Making turkey necks in crock pot is so easy and the recipe requires just a few simple ingredients. Start it in the morning and by dinner you will have a delicious, comforting dish. Serve with your favorite side dish to get all the best flavors out of this slow cooker turkey necks.

Delicious melt in your mouth tender turkey meat and rich broth, that is what makes this dish so special. Lets see how to make it.

How to make turkey necks in crock pot

The process of making turkey necks in slow cooker is so easy that it does not really require step by step pictures. I still did some to show you how i arranged ingredients in my crock pot.

Open the package with turkey necks and rinse them with cold running water. You don't have to do that if you prefer to prepare poultry or meat straight out of the package. I always wash everything before cooking and keep my kitchen and sink clean.

Place necks in the slow cooker. Chop an onion and add to the pot. Add minced garlic, salt and other spices. Mix it up a little and add water. So the amount of water depends on the size of your crock pot. You don't need to cover turkey entirely but halfway will be good.

Close the lid and turn the slow cooker on. Turkey neck could be done in as fast as 4 hours on HIGH setting. Or cook it really low and slow for 8 hours on LOW setting. This is a great option for those who like to start cooking their dinner in the morning before going to work and come back to a perfectly cooked dish.

Where to buy turkey necks

Raw turkey necks is not the most average item in the grocery store. Sometimes it takes time to find it. My local supermarket sells it in the fridge section around turkey and chicken products. You can see more availability around holidays. Also check the freezer aisle. Lots of Supermarkets prefer to keep their turkey necks frozen.

Can you make it with other parts of turkey

Absolutely! Instead of necks you can use turkey wings. It will take the same time to cook in the slow cooker. Just to make sure they are cooked through check the internal temperature with an instant meat thermometer. It should be at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. But believe me, after 8 hours in the crock pot everything will be cooked to perfection.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Turkey necks contains dark meat which means they need to be cooked for a long time to be tender and juicy. Do not try to cook it faster that the amount of time recommended. Necks will be tough.
• Optionally add vegetables to this slow cooker turkey necks. Peel and quarter carrots, add potatoes and celery. This trick will make your dish more like ragout instead of just turkey necks with broth.
• I didn't make gravy because i liked how the broth worked with my dish. But you can totally make a gravy out of your turkey drippings. Mix 3 teaspoons cornstarch with 3 teaspoons cold water and than pour it into the hot broth. Stir until thicken (make sure to remove necks before)
• For additional color and taste brown turkey necks in the skillet before placing them in to the crock pot. It will make you wash more dishes in the end but also will fill your kitchen with delicious aroma.
• Hot sauce. Add your favorite hot sauce to the crock pot along with other ingredients. I love a good spice kick in my turkey necks! Didn’t include it in the recipe card because my kids will not eat spicy.

Side dishes

My favorite way to enjoy this turkey dish is with creamy dreamy mashed potatoes. Garlic mashed potatoes with gravy topped with slow cooked turkey necks yum!

A bowl of plain white rice will be divine here too! Rice will soak up turkey juices and get so flavorful. Or grab a toasty slice of garlic bread to soak in that turkey broth, so good and easy.

Leftovers

I usually store crock pot turkey necks recipe leftovers in the air tight container for up to 4 days. If you don't have a container, simply place necks (with broth) into the large ziplock bag or in a deep dish and cover with foil, plastic wrap or a flat plate. Around Holidays i may not have empty containers and i just use a medium size pot with a lid and store it this way in the fridge.

Reheat in the microwave. You can freeze it too. Make sure to freeze in the freezer friendly container and fill it up with the broth too. This will ensure that your turkey necks will stay juicy and tender after thawing. It also will help to prevent freezer burn on the meat.

Make it on Holidays

If making this recipe for Thanksgiving or around Holidays, top necks with some cranberry sauce and lay on top of mashed potatoes. Optionally make a gravy from turkey drippings and add slurry. Slurry is a mix of cornstarch with cold water in equal proportions. Mix 3 teaspoon of water and cornstarch, very well, until fully dissolved. And than add it to the crock pot (remove cooked turkey necks). Stir it until thicken and than add necks back OR pour gravy over necks in the plate.

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