Oven Baked Turkey Wings
Published Nov 18, 2022
Updated Mar 26, 2024
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These Oven Baked Turkey Wings are so full of flavor, easy to put together, and way less complicated than roasting a whole turkey for Thanksgiving! Only 10 minutes of prep time are required to make this tasty turkey dinner!
We love easy turkey recipes like baked turkey drumsticks and baked turkey breast! If roasting a whole turkey doesn’t work for you, here is an alternative turkey recipe that you may want to try. This is a completely stress-free recipe and after making it, I am contemplating if I want to ever roast a whole turkey again!
These Oven Baked Turkey Wings are tender with a bit of a bite to them, garlicky, herby, just adorned with rich savory flavors. This is an easy turkey recipe the whole family will love! It makes a great holiday meal too. Serve it alongside Garlic Herb Rice, Fried Carrots, and Garlic Butter Green Beans.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is ridiculously easy! You only need 10 minutes of prep time to season the turkey! After that, you let the oven do all the work! It is perfect for the holiday season when there’s so much cooking to be done.
- It is great alternative to cooking a whole turkey! Making these baked turkey wings is way easier than cooking an entire turkey.
- Insanely delicious! The blend of herbs, spices, and seasoning used gives the turkey wings great flavor. No bland turkey here!
- So versatile! You can switch these turkey wings up in many different ways. See suggestions for variations below!
Ingredients Needed
For oven baked turkey wings, you need some turkey wings and a few herbs and spices. You only need 8 ingredients in total including salt and pepper!
Here are the ingredients you need:
- Turkey Wings: The wings should be split at the joints and the tips discarded.
- Melted Butter: Melted unsalted butter adds great flavor to the meat but you could use olive oil or any neutral oil.
- Garlic Powder: This packs a ton of flavor.
- Dried Thyme: For that herby flavor that is reminiscent of the holidays.
- Dried Parsley: The little specks of green added by dried parsley make the meal more inviting.
- Chicken Bouillon Powder: My secret ingredient for packing tons of flavor especially in chicken or turkey dishes.
- Salt and Black Pepper: The ultimate seasoning duo.
Substitutions and Variations
- Turkey or Chicken Wings: Instead of turkey wings, try using other parts of turkey like turkey legs, drumsticks, or breasts. You can also make this easy recipe with the same quantity of chicken wings.
- Spices and Herbs: Try adding other spices and herbs like onion powder, crushed pepper flakes, rosemary, oregano, or sage. You could also use different seasoning blends to season the turkey like Cajun seasoning, Lemon Pepper seasoning, poultry seasoning, or Italian seasoning. If using a seasoning blend, be sure to check if it is salt-free or not so you can reduce the amount of salt if your seasoning blend contains salt. You could also add a pinch of cayenne pepper for some heat.
- Garlic Butter: Try tossing the turkey wings with a garlic butter sauce after baking them for even more flavor and juiciness. Make the Garlic Butter Sauce by combining melted butter, minced garlic, and minced parsley.
- Chicken Stock: Pour low-sodium chicken stock into the baking dish then add the turkey and bake for juicier baked turkey.
- Turkey, Potatoes, and Vegetables: Add potatoes and vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, and mushrooms to the same pan as the turkey and bake them together for a complete meal.
Also check out my Baked Turkey Drumsticks, Roasted Turkey Thighs and Baked Turkey Breast recipes.
How to Make Oven Baked Turkey Wings
1. Prep and Season Turkey
Cut whole turkey wings at the joints then discard the wing tips or save them for making turkey stock. You can ask your local butcher to separate the wings for you. Pour all the other ingredients over the turkey and rub well to ensure that the seasoning gets all around the flesh. Place the turkey wings in a baking or casserole dish. Note: if you get already separated turkey wings, there will be no need to cut them at the joint.
2. Bake Turkey Wings
Place the turkey in the oven and let it cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 full hour. Halfway through the baking, turn the pan to ensure an even distribution of heat. You could also cover the turkey with aluminum foil before baking to make them juicier.
3. Baste The Turkey
Use a grilling brush to brush the meat with the pan drippings halfway through cooking.
After baking, the turkey wings develop a nice golden color and crispy skin on the outside. They also have beautiful pan drippings which taste so good! The blend of spices gives it an incredible taste!
Hint: Use a baking dish for this recipe, not a roasting pan so the turkey cooks in it’s juices and is more tender.
This turkey wing recipe requires little prep time and a short cooking time. But you could marinate the seasoned wings overnight if you have the time.
Store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tips For The Best Baked Turkey Wings
- Pat the turkey wings dry with paper towels before seasoning them. This makes the wings have crispy skin as they bake!
- Baste the turkey wings with the pan drippings from the casserole pan. This makes the wings glossy, making for a better appearance and imparts more flavor!
- Measure the turkey wings per pound, not by the number of turkey wings since turkey wings come in different sizes. This recipe calls for 4 pounds of turkey wings.
- To ensure the turkey wings are fully cooked insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of a wing. If the internal temperature reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 75 degrees Celsius, then the turkey meat is cooked through.
What Goes with Oven Baked Turkey Wings?
Oven-Baked Turkey Wings make a delicious meal when paired with several side dishes including:
- Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes: Creamy buttery mashed potatoes.
- Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts With Bacon: My favorite way to enjoy Brussels Sprouts.
- Easy Roasted Potatoes: All made in the oven and so good with turkey!
- Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots: A quick and easy carrot side dish!
- Garlic Butter Green Beans: Green beans are a classic pairing for turkey.
Hint: a squeeze of fresh lemon juice while serving will also brighten the taste of the turkey.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
It takes about one hour for turkey wings to cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius.
Turkey wings turn tough when they are undercooked or overcooked. The best way to tell if a turkey wing is done is to insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of a wing. If it reads 165 Degrees Fahrenheit or 74 Degrees Celsius then the turkey wings are done.
Get extra crispy wings by patting the wings dry with paper towels and letting them air dry before adding seasoning to them. Also, use dried seasonings on the wings to make them crispy.
More Turkey Recipes To Try
Looking for more turkey recipes to try? Try these:
Thanksgiving Recipes To Try
Here are more Thanksgiving recipes to try:
If you make this recipe please leave a star rating below. Your rating helps others find the recipe plus I love hearing from you! Thank you!
Baked Turkey Wings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds turkey wings split at the joint, tips discarded
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Rinse turkey wings then split the wings at the joints. (Discard the wing tips or keep them for making stock/broth). Pat the turkey wing portions dry with paper towels.
- Place the turkey pieces in a baking dish then drizzle on the butter and add all the other ingredients. Mix well so the seasoning coats all of the turkey.
- Place in preheated oven and bake for one hour until the turkey is golden and crispy on the outside. Halfway through baking, flip the turkey wings to the other side and baste with the pan drippings. Let them bake until done. The turkey wings are done when an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a turkey wing reads 165°F.
- Serve warm with your favorite side dish. These turkey wings go well with a side of mashed potatoes, collard greens and mac n cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV
I love this recipe. Thank you for your help ☺️
Glad you love it, Coneice.
Thank you you are the best!!!!
Thank you, Vickey.
These turkey wings were delicious. I wish they would include whether or not to cover the food in the oven. I coverd mine with foil and removed it for the last 15 minutes. They turned out beautiful and delicious.
Thank you Bridgett. I actually bake them uncovered but covering while baking is a great technique too. Thank you for sharing.
Very good
Thank you, James.
Hi, if you were to substitute chicken instead of turkey, would you make any changes? My wife is a big chicken wing fan but neither of us have any go-to recipes. I like that it’s in the oven instead of deep-fried. I’ve used your recipes in the past and they have been GREAT!
Hi Brian! I think chicken would work. Just make sure to use the exact amount in pounds of chicken wings. Hope this helps and so glad to hear about the recipes!
Hello,
Yesterday I used your recipe for the turkey wings in my freezer, and they were delicious! Thank you from Toronto.
You are most welcome, Patricia! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
very nice
Thank you!
When placing in the oven are they to be covered or not?
Hi, as per the recipe they should be uncovered in the oven. If you want more moisture, bake them covered for most of the time then remove the covering and broil for the last 5 minutes to get a good caramelization on the outside. Hope this helps.
Hello there😉 I am planning to make this dish today, Sunday(September 15) dinner. In the past I have struggled with the tenderness of baking or just cooking turkey wings period. I’m hoping the garlic and other spices help in tenderizing my wings. I have seen and made several of your dishes, I fancy myself a “Bad Girl”,in the kitchen… no not that kinda bad girl😳, I step outside the box, add to or take away jus to add my flare to the dish. I’m a Southern Gal through and through so cooking is my passion. Oh Yeap and I love to tell stories of this cooking life I love and cherish. Well enough jabberin, let me get busy on these wings cause the boys are always ready to test and enjoy my dinner creations. Be blessed my friend.
Hi Pamela, thank you for dropping a comment. I will love to hear how the wings turned out. Hoping it was delicious!