The Best Baked Turkey Wings Recipe You Have to Try
While it's fun to roast a turkey for Thanksgiving year-after-year, having a 20-something pound turkey for a small crowd can be incredibly overwhelming. Not to mention all of that inevitable food waste! Instead, why not swap out the roast and enjoy this baked turkey wings recipe?
Chicken wings are probably a more popular wing to grab at the store, but you would be shocked at how cheap (and easy) it is to find turkey wings at your local supermarket. Turkey wings are significantly bigger than chicken wings, usually ranging around 4 ounces per wing. This makes turkey wings an easy protein to throw together for any weeknight because one wing is the perfect portion size!
We all know that wings are best when crispy, so we put together the best crispy baked turkey wings recipe. Not only that, but you can get them crispy by cooking them right in the oven!
The trick for crispier turkey wings
This may sound strange, but trust me on this one. If you want even crispier turkey wings, place them on a cooling rack over a deep baking sheet. Yes, really!
Separating the meat from being in contact with the baking sheet will help to make the wings even crispier than baking them in a casserole dish. Instead of sitting in the turkey drippings, the drippings from the wings will catch inside the deep baking sheet. This will make the wings crispy all around!
However, I still am a fan of baking turkey wings in a casserole dish, and letting the drippings create delectable, juicy turkey wings. Try both ways of cooking them and see which one you like more!
Save the drippings for an easy turkey gravy recipe
Once you're finished making the baked turkey wings, save the drippings from the turkey wings to make yourself a homemade gravy. To make a simple gravy, simply whisk together some butter and flour in a small saucepan, then slowly add the drippings and some chicken stock.
Here's my process for making the best baked turkey wings recipe.
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
2 turkey wings
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
How to Make It
Pat the turkey wings dry
Before placing the turkey wings into a baking dish, pat them dry with a paper towel. This will help the skin get nice and crispy when baking the wings in the oven.
Brush the wings with oil and season
Place the turkey wings into a deep casserole dish or baking sheet. You'll need edges to catch the extra drippings, which yes, you can make a turkey wing gravy with! Brush on some olive oil onto the wings, and season them with salt and pepper.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil
Cover the wings with aluminum foil, and bake them in a preheated 350-degree oven.
Bake for 60 minutes, then remove foil
After the first 60 minutes of baking, remove the turkey wings from the oven. Take off the aluminum foil. Baking without the foil (and at a higher temperature) will make the wings nice and crispy on the outside.
Turn up the temperature and bake for 30 more minutes
Turn the temperature of the oven up to 425 degrees. Bake the wings uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the wings reach 165 degrees. I like to measure using this meat thermometer.
Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetables
When the turkey wings are finished cooking, save the drippings to make that homemade gravy. Serve these baked turkey wings with the traditional mashed potatoes and some roasted vegetables, like this parmesan roasted broccoli.
Baked Turkey Wings Full Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pat the turkey wings dry with a paper towel.
- Place the wings in a casserole dish, or another deep dish to catch turkey drippings.
- Brush the wings with olive oil, and season the wings with salt and pepper.
- Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the oven for 60 minutes.
- Remove the foil and turn up the temperature to 425 degrees.
- Bake for another 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the wing is 165 degrees.
