The first thing you would want to do is thaw your turkey if it is frozen. The best way to do this is to allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. This could take about 4-5 days. You could try cooking your turkey frozen, but this is not advisable as most frozen turkeys come with their giblets and insides still intact, and they tend to be difficult to remove when the turkey is frozen solid.
Pat the entire turkey dry with paper towels.
Mix the paprika, garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper with butter. Reserve two teaspoons of this compound butter and gently rub the rest underneath the turkey’s skin. Apply some on the top of the turkey too.
Add water to the crockpot and place your turkey inside to cook. Cover the crockpot with the lid. Ensure the lid is right; if it doesn’t fit properly, use some foil to cover it to avoid leaking steam.
Let the turkey cook for 3-4 hours on high heat or 7-8 hours on low heat. Cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast is 170 degrees and the thickest part of the thigh is 180 degrees. Unlike in an oven, the turkey does not need to be watched and checked regularly, freeing up your time for other things.
When the turkey is done, you can crisp up the skin either by broiling the turket or crockpot.
