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These baked turkey wings have a perfectly seasoned and crispy skin that covers the juiciest and most moist meat. Minimal prep is needed, it’s SO delicious.
Love unique cuts of turkey? Try my turkey drumsticks, turkey tenderloin, turkey cutlets, and smoked turkey wings next.
If you think of turkey, you often think of it whole roasted or just the turkey breast, but have you ever tried cooking certain cuts? Especially the turkey wings?
My oven-roasted turkey wings are a fun alternative to chicken wings and provide more bang for your meaty buck. I mean, one turkey wing is satisfying enough as a meal on its own. I assumed these wings would only be abundant during the festive season, but my butcher informed me they are available year-round!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Perfectly seasoned yet simple. A few simple spices and herbs are used to make well-seasoned wings.
- Hands-off cooking. I love how oven-baking the wings is an almost hands-off approach.
- Crispy and flavorful. Cooking the wings covered first yields juicy and tender turkey, while cooking it open at the end results in crispy skin.
- It’s easier than a whole turkey. My family LOVES a whole roasted turkey, but I often keep that for special occasions. The wings, though, I can make every week. They are also way cheaper.
- Perfect for the holiday season! I’ve started cooking these as part of Thanksgiving dinner, and my extended family and friends prefer this to the actual bird.
Ingredients needed
- Whole turkey wings. Separated and bone-in. Turkey wings are typically separated into three parts – drumettes, wingettes, and wingtips. My local butcher (and most butchers, it seems) can separate them for you, but if your whole wing is intact, it’s very easy to do so yourself.
- Chicken stock. Homemade or store-bought. Turkey stock will work too.
- Olive oil. To mix with the spices and coat the wings before baking them.
- Spices. Paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder are all I use for this recipe. It may be quite minimal, but trust me, the flavors pack a punch.
- Herbs. Dried thyme, Rosemary, and parsley pair well with turkey. I know it may be tempting to use fresh herbs, but when roasting or baking, fresh ones tend to burn rather than seep into the meat. Because of this, I recommend only the dried kind.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
How to make baked turkey wings
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1—Prep. In a mixing bowl, mix the olive oil with salt, dried herbs, and spices.
Step 2- Season. Dredge to coat the wings in the spice mixture, cover, and allow to marinate for 5 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
Step 3- bake. Transfer the wings to a baking dish and pour the chicken stock around them. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 4- Broil. After this time, remove the foil cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the wings are golden and crispy on the edges.
Baked turkey wings cooking time
Depending on the size of the wings and how well your oven cooks things, turkey wings may take as little as 30 minutes or up to an hour to cook. With my oven (I have a Miele 2.0), it typically takes around 45 minutes.
The BEST way to check if your wings are done is to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The FDA recommends cooking the turkey until it reaches 165F in the thickest part of the wing.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Pat dry the wings. Doing this helps crisp up the wings faster when you broil them.
- Don’t skip the chicken stock. Pouring the stock around the wings and baking them covered creates a flavorful steam that cooks the turkey to perfection and infuses it with lots of flavor and moisture. Don’t fret though- the exterior will be super crispy.
- Save the drippings. I love saving the turkey’s pan drippings to make a simple gravy. All I do is whisk in some extra chicken broth (around 1/2 cup), one tablespoon of cornstarch, and a little extra salt and pepper.
- Use turkey legs. This recipe works perfectly well for turkey legs, too.
- Change up the seasonings. I sometimes like to use poultry seasoning or cover the wings in a flavorful sauce before baking. Like chicken wings, they are so easy to adapt.
Storage instructions
To store. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze. Baked wings can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To reheat. The best way to reheat these, whether frozen or right out of the fridge, is to bake them covered with foil. Once heated through, broil the wings for a few minutes to crisp them up again.
Frequently asked questions
Overcooking and undercooking turkey wings are the main reasons they turn out tough. I know I sound like a broken record, but please use a meat thermometer to double-check. Once the meat reaches 165F, it’s ready to eat!
This particular baked turkey wings recipe is healthy. Turkey wings are high in protein and a range of other essential nutrients. With this said, turkey wings are considered dark meat. This means they are higher in calories and fat than turkey breast. So, consume them in moderation and paired with healthy side dishes.
Yes, you can bake turkey wings smothered in gravy. However, this cooking method will not yield crispy results.
I prefer fresh turkey wings because, through recipe testing, I find they retain the most juice and flavor. However, frozen wings will work, but you’ll need to thaw them completely and pat them dry to soak up excess water.
More recipes using turkey to try
- Turkey sausage
- Air fryer turkey breast
- Spatchcock turkey
- Air fryer turkey bacon
- Ground turkey meatloaf
Baked Turkey Wings Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 portions turkey wings separated to make 9 pieces
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth or turkey broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Mix the salt, smoked paprika, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme in a bowl.
- Dredge the wings in spices and olive oil in a bowl and marinate for at least 5 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
- Transfer the turkey wings to a baking dish and pour the broth around them.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil and let it cook uncovered until crispy and golden and the wings reach an internal temperature of 165F.
best turkey wings recipe EVER!
I made these as a test for Thanksgiving and they turned out PERFECT!!! So juicy and crispy.