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.
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
Turkey wings are an underrated and often overlooked cut of meat that packs a ton of flavor The wings contain a higher fat content than turkey breast meat, which keeps them ultra moist and tender when cooked properly. Smoked or deep fried turkey wings make an amazing appetizer or snack They can also be simmered in sauces and gravies to make a delicious entree. If you’re looking to add some turkey wings to your next recipe, here’s where to find them
Check Your Local Grocery Store
The first place to look for raw turkey wings is your regular full service supermarket. Most major chains like Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, etc. will carry them either fresh or frozen. Look in the poultry section near other whole turkey parts like drumsticks, thighs, and breasts. Fresh wings are often packaged in Styrofoam trays wrapped with plastic film. They’ll be near the in-store butcher counter or case. Frozen wings are usually bagged together and can be found in the frozen meat aisle.
Some higher end grocers like Whole Foods or Sprouts may even sell organic and free-range turkey wings These will be more expensive than your standard grocery store turkey wings, But the birds are raised in better conditions without antibiotics or hormones
If your grocery store doesn’t normally stock turkey wings ask the butcher if they can special order them. Most full service supermarket butchers can get their hands on just about any cut of meat with a few days notice. Let them know how many wings you need and when you need them.
Check Your Local Meat Market
For an even better selection and quality of wings, check your local meat market, butcher shop, or poultry purveyor. Independent butcher shops and meat markets pride themselves on providing customers with harder to find cuts and high quality proteins. The turkey wings at your local butcher will likely be fresher than the grocery store.
Many local butchers also source from smaller regional farms that raise turkeys in more humane ways. And they can usually dry age, marinate, season or custom cut the wings however you prefer. Let your butcher know exactly what you’re looking for.
Ethnic meat markets are another good spot to find turkey wings. Italian, German, Polish and Latin markets often have excellent poultry selections. Don’t be afraid to check them out even if you aren’t familiar with the store. Turkey wings are becoming more mainstream and popular.
Check Specialty Online Retailers
If you aren’t having luck finding wings locally, the internet opens up many more options these days. There are several online specialty meat purveyors that sell high quality turkey wings and ship them overnight on ice.
Here are some of the most well known:
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D’Artagnan – Offers organic, free range and heritage breed turkey wings overnight on ice.
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Porter Road – Pasture raised turkey wings shipped frozen or chilled.
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Crowd Cow – Turkey wings from family farms delivered frozen.
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Rastelli’s – Ships fresh, never frozen turkey wings overnight.
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Thrive Market – Organic, heirloom turkey wings shipped frozen.
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Holy Grail Steak Co – Wagyu turkey wings!
Many niche online farms also offer turkey wings through their website or supported farmer subscription services like Butcherbox. These are good options if you want the absolute freshest, sustainably raised turkey around. Just dig around online and read up on the specific farms.
Check Restaurant Supply Stores
Restaurants go through lots of turkey wings for making smoked wings, stocks, etc. Restaurant supply stores are a low key spot to buy quality proteins in bulk for cheap. Wings are often sold in large 10lb+ cases, but some places let you purchase smaller quantities.
While these stores primarily cater to the food service industry, most are open to the public. You just have to find them. Check industrial areas on the outskirts of town. Call ahead to see if they allow individual customers before making the trip.
Brands like Sysco and US Foods supply many mainstream and independent restaurants with turkey wings. You can buy the same commercial quality wings restaurants use for appetizers and stocks. The wings won’t be quite as premium as your local butcher. But the prices can’t be beat when buying bulk.
Tips for Buying the Best Raw Turkey Wings
Now that you know the best places to buy raw turkey wings, here are a few tips for picking the best ones:
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Check the expiration date – Make sure fresh wings will last until the use-by date. Frozen can be stored longer.
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Look for plumpness – The wings shouldn’t look shriveled or skinny. Opt for big, plump wings.
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Avoid excess water – Some packaged wings are enhanced with saltwater. Avoid wings sitting in lots of excess liquid.
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Check the color – The skin should look creamy white and not yellow or discolored. The meat should be a pinkish-red hue.
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Give a sniff – Raw turkey wings should have very little odor. Pass on wings that smell unpleasant.
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Know the source – Higher quality, humanely raised wings will come from local farms or trusted online sources.
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Buy in bulk – For the best price per pound, purchase cases of wings when possible and freeze what you don’t use immediately.
With so many places to buy raw turkey wings these days, you’re sure to find a source for fresh, high quality wings for your next recipe. Supporting local butchers and specialty purveyors ensures you get the tastiest wings from humanely raised birds. Now get cooking! Those wings won’t eat themselves.
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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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.