Sous vide turkey wings are the perfect way to enjoy juicy, tender turkey wings year-round. This cooking method delivers moist, fall-off-the-bone turkey wings every time.
I’ve been cooking sous vide for years and absolutely love it for turkey wings. With just a few simple steps, you can have restaurant-quality wings ready in just a few hours. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make perfect sous vide turkey wings at home.
What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide is French for “under vacuum” It refers to the process of vacuum sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to an exact temperature in a water bath This low and slow cooking method allows you to achieve the ideal doneness for any food.
With sous vide, it’s easy to cook turkey wings that are juicy, tender and packed with flavor. The vacuum sealed bag locks in moisture, while the precise temperature control prevents overcooking.
Benefits of Cooking Turkey Wings Sous Vide
There are many advantages to cooking turkey wings with the sous vide method
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Perfect doneness every time – No more dry, overcooked turkey wings! Sous vide lets you pick the ideal temperature for juicy, tender meat.
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Intensifies flavor – Cooking low and slow deeply infuses the turkey wings with seasoning and locks in natural juices.
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Convenient – Once the wings are in the bath, you just leave them alone until they’re ready Very hands-off!
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Consistent results – The precise temperature control eliminates any guesswork and ensures turkey wings turn out the same each time.
Equipment Needed
Cooking sous vide doesn’t require any fancy gear. Here’s the basic equipment you’ll need:
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Sous vide immersion circulator – This gadget heats and circulates water in your cooking vessel. The Anova Precision Cooker is the most popular option.
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Sous vide bags – Seal the turkey wings in vacuum bags before cooking. Any heavyweight, food-safe plastic bag will work.
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Cooking vessel – A large stockpot or plastic container works well to hold the water bath.
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Tongs – Helpful for getting bags in and out of the hot water.
Optional extras like a vacuum sealer, thermometer, rack, and weights can make the process easier but aren’t strictly necessary.
How to Cook Sous Vide Turkey Wings – Step By Step
Ready to cook up the most tender, juicy turkey wings you’ve ever tasted? Follow these simple steps for sous vide success:
1. Prepare the turkey wings – Pat dry and season with salt, pepper and any other spices or herbs. Vacuum seal in bags.
2. Preheat water bath – Fill vessel with water and set immersion circulator to desired temperature (see time and temp guidelines below).
3. Cook the wings – Lower sealed bags into preheated bath, making sure wings are fully submerged.
4. Remove and pat dry – Once cooking time is complete, remove wings from bags and pat dry.
5. Sear (optional) – For crispy skin, quickly sear wings in a hot pan for 1-2 minutes per side.
And that’s all it takes! Let’s look at time and temperature recommendations.
Sous Vide Turkey Wings Time and Temperature
The time and temperature you cook the turkey wings at will determine the final texture. Here are suggested settings:
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For fall-off-the-bone tender wings: 165°F for 4-6 hours
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For very tender, succulent meat: 150°F for 4-6 hours
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For moist wings with a little chew: 140°F for 2-4 hours
Cooking times can vary based on the size and amount of wings, so start checking doneness after the minimum time. Use a thermometer to confirm the center has reached your target temp.
Finishing Options
Sous vide turkey wings are fully cooked, but a quick finishing step helps crisp up the skin:
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Broil – Pop wings under a hot broiler for 2-3 minutes per side.
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Grill – Sear on high grill heat for 1-2 minutes until charred in spots.
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Saute or pan fry – Crisp the skin in a hot skillet with oil for 1-2 minutes.
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Air fry – Air fry at 400°F for 4-5 minutes until skin is crispy.
No matter which method you use, the sous vide wings will turn out fantastically juicy and flavorful!
Flavorful Spice Rubs and Marinades
One of the best parts of sous vide is that it really amplifies flavor. Take advantage by spicing up those wings with zesty rubs and marinades. Here are some ideas:
- Lemon pepper, garlic, paprika, thyme
- Jerk seasoning, brown sugar, allspice
- Chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic
- Rosemary, sage, pepper, olive oil
- Soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, ginger
Get creative with your own signature combinations! Brushing on sauces towards the end of cooking infuses flavor right into the meat too.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Another bonus of sous vide? The flexibility it offers! Here are some tips for preparing wings in advance:
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Cook wings 1-2 days before serving, rapid chill afterwards.
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Freeze cooked wings in bags up to 2 months; reheat by dropping back in bath.
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Store raw seasoned wings in freezer bags for a few weeks before cooking.
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Cook wings then refrigerate in the sous vide bags up to 5 days.
With a little planning, you can enjoy sous vide turkey wings any night of the week!
Time to Feast on Juicy Wings!
The precise temperature control means you’ll nail the perfect doneness for your tastes every time. Plus a quick finish gives you that crispy skin we all crave.
Experiment with different rubs and sauces to put your own spin on these tasty wings. And take advantage of the flexibility sous vide allows by making wings ahead for quick weeknight meals.
Stop throwing out those wild turkey wings! Tenderize the tough cuts with a low-and-slow method before finishing them on a smoker or grill
In my talks with successful turkey hunters so far this spring, all have admitted they saved the breasts. A couple mentioned they kept the thighs and legs. Zero of those polled said they saved the wings.
Yes, the tougher cuts like thighs, legs, and wings need a lot of time and care to become tender before they can be eaten. But they are, indeed, and, in the case of wings, they are something special if prepared properly.
To be honest, I pluck most of my game birds and waterfowl, but I skin my wild turkeys—everything but the wings. I will take the time to remove the feathers. It does take some time, but the flavor in the skin and the fact that it keeps the cuts from drying out while they’re cooking make it well worth it.
You can definitely take other parts of a wild turkey, but I’ve found that the breasts of most of my spring longbeards have thin, leathery skin. It hasn’t seemed worth the effort, but that’s my take. Because low-and-slow cooking makes the skin on the thighs and legs turn to gelatin, I don’t bother plucking those either. That doesn’t mean you can’t, this is just my personal spring routine for these birds.
In this recipe, I am sharing a method for tenderizing tough cuts. This particular method requires a sous vide cooker. But what is a sous vide? It’s just a vertical cooking machine with heating coils at the bottom that can precisely control the temperature of a water bath. It’s designed for precise, longer-term cooking. Once the meat is sealed and put in the bath, the steady temperature and pressure of the water cook it slowly until it is tender. Under low heat, collagen breaks down over many hours in tough wild turkey cuts, making the meat fork-tender. Smoking it after helps firm up the meat, adding some texture while also imbuing it with additional flavor.
But you don’t absolutely need a sous vide cooker for this recipe. Below, I also share how to make delicious wings in your oven. And perhaps you don’t have or want a smoker. If that’s the case, follow these steps but instead of smoking the last step, sear the wings over a hot grill.
In terms of what barbecue sauce to use, that choice is up to you, but I drizzled on some Beard Butcher Blend BBQ Sauce. If you’re feeling spicy, you could mix your favorite BBQ sauce with chili paste or something like Buffalo Wild Wing’s Mango Habanero sauce.
Sous Vibe Southern Smothered Turkey Wings / Turkey Wing Recipe
FAQ
What temperature do you sous vide turkey at?
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Sous Vide Turkey Temperatures and Times
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Very pink, soft, extra moist
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132°F (56°C)
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2 hours
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Pale pink, soft, moist
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138°F (59°C)
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1 hour
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White, tender, moist
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145°F (63°C)
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16 minutes
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White; traditional roast texture
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152°F (67°C)
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4 minutes
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What temperature do you cook turkey wings?
How long does it take to sous vide chicken wings?
How long to sous vide turkey drumsticks?
Can You sous vide Turkey wings?
The sous vide method is a great way not to overcook turkey wings as the meat is cooked in its own juices. This keeps the moisture locked in and prevents the meat from drying out. This cooking method uses a temperature-controlled water bath, which produces perfectly cooked Sous Vide Turkey Wings every time!
How long do you cook Turkey wings in a sous vide oven?
Sous vide turkey wings are usually cooked for 2 to 4 hours, but the longer you cook them, the more they will tenderize and break down so feel free to try out different times to get the texture you are looking for. In my opinion, this is the best simple sous vide turkey wings recipe.
How do you cook a Turkey in a sous vide machine?
Preheating: Preheat the sous vide machine to 140ºF (60ºC) for white meat or 150°F (65.6°C) for dark meat. Trim and Season turkey: Trim off any fat or gristle. Salt the meat then coat with any spices. Seal in Sous Vide Bag: Place the turkey in a sous vide bag and then seal.
Can You sous vide a Turkey?
The only issue with sous vide turkey is the skin. Because no matter what you do, it’ll end up pale and limp, which goes against just about everything Thanksgiving stands for. Luckily, it’s an easy fix. Dry the skin as much as possible with paper towels, heat some oil in a large skillet over high heat, and cook carefully until brown.
How long do you cook a turkey breast in a sous vide bag?
Seal in Sous Vide Bag: Place the turkey in a sous vide bag and then seal. Sous Vide the breast: Place the sealed turkey in the sous vide water bath and cook until pasteurized, which is usually 3 to 4 hours, depending temperature used, but can go several hours longer.
Is sous Viding a Turkey a good idea?
The process for sous viding a turkey is a little more involved than just tossing it in the oven, but almost all of it can be done ahead of time, the meat turns out amazing, and it reduces a lot of the stress I always feel when I’m roasting a whole bird.