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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, and so delicious!
Turkey is one of my favorite proteins to cook with.
I use it in many family dinners, including meatballs, burgers, and a simple roasted breast. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with turkey wings and have a new favorite.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- Perfectly seasoned yet simple. Like turkey drumsticks, this recipe doesn’t go heavy on spices and herbs. 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. It’s almost as easy as smoked turkey wings.
- Crispy and flavorful. Cooking the wings covered first yields juicy and tender turkey while cooking it open at the end results in crispy skin.
- 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 too.
What I love about this recipe is that it is 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
Besides the wings themselves and some seasonings, there really isn’t much else needed to make these oven roasted turkey wings. Here is what you’ll need:
- 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 VS seep into the meat. Because of this, I recommend only the dried kind.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
How to make baked turkey wings
Besides a few minutes to prep, the oven takes care of all the hard work. Ready to roast up some crispy wings?
Step 1 – Marinate the turkey wings. Mix the olive oil with salt, dried herbs, and spices in a mixing bowl. Dredge to coat the wings in the spice mixture, cover, and allow to marinate for 5 minutes, or up to 30 minutes.
Step 2 – Bake. Transfer the wings to a baking dish and pour the chicken stock around them. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven preheated to 190C/375F degrees for 30 minutes.
Step 3- Broil. After this time, remove the foil cover and cook for 15 minutes 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.
Recipe tips and variations
- 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 a 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 until they reach a safe internal temperature of 165F degrees in the thickest part. 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.
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, note that this cooking method won’t 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– My family LOVES this as a breakfast sausage.
- Air fryer turkey breast– Crispy, juicy, and super fast.
- Turkey tenderloin– For all of you white meat lovers!
- Spatchcock turkey– The easiest and fastest way to roast a whole turkey.
- Air fryer turkey bacon– A healthier alternative to pork.
- Ground turkey meatloaf– Super juicy, even with lean meat.
Baked Turkey Wings Recipe
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 dry seasoning ingredients.
- 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.
How long do they need to cook after they’re uncovered to get them crispy would you say?
find on a broil setting, usually 5 minutes is fine 🙂
These were crispy and juicy!!
This recipe is my new go to for baked turkey wings. So Delicious!
Incredible so juicy and tender.
So easy quick andSoooooGood
Will be using your recipe this Thanksgiving 2023
Please do!
These were the best turkey wings recipe I’ve ever made.