Baked Turkey Wings

Tender and juicy, you’ll fall in love with turkey all over again after trying this recipe. Filled with flavor and softened vegetables and served atop rice, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, or alongside Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.

Elevate these turkey wings and let them become part of your family’s regular rotation. Turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving dinner anymore. Give our BBQ Meatballs (Made with Ground Turkey!) or Turkey Legs a try, Turkey Pot Pie, or Ground Turkey Empanadas. Don’t worry, there isn’t any dry turkey here!

Why you’ll love these baked turkey wings

Delicious: Turkey wings marinated in the delicious flavor of spices, pan drippings, and softened veggies.

Comforting: Turkey may remind us of Thanksgiving and being close to our family and friends. This dish is sure to bring those feel-good memories back to the table.

Ingredients

Using seasonings you likely have on hand and fresh ingredients you’ll be in for a flavorsome dinner in no time.

• Turkey wings: Roughly 3 1/2 pounds of turkey wings, or a package of 4 whole wings.
• Seasonings/Turkey Rub: For this recipe, we’ll use a combination of poultry seasoning, cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and ground black pepper to taste.
• Onions: Sweet or Vidalia onions work best.
• Green bell pepper: Gives color and crunch to this dish.
• Garlic: Minced garlic works great in place of whole garlic cloves.
• Chicken stock: Homemade chicken stock, canned or boxed chicken broth works great. Turkey stock is another great option.
• Worcestershire sauce: Adds another depth of umami flavor.
• Cornstarch: Aids in creating a thick stock that will stick nicely onto the turkey wings.

How to make baked turkey wings

1. Rinse turkey wings, add to a large roasting pan or casserole dish, and pat dry. Set aside.

2. Toss the poultry seasoning, cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Add seasoning mixture to the turkey wings and toss until they are well coated.  Let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. After the 30 minutes are up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4. Slice bell pepper and chop onions while the oven is heating.

5. Top turkey wings with the onion, green peppers, and garlic then pour the stock and Worcestershire on top.

6. Cover with aluminum foil then bake for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until tender then remove the foil and brown lightly for 15 minutes.  Remove a cup of sauce from the bottom of the wings and stir with cornstarch.  Then add back in the pan.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens and serve.

How to choose and prepare a turkey wing

Your local butcher or grocery store should have frozen or fresh turkey wings available. Avoid purchasing smoked turkey wings, as these are already cooked.

4 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.

Do you cook the whole turkey wings or halved wings?

This decision is entirely up to you and the size of your casserole dish. The turkey wings may be more easily manipulated to fit in your baking dish if they’ve been separated.

Storing

Leftover baked 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.

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 magic number.

Tip: Freeze leftover turkey bones along with the wing tips to add flavor to any future soups or stocks you make.

How do I get crispy turkey wings? If you prefer crispy baked turkey wings, for the last few minutes place the rack closer to the middle and broil low, and rotate the turkey until crispy.

More turkey recipes

• Brown Sugar Baked Turkey Bacon
• BBQ Meatballs (Made with Ground Turkey!)
• Fried Turkey Recipe (How To Fry Turkey)
• Ground Turkey Empanada Recipe (Ground Turkey Recipes)

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