Baked Turkey Wings – Munch on these amazing jerk-spiced baked turkey wings with an incredible spicy honey soy garlic sauce. Perfectly baked to golden, crispy, and tender, they’re economical and super easy. Ideal for date night and a hassle-free Thanksgiving turkey dish suitable for small families!
Luckily, these irresistibly sweet and spicy baked turkey wings aren’t one of them. And, because I’m Imma, I made this turkey recipe even simpler. This winner recipe is as simple as baking the turkey wings until crispy and tossing them in an incredibly luscious and lip-smacking honey soy garlic sauce.
I bet you’ll enjoy licking your fingers after you try these amazing turkey wings. Oh yes! It’s all about the sauce, baby! And you’ll find more about my “secret sauce” as you read along. 😉
Why Bake Turkey Wings Next Thanksgiving
Holidays are special occasions. After all, we get to eat delicious foods we don’t usually eat on regular days. Sometimes, it’s because those dishes are just too complicated to make for every day.
However, turkey wings are incredibly versatile. You can bake them, smother them, fry them, you name it. Plus, they’re now available almost year-round, so turkey wings make a convenient weeknight meal for a turkey hit any time of year.
The Ingredient List
- Turkey Wings – I love the wings because they’re juicy and cook quickly. Plus, they’re more practical than roasting a whole turkey, especially for a small family. Fresh turkey wings are fantastic, but frozen turkey wings work just as well.
- Spices – Homemade jerk seasoning with an extra shot of black pepper spice the wings up so they’re mouthwateringly good with or without the sauce. Feel free to replace it with Creole seasoning.
- The Sauce – Butter is a delicious fat, and it carries flavor. Garlic and green onions deliver a delightful aroma. Ketchup, honey, sugar, lemon juice, and pineapple juice balance the sweetness and acidity, while hot sauce spices it, and soy sauce gives it umami. Cornstarch thickens it so it will stay on your wings.
How to Bake Turkey Wings
The Turkey Wings
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205℃) when ready to bake.
- Rinse turkey wings. If time permits, let them dry uncovered in the fridge for 2-3 hours. If rushed for time, dry wings with a paper towel or kitchen towel and proceed with the next step.
- Spice Rub – Place the turkey wings in a large bowl with the jerk spices, pepper, and a drizzle of oil (optional) and toss to coat. (Photo 1)
- Arrange – Line a baking pan with aluminum foil, and place a wire rack on top. Arrange the wings in a single layer. (While they’re baking, the fat will slowly drip into the bottom for crispy instead of soggy wings.)
- Bake them until cooked through and the skin is crispy (45-50 minutes). Rotate wings halfway through—roughly 25 minutes. (Photo 2)
- Serve – Remove and serve with your favorite sauce, or use the sauce below.
The Sauce
- Saute – Add butter to a medium or small skillet and melt. Then add garlic and chopped green onions. Sauté for a minute or more. (Photos 3-4)
- Simmer – Then add ketchup, honey, brown sugar, lemon juice, hot sauce, and soy sauce. Simmer for about 2 minutes. (Photo 5)
- Cornstarch – In a separate small bowl, thoroughly mix the cornstarch with the pineapple juice or water.
- Thicken – Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. You will then have a thick, sticky sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste. (Photo 6)
- Serve -Let it cool slightly and serve it with turkey wings.
Recipe Twists
- Sauce swap. Caribbean pepper sauce adds heat for a tasty twist.
- Smoked turkey wings. Ramp up the flavor factor in your smoker. About two hours at 225℉ (105℃) should get them to an internal temperature of 165℉ (75℃).
- Buffal-style. Not a fan of sweet sauce? Try your turkey wings buffalo-style. Incredibly savory and spicy, with the sauce from my Buffalo wings recipe.
- Chicken wings also work well; just reduce the baking time.
FAQs
Depending on the size of the turkey wings, it should take 45-50 minutes at 400°F (205℃), an hour at 375℉ (190℃), or 2 hours at 250℉ (120℃) in the oven or smoker.
To be on the safe side, use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the wing. It should read at least 165℉ (75℃).
Dry the turkey skin well before you apply the spices. Also, rubbing the wings with a little olive oil before adding the spices helps.
Preheat the oven to 400℉ (205℃) before baking the turkey wings. Then, rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time. These simple steps will give you crispy skin. 😉
I love spicy seasoning blends like Creole seasoning, jerk seasoning, and blackened seasoning. But if you prefer something more traditional, Italian and poultry seasoning work well. A quick mix of onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and oregano with salt and pepper makes a convenient seasoning.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Marinate your turkey wings ahead of time to make them extra flavorful. Refrigerate them in a sealed container or freezer-safe resealable bag for a day or two.
You can also safely freeze them for 3-4 months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and bake them as usual.
Refrigerate leftover turkey wings in a sealed container or freezer-safe resealable bag for up to 4 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months and reheat them in the oven.
Sauces to Dip Crispy Turkey Wings In
You can skip the sweet and sticky sauce of this baked turkey wings recipe and try these delicious dips instead.
What to Serve With Oven Baked Turkey Wings
These guys are fabulous as a snack or appetizer. But they also love being with garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and sweet potato pie for a traditional holiday dinner.
Of course, baked turkey wings smothered in gravy are super easy and delicious.
More Fantastically Tasty Turkey Recipes to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Baked Turkey Wings
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Ingredients
Turkey Wings
- 2½-3 pounds (1-1.5kg) turkey wings
- 2-3 tablespoons (24-36g) jerk seasoning or Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon (2g) ground black pepper
- 1 drizzle cooking oil (optional)
Spicy Honey Soy Garlic Sauce
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
- 1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
- 2 green onions chopped
- ½ cup (140g) ketchup
- ⅛-¼ cup (43-85g) honey
- 1-2 tablespoons (12-25g) brown sugar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2-3 tablespoons (57g) hot sauce, adjust to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon (4g) cornstarch
- ½ cup (120ml) pineapple juice or water
Instructions
Turkey Wings
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200℃).
- Rinse turkey wings. If time permits, let them dry uncovered in the fridge for 2-3 hours. If short on time, dry wings with a paper towel or kitchen towel, then proceed with the next step.
- Place the turkey wings in a large bowl with the jerk spices, pepper, and a drizzle of oil (optional) and toss to coat.
- Line a baking pan with foil, and top with a wire rack. Arrange your turkey wings in a single layer. While the wings are baking, the fat will slowly drip into the bottom of the baking pan.
- Bake the turkey wings until cooked through and the skin is crispy (45-50 minutes). Rotate wings halfway through—roughly 25 minutes.
- Remove and serve with your favorite sauce, or use the sauce below.
Spicy Honey Soy Garlic Sauce
- Add butter to a medium or small skillet and melt. Then add garlic and chopped green onions. Sauté for a minute or more.
- Then add ketchup, honey, brown sugar, lemon juice, hot sauce, and soy sauce. Simmer for about 2 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, thoroughly mix the cornstarch with the pineapple juice or water.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes for a thick, sticky sauce. Adjust seasonings to your tastes.
- Let it cool slightly, drizzle it over your baked turkey wings, and have a blast.
Tips & Notes:
- To ensure crispiness, make sure that the wings are dry and the oven is preheated before baking them.
- You can marinate your turkey wings ahead of time with your favorite seasoning, spice, or herbs.
- Store the leftover baked turkey wings inside the fridge for up to 4 days and 3 months in the freezer.
- Skip the hot sauce to make it a kid-friendly dish.
- You can also use this recipe for chicken, pork, or beef.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
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