These 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 is 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 cut it 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 Baked Turkey Wings are tender with a bit of a bite to them, garlicky and just adorned with rich bold flavors. This is an easy turkey recipe the whole family will love!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ridiculously easy! You only need 10 minutes of prep time to season the turkey! After that, you let the oven do all the work!
- A great alternative to cooking a whole turkey! Making these baked turkey wings is way easier than cooking a whole 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 baked turkey wings, you need some turkey wings and a few herbs and spices. You only need 8 ingredients including salt and pepper!
Here are the ingredients you need:
- Turkey Wings
- Melted Butter
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Thyme
- Dried Parsley
- Chicken Bouillon Powder
- Salt and Black Pepper
Note: You could use fresh herbs/spices of course but there is very little difference in taste compared to when you use dried herbs. So I just go with dried herbs/spices since they are easier to use anyway.
Substitutions and Variations
Turkey: Instead of turkey wings, try using other parts of turkey like turkey thighs, turkey drumsticks or turkey breasts. Note also check out my Baked Turkey Drumsticks and Baked Turkey Breast recipes.
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.
Garlic Butter: Try tossing the turkey wings with a garlic butter sauce after baking them for even more flavor. Make the Garlic Butter Sauce by combining melted butter, minced garlic and minced parsley.
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.
How to Make Baked Turkey Wings
1. Prep and Season Turkey: Cut the turkey wings at the joints then discard the tips or save them for making stock. 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 dish. Note: if you get already cut 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 even distribution of heat.
After baking, the turkey wings develop a nice golden color and crispy skin on the outside. They also have beautiful drippings which taste so good! The blend of spices gives it an incredible taste and you don't even have to marinate the turkey overnight to get that taste!
Hint: You should use a baking dish for this recipe, not a roasting pan. You'll get beautiful drippings from the turkey, which you can drizzle over your side dish or drizzle over the turkey right before serving. You could also baste the turkey with its drippings halfway through cooking.
This Baked Turkey Wings recipe requires no marinating time or defrosting time. Simply cut some turkey wings, wash them, pat them dry, marinate and pop them into the oven. If you are looking for a last-minute Thanksgiving dinner idea, this one works perfectly!
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 dripping from the pan in which they were roasted before serving. This makes the wings glossy, making for a better appearance and imparting 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 thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 75 degrees Celsius, then the turkey is cooked through. Another way to check for doneness is to cut a wing on the side. If it is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear, then the wing is ready.
What Goes with Baked Turkey Wings?
Baked Turkey Wings go well with several side dishes including:
- Jollof Rice: An easy tasty one-pot rice dish made in the oven.
- Mashed Potatoes: Creamy buttery mashed potatoes.
- Tostones Twice fried plantains.
- Easy Roasted Potatoes: All made in the oven and so good with turkey!
- Sauteed Vegetables: A tasty way to enjoy vegetables!
- Roasted Carrots: A quick and easy vegetable side dish!
- Easy Coconut Rice: Rice cooked in coconut rice with veggies added.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long does it take turkey wings to cook? It takes about one hour for turkey wings to cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius.
- Why are my turkey wings tough? 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.
- Should you wrap turkey wings in foil? There is no need to wrap turkey wings in foil. Only wrap them in foil if you do not want them to get brown.
- How do I get my wings extra crispy? 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 Thanksgiving Recipes To Try
Hope you enjoy this Baked Turkey Wings recipe, friends. If you enjoy this recipe please take a moment to give it a star rating below. Have a very happy Thanksgiving!!
Recipe
Baked Turkey Wings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds turkey wings split at the joint, tips discarded
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ 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. Let them bake until done. The turkey wings are done when an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thivkest 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.
Video
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
Pamela McIver says
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.
Precious says
Hi Pamela, thank you for dropping a comment. I will love to hear how the wings turned out. Hoping it was delicious!
mark says
very nice
Precious says
Thank you!
Patricia Antonyshyn says
Hello,
Yesterday I used your recipe for the turkey wings in my freezer, and they were delicious! Thank you from Toronto.
Precious says
You are most welcome, Patricia! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
Brian says
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!
Precious says
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!