge fans of leftovers or freezing. I would have never thought in a million years to use foil to section off and cook smaller batches of different things. Thank you SO MUCH! This is inspiring to say the least 🙂
So glad you enjoyed!
Can I make it with a chicken breast
Haven’t tried it myself, but t never hurts to experiment!
This was way over cooked at 8 hrs. on low. The Brussels sprouts gave off a sour taste. I had to throw it all out. UGH!
Oh no! I’m wondering if your slow cooker runs hot. I’ve made this so many times and have never had an issue.
I’m eager to try this! I’m thinking, perhaps, that I can make a mini- green bean casserole instead of brussels sprouts for my husband.
This is awesome! I’m a temporary apartment without a stove. I’m now able to have Thanksgiving thanks to you!
So glad to have helped.
Great idea and recipe! ! Our small town only carries a name brand turkey tenderloin, boneless and skinless. I think with the skin, it definitely would have kept the edges that touched the crockpot from drying out. The only thing I would change is the 4 hrs cooking time at the top of the recipe. I didn’t see the 4 or 8 hrs on the second page until later.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This looks delicious. Would a small turkey breast work as well?
I’m always leary of cooking breast in a slow cooker because they tend to dry out quicker than thighs.
This is AWESOME!!! Thank you SO much! This is EXACTLY what I needed 🙂
Yay, I’m so glad you found it!
What size crock pot did you use?I only have a 3 quart.woyld I need to half the receipes?thanks
I used a 6 qt (http://amzn.to/2khqfDu). I would halve the recipe if using a 3 qt. 🙂
Ingenious!! Could you do this with a turkey breast with no skin or bones?
You can use it with turkey breast but I would look for bone in/skin on. It really helps with keeping it moist during the cooking process. If you want to go forward with boneless/skinless, I recommend wrapping it in bacon 🙂 You can never go wrong with that, am I right?!? Enjoy!
I’m stunned by this! What a fabulously wonderful way to prep a meal for two! Wonderful!
Thank you, Patricia!
I love how easy this come together!!!
Thanks, Abeer!
Hi. Can you do the prep ahead of time and freeze everything to be put in the crockpot at a later date?
Unfortunately, you really aren’t able to prep and freeze this. The turkey will take on too much liquid from being frozen and become waterlogged. I really don’t think it’ll turn out well. So sorry.
This is an ingenious idea! I would hate to cook huge amounts of food just for it to go bad.
Definitely! Though I do love holiday leftovers too, haha!
I’m seriously impressed and a little obsessed with how you did this!
Thanks, Cathy! Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
I did not get to make everything, but the ones I made, my family and I loved them, and plan to make them for Thanksgiving, but on a larger scale.
Oh, this is BRILLIANT! We love Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s normally such a BIG DEAL that it only gets made 1-3 times a year. (Because food blogging, haha.) Can’t wait to try your slow cooker version!
It definitely allows you to enjoy it more often!
This is soooo smart! I can’t wait to share this with my child-less friends!
Thank you!
This is a creative way of making Thanksgiving! I think I will do this for a couple in our church that will be on their own for the holiday! It is just enough to feed them and perfect for the taste! Great idea! XO
Such a wonderful thing to do for them, Jamielyn!