Juiciest Turkey EVER! (gravy too!)

This recipe is so legit, that I have done this for the 4th year in a row!! And it has been juicy EVERY single year!!

What you will need

1- 15 lb Turkey (I had two 15lbers for thanksgiving to make)
32oz Chicken Stock of your choice
1 stick butter
Parsley
Salt
Pepper
Roasting Pan w/ rack
Turkey Baster
Internal Read Thermometer

Start off with your oven preheated to 325F.

Rinse your Turkey and season it with Salt &  Pepper and Parsley and put the Turkey breast-side DOWN in your roasting pan. You will allow the turkey to cook this way for 1 full hour.  Baste it often.

Baste with entire container of stock, melted butter and parsley mixed together.  Covering the turkey often with this. So that you use all of it by the time it is done. It creates AWESOME drippings for gravy!! Especially if you have alot of people coming over. You will need lots of yummy drippings.

After 1 hour, turn the turkey over breast-side UP. Continue cooking the Turkey this way until an instant-read meat thermometer reaches 162-165F. You put the thermometer in the largest section of the thigh. But be sure it is NOT touching bone at all! We use a thermometer that you leave in the turkey while cooking. The wire comes outside of the oven, into a digital reader so we can see exactly when it hits/beeps at the temperature we desire.

Soon as you take the turkey out when it reaches the correct temperature. Put it on your platter and immediately cover the turkey in foil. Tenting it in. This will allow the turkey to keep cooking actually and it will reach the correct temperature with out getting over done and dry.

Most people cook the turkey till it is 170-180F.  If you do that, it WILL be dry. Because the turkey continues to cook beyond what you want it to, and thus not a yummy/juicy turkey.

Once you tent it for at least 20 minutes or more. You can then proceed to carve it.

Also if you try to get all your basting done before the last 30-45 minutes , the skin will get that nice golden brown color you are looking for. So try to use up all that liquid in time.

So- NO MORE DRY TURKEY!!!  We have been to many parties and events and turkey we have to CHOKE down. That is never fun!! And what a waste too!

Now use all that drippings, put in a sauce pan. Heat to almost boiling point and put in flour to thicken up and cook till thick. Remove from heat and you will have the most awesome gravy ever!!

Here are photos of us making they turkey. I apologize I did not get a photo of it tented, or fully cooked out of the oven. We were so ready to eat it. We didn’t pick up the camera again till after it was carved. But let the Carved photo be witness of that PERFECT turkey.

So no more excuses!! Enjoy!!