Turkey wings are one of my top 3 favorite entrees but when you smother them in a savory finger licking gravy, it sits at the top of the throne. My followers shouldn’t be surprised by this because I’ve uploaded 5 tutorials on how to make smothered baked turkey wings to my YouTube channel since I created it in 2014.
As a matter of fact, one of my smothered turkey wings recipes, my Slow Cooker Smothered Turkey Wings Recipe is still my most viewed and highest rated recipe here on my blog and one of my most viewed videos on my channel phillyboyjaycookingshow.
But as always, I decided to step it up a notch with a few changes and modifications that takes these smothered baked turkey wings to a whole other level. Let me get into how I became such a fan of smothered baked turkey wings and turkey wings in general.
Sharon’s Smothered Baked Turkey Wings
So back in 1996, yea I said it, 1996… a big ole sista who was a member of my childhood church, Temple Of Christ, came to stay with me my mom and sister one night… Why? I dont quite remember, our church was small, maybe about 150 members, so we functioned and operated like a big family.
She and her son, Raymond who was a year older than me, decided to take over the cooking duties for mom. They were some cooking muthasuckahz… ok?
When I say, “THEY”, that’s EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN. The son, Raymond, who was no older than 10 could cook his behind off too. LMBO!
What I remember most is how good the turkey wings smelled when they were in the oven. I was drooling before I even laid eyes on them. Another thing I seem to never forget was how they made the gravy.
I vividly remember sista Sharon removing the turkey wings and stirring flour into the juice they had been baking in under aluminum foil for hours.
I didn’t understand what she was doing but that part stood out to me way before I even understood anything about cooking. 1 thing I did know, however, was that the flour and juice would somehow turn into a gravy. But this 2 step (Bake til tender, then add the gravy) never left my mind.
My mom, still to this day makes them the way Sharon and Raymond taught us how too. So you can all thank Sharon and Raymond for jump starting this journey I’ve been on to perfecting smothered baked turkey wings. Haha!!!
Mama bear perfected these wings….
Now… ,my mother was a late bloomer when it came to cooking. My pop wasn’t in the picture at the time but she always stayed in close touch with, Nana aka Alice Mae… I know you all are very familiar with that name. She comes up a lot because she inspired many of my recipes.
Nana was my father’s grandmother, making her my great grandma. My mom and nana would always chat over the phone every dday around 4-6 while my mom was cooking up a meal for dinner. Nana would give her step by step instructions on how to make different dishes.
You can say she’s truly responsible for teaching my mom how to get around the kitchen and cook up a good homemade meal. She at the very least has to be credited for greatly improving my moms cooking skills.
My mom side, outside of McCloud who I also bring up often, weren’t bad cooks but ordinary cooks. They weren’t necessarily known for THROWING DOWN IN THE KITCHEN.
So much of what my mom learned was from Alice Mae, my nana, and Gwendolyn, my grandmom on my dad side.
Anyway, these turkey wings bring back a lot of childhood memories from the 90s. Mom loved to make them served over white rice and smothered in gravy… I made them for dinner recently and she came by and had some and took a few home to have for lunch at work the next day.
One thing my mom dont do anymore is cook because she has 2 children who took after their father’s side and can throw down in the kitchen. Lol!
Anywayzzzz, enough about those good ole family memories from the 90’s… let me tell ya all ya need to know to perform this 5 star turkey wings recipe.
Watch Me Make It
Where do you find turkey wings?
Ok so before we get into the recipe… let me address a few important things. First things first… where do you find turkey wings? Turkey wings can be found in the frozen meat section of your local supermarket or at a local butcher shop/meat store.
It depends on where you live. Im in a big mega city, Philadelphia; so you can find them at butcher shops and pretty much any local supermarket. HOWEVER, they both commonly sale different parts and sizes which is important.
I’ve found that in most big cities that I’ve lived in, supermarket sale turkey wings with the tips and drumb attached. I also find that, whether they sale just the wing and tip which they refer to as “PORTIONS”, or the wing with the drumb, they tend to be BIGGER IN SIZE and im not fond of big turkey wings.
This is why I prefer to go to the butcher shop because they have a variety of sizes. I like small to SMEDIUM wings. Lol! And like most folk I know, I prefer the wings with just the tips, as illustrated in my recipe photos.
So in conclusion, the local butcher shop/meat store is the way to go!! The butcher shop is also a better option because if for whatever reason you want to take it a step further and remove the tip, they’ll be able to cut it for you.
Would this recipe work using turkey drumbs?
Most definitely!! Believe it or not some people prefer the drumbs. They’re in the minority but they do exist. Lol! Long as you stick with the same recipe measurements, the results will be the same.
Drumbs are more meaty so that’s a benefit!! Perfect option when there are also children being fed. You can always break and chop the meat up and serve it over rice with gravy. That makes it easiest for kids 4-7 to eat.
Drumbs are definitely an option if you’re serving a lot of people because they’re more meaty. I would definitely use a combination of wings and drumbs if making smothered baked turkey wings for a big group of people.
First and foremost, my take on cleaning turkey wings!
Ok so some folks dont clean their meats because they believe doing so can cause the spread of germs. But I was raised up cleaning my meats. My grandma always did and so did my mom. So here’s how I prep my turkey wings before baking them.
- Place them in a large glass bowl, big enough to hold all 4 lbs of turkey wings.
- Cover them with cool water. It’s important to use cool water, especially if they’re frozen as cold water speeds up the thawing process. DO NOT, I REPEAT… DO NOT, USE HOT WATER!
- Add a few tablespoons of salt, lemon juice, or vinegar. Sometimes, I use a combination of the 3.
- Afterwards, scrub and rinse them well and proceed with the recipe. Dont let them soak in salt water or vinegar water too long, it will alter the taste and texture of the wings causing brining and marination.
Lemon juice brightens the meat and is the best option if you’re preparing old turkey wings that may be frost bite due to sitting in the freezer to long. When this happens, sometimes the color of the meat changes.
It maybe a bit gray in color. So soaking the wings in lemon juice and water will bring a little life back to the wings and give it it’s normal light pink color.
Getting the turkey wings nice and tender
Tenderness is probably the most important thing when it comes to turkey wings. I dont think anyone who loves turkey wings wants their meat tough. Moist juicy tender meat falling off the bone is what makes a great turkey wing.
So how do we achieve that? Aluminum foil! If you’re using a roasting pan that has a lid, that’s just as effective. Turkey wings unlike chicken require some time under the hood before you brown them.
It’s not naturally tender like chicken so you have to infuse it with moisture. We do this by baking them for an hour and a half to 2 hours under aluminum foil at a low temperature, preferably 350 F to tenderize the meat.
How long you need to bake them under aluminum foil depends on the amount you’re making. I notice when baking 2 lbs of turkey wings, 90 minutes gets the job done.
When baking 4 lbs, they need 2 hours under the hood. Lol! Dont worry about the turkey wings becoming so tender they fall off the ball soon as you lift them. The turkey wings will still be firm to a degree.
Making sure the baking pan/dish is fully covered with no cracks on the sides is key to locking in the moisture so it doesn’t escape. So make sure your wings are tightly sealed under the aluminum foil.
Want that nice brown and crispy skin?
The skin is most of our favorite part of the wing. Nothings better than that turkey’s skin but you want it nice and brown; it looks more appetizing when it’s brown and crispy. Nothing worst than light soft and soggy skin on a turkey wing.
To get the skin brown and crispy, we’re going to crank the heat up to 400 F and let the turkey wings continue baking UNCOVERED for an addition 35-50 minutes.
Basting the wings with the slurry and broth in the pan before adding them back to the oven and periodically while they bake will help achieve a nice brown and crispy skin.
You don’t want to bake the wings at 400 F for too long because you don’t want to dry the meat out. So if you find that after about 45-50 minutes the turkey wings aren’t as brown as you like them, (which shouldn’t happen) place them in the broiler for a few minutes.
Also, using a large roasting pan or baking dish will help to get the turkey wings brown quicker. If you’re turkey wings are overlapping each other because the pan isnt big enough, some parts may not brown.
What’s an easy way to make savory turkey gravy?
The easiest way to create a savory gravy is to use the “slurry method”. This method allows you to achieve a savory finger licking gravy without the hassle of creating a roux which can be kind of challenging for beginners.
All you have to do is combine the broth with some flour until it’s well dissolved, then add it to the baking pan. It will thicken and turn into a nice brown turkey gravy within minutes. I like to throw in a bouillon cube just to make sure the gravy isn’t bland.
If you dont have turkey broth or chicken broth you can use water. Just make sure to add a few bouillon cubes to the water to create a broth.
Cooking tips:
- Make sure the baking pan/dish is fully covered with aluminum foil or a lid, with no cracks on the sides, this locks in moisture for maximum tenderness.
- Using a large baking pan is best to fully brown the turkey wings. If they’re overlapping and sitting on top the other because your baking dish/pan is too small, some parts wont brown fully.
- While the turkey wings are baking for the second time at 400 F, baste them with the juices and stir the gravy periodically to prevent the flour from forming lumps.
Storage
You can keep the turkey wings in the pan/dish you cooked them in and store them in the refrigerator. Just make sure they’re fully covered with aluminum foil.
You can also remove them and place them in a Ziploc bag. Ensure that they’re tightly sealed to keep them fresh, and store them in the refrigerator or freezing if you want to save them for more than a few days.
Reheating
- In the microwave: When it comes to reheating my smothered turkey wings, I typically reheat them in the microwave. I place them in a microwave proof container and heat them up for about 2 minutes on high heat.
- In the oven: You can also place them in the oven at 350 F, and let them go for 25-30 minutes or until heated throughout. Make sure to stir the gravy periodically while it heats up.
Other soul food main dish
- The Best Tender Juicy Crispy Fried Turkey Wings (With Video)
- The Best Smothered Turkey Necks Recipe
- McCloud’s Easy Smothered Beef Short Ribs Recipe
- McCloud’s Smothered Steak And Onions Recipe
- The BEST New Year’s Eve Pig’s Feet Recipe
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This recipe is printable at no cost to you, so print the recipe below!!! Also, make sure you subscribe to receive email notifications every time I post a new delicious easy to follow recipe. Ok that’s all for now…. enjoy and be blessed. PBJ!
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World’s BEST Smothered Baked Turkey Wings
- Prep Time: 15 Mins
- Cook Time: 2 Hrs 45 Mins
- Total Time: 3 Hrs
- Yield: 6
- Category: Poultry
- Method: Soul Food
- Cuisine: Soul Food
Description
Tender juicy crispy baked turkey wings smothered in a savory delicious finger licking gravy. The perfect midweek dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 Lbs Turkey Wings
- 1 Qt Turkey Broth
- 1–1/2 Cup Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 Cup Green Bell Peppers, thinly sliced
- 1/2 Cup Red Bell Peppers, thinly sliced
- 5 Tbs Flour All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbs Butter
- 1 Chicken Flavor Bouillon Cube
- 2 Tsp Adobo Seasoning
- 2 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tsp Thyme Leaves
- 1 Tsp Parsley Flakes
- 1/2 Tsp Ground Sage (optional)
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place the turkey wings in a large baking dish.
- Add the onions and peppers.
- Add the seasonings then massage well.
- Add the butter.
- Pour 1 cup of broth into the baking dish.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.
- Remove the turkey wings, then take off the aluminum foil.
- Increase the temperature to 400 F.
- Set the turkey wings aside.
- Combine the flour and remaining broth, then stir until well dissolved.
- Add the bouillon cubes to the baking dish.
- Pour the slurry into the baking dish and stir well.
- Add the turkey wings back to the baking dish.
- Place the turkey wings back in the oven once it reaches 400 F.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the turkey wings are nice and brown then remove.
Notes
- If you want the turkey wings browner and more crispy, place them in a broiler for 4 minutes or continue baking for another 5-10 minutes on 400 F
