Baked Turkey Wings
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These baked turkey wings have a perfectly seasoned, crispy skin that covers the juiciest, most moist meat. Minimal prep is needed; it’s SO delicious.
When most people think of turkey, they picture a whole roasted bird or sliced turkey breast- but the wings deserve their moment too. I first started cooking them after my local butcher mentioned they’re available year-round (not just during the holidays). Challenge accepted!
Turkey wings are much larger than chicken wings and offer more bang for your meaty buck. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I drew inspiration from my baked turkey drumsticks and tweaked the process until I got that perfect balance of crisp skin and juicy meat. After a few rounds of testing, I found that slow oven roasting delivers that golden skin with tender meat that practically falls off the bone.
They’ve since become one of my partner’s favorite turkey dinners, and I love that it’s easier than cooking a whole bird. One turkey wing is satisfying enough for a meal on its own, especially with some roasted veggies and mashed potatoes on the side.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- 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.
- Perfect for the holiday season! I’ve started cooking these for Thanksgiving dinner, and my extended family and friends prefer them to the actual bird.
Key Ingredients
- 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, but can be tricky to find (unless you have leftovers in the freezer).
- Olive oil. To mix with the spices and coat the wings before baking them.
- Spices. I use paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and onion powder 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, they tend to burn rather than infuse the meat. Because of this, I recommend only the dried kind.
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. In my oven (a Miele 2.0), it typically takes about 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 the wings dry. 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.
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!
Yes! You can definitely bake turkey wings smothered in gravy- I’ve tried it a few times myself when I’m after something extra cozy. Just keep in mind that while the meat turns out incredibly tender and flavorful, the skin won’t crisp up the same way as dry-roasted wings.
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.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Baked Turkey Wings Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 portions turkey wings separated to make 9 pieces * See notes
- 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.
Notes
- Turkey portion: A “portion” refers to a whole turkey wing, which has three sections (drumette, flat, and tip). I like to separate them before roasting so they cook evenly and get that perfectly crispy texture.
- TO STORE: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- TO FREEZE: Baked turkey wings can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- TO REHEAT: The best way to reheat turkey wings, whether frozen or right out of the fridge, is to bake them covered with foil until they reach a safe internal temperature of 165F in the thickest part. Once heated through, broil the wings for a few minutes to crisp them up again.
Nutrition
More easy turkey recipes
- Turkey sausage
- Turkey tenderloin
- Turkey cutlets
- Smoked turkey wings
- Air fryer turkey breast
- Spatchcock turkey
- Air fryer turkey bacon
- Ground turkey meatloaf
Originally published January 2023
This was the easiest and best tasting turkey recipe I have cooked. Turkey wings are an inexpensive meat meal for families. The combination and portions of the spices are right on, however because we have to seduce our salt I cut the salt in half and it was perfect for us. I have saved this recipe and will make it again.
Hi Charon, thanks so much for your feedback! Very happy your family enjoyed this recipe.
I thought these were super tasty!
Thanks for the feedback, Yvonne!
Easy great recipe👏
Thank you, Audrey!
Wow! I followed the recipe to the t and I surprised myself. It was great.👍
Found this recipe to be very tasty & took minimal effort. I did add a bit more broth though as I drizzled it over my creamy whipped potatoes as a side dish. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
I know turkey wings are really big. I like them a lot.
best turkey wings recipe EVER!
I made these as a test for Thanksgiving and they turned out PERFECT!!! So juicy and crispy.