Juicy Baked Turkey Wings

Baked turkey wings are served on a white platter.

These baked turkey wings are coated in olive oil and spices and cooked in the oven for about an hour. They emerge gorgeous, browned, juicy, and flavorful!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 426kcal

Author Vered DeLeeuw

Ingredients

4 pounds turkey wings 2-4 whole wings; see notes

Seasonings paste:

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use a sharp chef’s knife to split the wings at the joints into three parts - drumettes, wingettes, and tips (see notes). Pat the wings dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, combine the seasoning paste ingredients: Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Arrange the wings in a 9 x 13-inch rimmed baking dish. Drizzle them with the seasoning paste and use your hands to coat them all over.
Bake the wings uncovered until browned and cooked through, for 60-90 minutes, depending on their size (see notes below). An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a drumette and not touching the bone should register 165°F. Check the wings after 45-60 minutes and loosely cover them with foil if they are already deeply browned but need more time in the oven. This will protect them from burning.
Baste the wings with the pan juices and serve.

Video

Notes

The nutrition info is based on this USDA entry.
Turkey wings vary in size depending on the size of the bird. While a 4-pound package of wings will typically contain four medium wings, it can also contain two huge ones, as shown in the photos on this page. Each of these drumettes weighed nearly a pound when raw (14 ounces), and the wingettes weighed 10 ounces. Medium wings will need around 60 minutes in the oven. The huge ones will need 75-90 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs.
To cut the wings, cut the skin flap between the drumette and wingette, and then locate the joint between them. You’ll want to cut through the joint and cartilage, not through the bones. As you cut, adjust the knife to make sure you’re cutting through the joint and not attempting to cut the bone.
You can keep the wing tips or discard them (or freeze them to use later in soups and stocks). I like to bake them! They have very little meat, but it’s fun to gnaw on them when they’re roasted.
The wings should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F, but it’s OK if their internal temperature is higher, as high as 180°F. They will still be juicy.
It's best to use a baking dish. This will ensure the wings are baked in their own juices and remain juicy. While a sheet pan would promote skin crispness, it could also dry them out. So, if you need to double the recipe, use two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes.
There's no need to flip the wings midway. However, after the first 45-60 minutes, you might need to loosely cover them in foil to protect their tops from burning.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them uncovered in a 350°F oven. However, this is one of those recipes where the freshly cooked dish is far superior to reheated leftovers.

Nutrition