Tasty and juicy smothered turkey wings are finger-licken good! A seriously delicious dinner recipe that the whole family will love. A thick, creamy, and generously seasoned gravy brings this dish together. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes, and be prepared to go back for seconds!
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Why you’ll love this Recipe
You’ll love this because it contains the best thing on earth, Gravy! Not sure about you, but adding gravy to a dish automatically puts it in my top 10. This recipe contains easy instructions for gravy, but if you’d like further information on how to elevate your gravy check out How to Make Gravy From Scratch (Easy!)
This recipe is a winner for the main dish of any family dinner or Friendsgiving. This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks of the year Bludsoe’s BBQ Cookbook! It is filled with so much deliciousness and heart and it is a MUST HAVE!
Lastly, you can easily swap out the protein if you can’t get your hands on fresh turkey wings.
Ingredients
Simple ingredients are brought together to make an absolutely delicious dish.
- Seasoning Mix: A flavorful spice mix of seasoning salt, ground black pepper, granulated onion, granulated garlic, ground-dried sage, and ground-dried thyme.
- Turkey Wings: 8 Turkey wings split into flats and drumettes, 16 pieces total. See below for more information on parts of the turkey wing.
- Fats: In addition to tasty turkey pan drippings, we’ll need vegetable oil and salted butter to round out those flavors.
- Vegetables and aromatics: Tasty combination of sauteed yellow onion, chopped celery, and chopped or minced garlic.
- Gravy: All-purpose flour, water, and chicken bouillon powder will bring this mouth-watering homemade gravy together.
- Condensed soup: Use your choice of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
How to make smothered turkey wings
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup seasoning salt, 1/2 cup pepper, the granulated onion, granulated garlic, sage, and thyme, and stir to mix well.
Pat dry the turkey wing pieces with paper towels. Season liberally on all sides with the seasoning mix.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and butter. When the butter has melted and the fat is hot, working in batches, add the wing pieces in a single layer, being careful not to crowd that pan. They should sizzle the moment they hit the pan. Cook turkey wings, keeping an eye on the heat and adjusting it if needed to make sure they don’t burn until they are golden brown on the underside, about 4 minutes. Once browned, flip them and cook the second side until golden brown, about 3 minutes more. As the wing pieces are browned, transfer to a large roasting pan or baking dish, arranging them in a single layer and leaving the fat in the pan. Brown the remaining wing pieces the same way. If they don’t all fit in a single layer in the roasting pan, you can stack them a bit; just make sure the biggest pieces are on the bottom.
Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the chopped onion, celery, and chopped garlic to the fat remaining in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, just until translucent, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift the vegetables out of the pan and sprinkle them over the turkey wings. Set the skillet aside.
Pour 2 cups of water evenly over the turkey wings. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil, then transfer to the oven and cook until the wings are nearly tender about 2 1/2 hours.
Make the gravy
While the wings are cooking, return the skillet to medium-low heat, add the bouillon powder to the fat remaining in the pan, and whisk to combine. Add the flour and whisk constantly just until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of water, a little at a time, while whisking constantly to prevent lumps and build your gravy.
Add the cream of chicken soup to the skillet, turn the heat to low, and then whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to a medium gravy consistency, about 8 minutes. Taste this gravy and adjust with seasoning salt and pepper if needed. Set aside until the wings are ready.
When the wings are tender, remove the pan from the oven and, using a slotted utensil, transfer the wings to a large plate. Add just enough of the gravy to the broth in the pan to be able to partially submerge the wings and stir to mix. Then return the wings to the pan, flipping them so the side that was up on the first cook is now facing down in the gravy. Re-cover the roasting pan, return it to the oven, and cook the wings until completely tender, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on their size.
Spoon the turkey wings and gravy over rice and serve immediately, with any remaining gravy on the side.
What to Serve With
Bring the family together for Sunday dinner and treat them to this smothered turkey wings recipe, served on top of rice.
My Auntie Rose’s Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe along with Cranberry Sauce pairs perfectly with these turkey wings or these baked turkey wings. Sour cream mashed potatoes and green bean casserole are always in play, giving us Thanksgiving vibes.
Storing
Leftover smothered turkey wings can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Wrapped properly and stored in an airtight container, frozen turkey wings can last 3-6 months in the freezer.
How To Choose And Prepare A Turkey Wing
Buy turkey wings from your local butcher or grocery store. Fresh is ideal, but frozen turkey wings will be just as delicious. Avoid purchasing smoked turkey wings, as these are already cooked.
8 whole turkey wings were used to prepare our dish. Typically when purchasing whole wings, the wing tip has been removed. If your package of turkey wings has wing tips you can cut them off and freeze them.
To prepare a turkey wing for this recipe, cut them between the joints to separate them. Rinse, then pat them dry. The process of patting them dry helps our delicious spice blend stick to the turkey skin.
Parts Of A Turkey Wing
Full wing: A full turkey wing includes all of its parts and hasn’t been separated. You can buy packaged full turkey wings. Similar in shape to chicken wings, just much larger.
Drummette: Similar to a chicken drumstick, but larger depending on the size of the turkey.
Middle wing: This section is flatter, and located between the drummette and wing tip. While it’s part of the wing, it’s sometimes called the wing. If you’re ordering wings at a restaurant, this is what you’ll get.
Wing tip: This part of the turkey wing may or may not be part of the one you buy. They don’t contain much meat, so the butcher will likely cut this piece off. If your portion comes with a wing tip don’t throw it away, freeze it! They add lots of flavor to soups and stocks.
Expert Tips And FAQs
Tip: Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the turkey meat. The best reading will be an internal temperature at the thickest part of the wing. 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 74 degrees Celcius is the ideal and safest temperature.
Tip: Freeze leftover turkey bones along with the wing tips to add flavor to any future soups or stocks you make.
Can I use chicken wings? Of course! Make this recipe as you would with chicken wings. The cook time may vary depending on the size of the wings. Turkey wings are on the larger side and take longer than chicken. Check out my Southern Smothered Chicken or even this Chicken Liver and Onions if you’re wanting to make smothered chicken breasts.
More tasty turkey recipes
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Smothered Turkey Wings
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Equipment
- Large skillet with a lid
- Large roasting pan with lid or foil
Ingredients
- 1 cup Seasoning salt
- 1/2 cup Ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Granulated onion
- 1/4 cup Granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon Ground dried sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground dried thyme
- 8 large Turkey wings split into flats and drumettes, 16 total
- 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons Salted butter
- 1 cup Yellow onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Celery finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Garlic finely chopped
- 8 cups Warm water
- 2 tablespoons Chicken bouillon powder
- 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 10.5 ounce Can of condensed cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup
- 8 cups Cooked extra long-grain white rice or cornbread dressing.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup seasoning salt, 1/2 cup pepper, the granulated onion, granulated garlic, sage, and thyme and stir to mix well.
- Dry off the turkey wing pieces with a paper or kitchen towel. Season liberally on all sides with the seasoning mix.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil and butter. When the butter has melted and the fat is hot, working in batches, add the wing pieces in a single layer, being careful not to crowd that pan. They should sizzle the moment they hit the pan. Let them cook, keeping an eye on the heat and adjusting it if needed to make sure they don't burn, until they are golden brown on the underside, about 4 minutes.Once browned, flip them and cook the second side until golden brown, about 3 minutes more. As the wing pieces are browned, transger to a large roasting pan, arranging them in a single layer and leaving the fa in the pan. Brown the remaining wing pieces the same way. If they don't all fit in a single layer in the roasting pan, you can stack them a bit; just make sure the biggest pieces are on the bottom.
- Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the chopped onion, celery, and chopped garlic to the fat remaining in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, just until translucent, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift the vegetables out of the pan and sprinkle them over the turkey wings. Set the skillet aside.
- Pour 2 cups of the water evenly over the turkey wings. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil, then transfer to the oven and cook until the wings are nearly tender, anout 2 1/2 hours.
- While the wings are cooking, return the skillet to medium-low heat, add the bouillon powder to the fat remaining in the pan, and whisk to combine. Add the flour and whisk constantly just until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups water, a little at a time, while whisking constantly to prevent lumps and build your gravy.
- Add the cream of chicken soup to the skillet, turn the heat to low, and then whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to a medium gravy consistency, about 8 minutes. Taste this gravy and adjust with seasoning salt and pepper if needed. Set aside until the wings are ready.
- When the wings are tender, remove the pan from the oven and, using a slotted utensil, transger the wings to a large plate. Add just enough of the gravy to the broth in the pan to be able to partially submerge the wings and stir to mix. Then return the wings to the pan, flipping them so the side that was up on the first cook is now faving down in the gravy. Re-cover the roasting pan, return it to the oven, and cook the wings until completely tender, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on their size.
- Spoon the turkey wings and gracy over rice and serve immediately, with any remaining gravy on the side.
Notes
- Leftover smothered turkey wings will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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This is my husbands favorite meal. It just makes the soul happy. Seasoned well and balanced flavor.
Awe, thanks boo!!
These are smothered in goodness. So delicious!
Excited to try your seasoning mix! I love sage but don’t have nearly enough recipes to use the dried herb!
Try McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning in place of the sage. It works and is delicious!
I’m here for this recipe! Made these turkey wings for my family and they were raving about the flavor and asked when this was going to be on the menu again! Wow!
These smothered turkey wings are fantastic! I’m not usually a big fan of turkey, but these wings are so flavorful and juicy. They’re the perfect size for a small meal or snack.
This is the ultimate turkey wings recipe! That gravy is just incredible. I can’t wait to have these with some cornbread dressing!