Skip to Content

Smothered Turkey Wings

Sharing is caring!

Made from scratch, these smothered turkey wings are a true Southern favorite. Seasoned and roasted turkey wings are baked in a rich homemade gravy for a hearty and comforting family meal.

Smothered turkey wings and rice served on a white plate.

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

Turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving and Christmas! These Southern smothered turkey wings can be enjoyed all year round, and let me tell you, they are nothing short of delicious!

Seasoned turkey wings are roasted, and then a rich homemade gravy is made from the drippings, for a bite full of flavor.

This recipe takes a little time to make, but the good news is that they actually require very little hands on time, and it’s a really straight forward recipe that’s made with a few simple ingredients.

Be sure to try my Air Fryer Turkey Breast and Air Fryer Turkey Burgers too!

Smothered turkey wings garnished with fresh herbs.

How to make smothered turkey wings

  • Preheat oven to 375F. Place the turkey wings in a roasting pan and drizzle them with the olive oil.
  • In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sprinkle the seasonings over the wings making sure to cover both sides of the wings.
Seasoned turkey wings in a roasting pan.
  • Top the wings with the sliced onions and bell peppers and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Sliced onions and peppers on the turkey wings in the roasting tin.
  • After removing the wings from the oven, pour the drippings into a measuring cup (or a something to make it easier to pour).
  • To make the gravy: Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once butter starts bubbling, add the onions and garlic cloves into the skillet. Cook until soft.
Softening the onions in a skilet.
  • Then stir in the sage, smoked paprika, and flour. Cook for 1-2 more minutes.
Stirring the flour into the onions.
  • Stir in the pan drippings from the wings, then slowly stir in the stock. Let the mixture simmer for about 5-7 minutes until it thickens a little.
Stock and drippings added to the pan to make the gravy.
  • Then pour the gravy over the wings.
Gravy poured over the baked turkey wings.
  • Bake the wings uncovered for 35-45 more minutes or until they are tender.
  • Serve and enjoy.
Smothered turkey wings in a roasting tin ready to serve.

Can you make it ahead of time?

These smothered turkey wings are best served as soon as they are ready so that the wings are nice and juicy. You can do the first bake of the chicken wings, make the gravy a few hours ahead, and then do the final cook when you are ready to serve.

If you have leftovers, they will keep well covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 360F, covered with foil, until warmed through.

Can you make this with other cuts of turkey?

This recipe is delicious with turkey wings, but you can also make it with legs and thighs as well. Cooking times remain pretty much the same, but use an instant-read thermometer to check that they are fully cooked through. They should register at 165F.

What do you serve them with?

I love serving these smothered wings on white rice, and mashed potatoes will also work great. Serve them up with your favorite veggie sides like Instant Pot Green Beans and Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes. And if you’re looking for other smothered recipes, you’ll love these smothered pork chops and this smothered chicken recipe too.

Cooked turey wings and gravy ready to serve.

Recipe Notes and Tips

  • Pat the wings dry before seasoning them to help get the skin nice and crispy.
  • Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the wings are cooked through. They should register at least 165F.
  • Larger wings will take longer to cook. Cook the wings until tender and the meat falls easily off the bone.

More Turkey Recipes

Smothered turkey wings and rice served on a white plate.
Print Pin Save
4.87 from 15 votes

Smothered Turkey Wings

Made from scratch, these smothered turkey wings are a true Southern favorite. Seasoned and roasted turkey wings are baked in a rich homemade gravy for a hearty and comforting family meal.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword how to cook turkey wings, oven roasted turkey wings, turkey wings with gravy
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 765kcal
Author Tanya

Ingredients

Turkey Wings

  • 3-4 pounds turkey wings split into flats and drums
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 large yellow onion sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced

Gravy

  • 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • teaspoon rubbed sage
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • Pan drippings from wings
  • 2 cups turkey stock or chicken stock room temperature
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375F. Place the turkey wings in a roasting pan and drizzle them with the olive oil.
  • In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sprinkle the seasonings over the wings making sure to cover both sides of the wings.
  • Top the wings with the sliced onions and bell peppers and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  • After removing the wings from the oven, pour the drippings into a measuring cup (or a something to make it easier to pour).
  • To make the gravy: Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once butter starts bubbling, add the onions and garlic cloves into the skillet. Cook until soft.
  • Then stir in the sage, smoked paprika, and flour. Cook for 1-2 more minutes.
  • Stir in the pan drippings from the wings, then slowly stir in the stock. Let the mixture simmer for about 5-7 minutes until it thickens a little.
  • Then pour the gravy over the wings. It will thicken more in the oven. Bake the wings uncovered for 35-40 more minutes or until they are tender. Serve with rice.

Notes

  • Pat the wings dry before seasoning them to help get the skin nice and crispy.
  • Use an instant read thermometer to check that the wings are cooked through. They should register at 165F.
  • Larger wings will take longer to cook. Cook the wings until tender and the meat falls easily off the bone.

Nutrition

Calories: 765kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 1476mg | Potassium: 921mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1530IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 5mg
My Southern Air Fryer ECookbookFind all my Top Southern Air Fryer recipes in one place! My Southern Air Fryer ECookbook!
Subscribe to my YouTubeSubscribe to my YouTube Channel for full length recipe videos. Click the bell icon to be notified when I upload a new video.
Tried this recipe? Share on InstagramMention @Myforkinglife or tag #myforkinglife!
Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

Sharing is caring!

Recipe Rating




Mary

Wednesday 4th of January 2023

We tried this last night and it was absolutely awesome. Will definitely be doing it again. Thanks for sharing

Michelle

Tuesday 27th of December 2022

I made these for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They are delicious. I added a little Chardonnay to the gravy, delicious. My go to recipe for smothered turkey wings and legs.

Tanya

Friday 30th of December 2022

Thanks Michelle! So happy you like the recipe :)

Richard J Wilson

Thursday 17th of November 2022

Can I thicken with cornstarch instead of flour to make a gluten-free?

Tanya

Sunday 20th of November 2022

Hi Richard, Yes, you can. For the cornstarch, you would want to make a slurry before adding it to the pan to make the gravy.

Reina

Friday 28th of October 2022

Hey! I was wondering do you happen to sell your pictures as stock photos?

Tonya

Monday 25th of July 2022

I cooked this for Sunday dinner and it was absolutely delicious. So much good flavor. I'm not good at gravy and my gravy was perfect.