These Southern-style Smothered Turkey Wings are a soul food classic, and my husband's childhood favorite, with a few additions to make his family recipe our own! They're seasoned to perfection and cooked with loads of onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos, before being smothered in a rich, creamy, and savory gravy and roasted in the oven until they're falling off the bone!
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Disclosure: This post, like our creamy butternut squash gnocchi and Italian sausage recipe, is a paid partnership with Zoup! As always, all opinions are our own!
Certain Thanksgiving recipes are just classics, and this one is one of them! Growing up, my husband Chamere always had smothered turkey at Thanksgiving. When we got together over a decade ago, he introduced me to it at his grandma's house, and the rest is history!
These days, I totally prefer these smothered turkey wings over roasting a whole turkey any day! They're so flavorful, hearty, and comforting, plus they are just quite a bit easier to pull together.
Grandma is an AMAZING cook, seriously, the best! She cooks from the heart and doesn't write anything down. This can be tricky when we have a craving for those cozy and comforting flavors, but it made testing this recipe to perfection to get the flavors right (with a few welcome additions😉) that much more fun!
You give the wings a really good coating in a savory seasoning blend, then marinate them for a few hours or overnight. Roast them in the oven with a blend of peppers and onions before making a quick homemade gravy on the stovetop made from pan drippings, onions, garlic, celery, and chicken broth. Grandma's gravy recipe wasn't fully homemade, so she loved our extra effort!
Serve these turkey wings over a bed of rice with cornbread biscuits to soak up every bit of that luscious gravy!
🧅Ingredients
You may notice that our recipe has a bit more color than some other recipes because we used a mix of sweet bell peppers. We also added jalapenos for a kick of heat, because Chamere LOVES spicy, as do I, honestly.
These wings are the best!! Seasoned to perfection, savory, spicy, and smoky, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Ingredient Notes
You can find all of the exact measurements in the recipe card below, but here are a few notes about some of the ingredients!
- Turkey wings. Much larger than chicken wings, we tend to find them pre-cut into sections at our grocery store, separated from the drumettes, but they often come whole, where you can separate them yourself.
- Zoup! Chicken Bone Broth Culinary Concentrate. This stuff is made from real chicken bone broth. We use it as the base of the gravy that the wings will braise low and slow in, just like grandma taught us. This broth concentrate gives us that same rich flavor, but without all the extra work. 😉 Grandma didn't make her gravy fully from scratch, so we know she approves of our extra effort!
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How to Make Smothered Turkey Wings
While it does take a bit of time for the wings to braise and become nice and tender, the steps for this recipe are very easy overall! . Here's how to make it:
Step 1
Drizzle the wings with oil and optional liquid smoke. Make sure everything is well-coated.
Next, season with the spice rub made from kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
Set in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight!
🧂Salt. We use kosher salt in all of our recipes because it's less salty than other types of salt and dissolves better due to its shape. We normally suggest using 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat, but we're going to dial it back slightly for this recipe due to the salt content in some of the other added ingredients.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Arrange sliced onions, bell pepper, and jalapenos on the bottom of a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper, then add an herb bundle and bay leaves.
🧅Reserve one onion for the gravy.
We recommend using sweet, yellow onions for the best flavor.
Normally, smothered turkey wings include the Cajun holy trinity of onions, green bell peppers, and celery. We swapped green bell peppers for red, orange, and yellow bell peppers (for their sweetness!), and the celery will come into the mix later. 😉
We add jalapenos for a kick of heat, but they're totally optional, and not traditional in Chamere's family recipe, and not traditional in Chamere's grandma's recipe! 😉
Try to cut the peppers and onions into thin strips as evenly as possible so they all cook at a similar rate.
Step 3
Add the turkey wings on top of the aromatics. It's okay if they are overlapping or touching a bit.
Step 4
Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil, then roast in the oven at 375°F for 90 minutes.
Step 5
After the first roast, remove the foil from the top and flip the wings over. Return to the oven for another 45 minutes, uncovered.
After the second roast, collect all of the pan drippings from the pan and place them into a measuring cup.
Step 6
Meanwhile, prepare the broth by combining 1 teaspoon of Zoup! chicken bone broth culinary concentrate with 1 cup of hot water to make 1 cup of broth.
*For this recipe, we will be making about 5-6 cups of broth, so we will need 5-6 teaspoons of concentrate.
One small recyclable glass container of concentrate creates 2 gallons of premium broth! We love to keep it on hand in the fridge to enhance all kinds of soups, stews, sauces, gravies, and more.
Step 7
To make the gravy, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add butter to melt, then add onions, celery, and a pinch of salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Next, add garlic, then cook til fragrant.
Then, add flour and stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes.
For a gluten-free option, skip the flour, and mix up a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cold water or broth and cornstarch) to add later once more liquids have been added (during step 9).
Step 8
Add in the pan drippings and chicken stock very slowly, whisking vigorously to ensure no clumps of flour remain in the liquid.
Step 9
Next, whisk in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Step 10
Cover the wings with the gravy, then return the roasting pan to the oven uncovered for the final roast for 45 minutes - 1 hour, or until the turkey is falling off the bone!
✨Add liquid as needed! We like to mix up more broth than we need and keep it close by when the wings are in the oven. If the pan is starting to look dry, don't be afraid to add in broth!
Step 11
That's it! Your wings are ready! Remove the bay leaves and the herb bundle and discard them. Spoon gravy overtop of the wings.
Serve with your favorite sides like rice and honey cornbread muffins. These would also taste great over some buttery mashed potatoes!
The Zoup! family of products includes chicken and beef bone broths (original, reduced sodium, and spicy chicken) and savory vegan broth, plus Culinary Concentrates™ and homestyle, heat-and-eat soups. Find them at retailers across the country, through Instacart, and online at Walmart.com and Amazon.com.
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📖 Recipe
Southern Smothered Turkey Wings Recipe (Oven Baked)
Equipment
- deep roasting pan (16 x 11.5-inch pan with high sides!)
- large skillet or deep saucepan
Ingredients
Turkey wings and marinade
- 6 pounds turkey wings about 8 large wing pieces, can also use drumsticks!
- 1.5 tablespoons kosher salt we'd recommend using less than our regular suggestion of 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat because our chicken broth has added sodium!
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 4 teaspoons garlic powder
- 4 teaspoons oregano
- 4 teaspoons thyme
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons rosemary
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, and to taste
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
Vegetables for the roasting pan
- 3 medium bell peppers sliced into thin strips
- 2 medium jalapenos optional, sliced thin, seeds removed
- 2 large sweet onions sliced thin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper to taste
- 2-3 bay leaves
- Fresh herb bundle (thyme, rosemary, sage) secured with kitchen twine
Creamy gravy
- 5-6 teaspoons chicken base
- 5-6 cups water to combine with the broth concentrate, made with 1 teaspoon of broth concentrate per 1 cup of water
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 3 stalks celery finely diced
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 10-12 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup all purpose flour 102g
- Reserved drippings from the roasting pan
- 5-6 cups chicken broth* prepared above
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Marinate the turkey
- Season the wings. Coat the wings with oil and liquid smoke, then season the wings, and marinate in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight. Don't skip this step. This helps the turkey become super flavorful.6 pounds turkey wings, 1.5 tablespoons kosher salt, 4 teaspoons onion powder, 4 teaspoons garlic powder, 4 teaspoons oregano, 4 teaspoons thyme, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons rosemary, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 4 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
First roast
- First roast. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the bell peppers, jalapenos, and onions to the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaves and the herb bundle. Add the wings in a single layer, then cover with foil. Bake for 90 minutes covered.3 medium bell peppers, 2 medium jalapenos, 2 large sweet onions, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 2-3 bay leaves, Fresh herb bundle (thyme, rosemary, sage), black pepper to taste
- Second roast. Remove the foil, flip the wings, then return them to the oven for another 45 minutes, uncovered.
- After the second roast, pour out the pan drippings into a separate container like a glass measuring cup. Set aside for the gravy.
Creamy gravy
- Make the chicken broth. Mix up the chicken broth by combining hot water with the chicken base and whisking to dissolve. Set aside to cool briefly.5-6 teaspoons chicken base, 5-6 cups water
- Cook the aromatics. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter, onions, and celery. Season with salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes to soften, then, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add in the flour for a few minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large onion, 3 stalks celery, ⅛-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 10-12 cloves garlic, ¾ cup all purpose flour
- Deglaze the pan. Add in the reserved pan drippings, and slowly stream in the chicken broth, whisking constantly.Reserved drippings from the roasting pan, 5-6 cups chicken broth*
- Lower the heat, then whisk in the heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Taste and adjust seasonings.½ cup heavy cream, 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, black pepper to taste
- Final roast. Pour the gravy overtop of the wings in the roasting pan. It will be quite thin at this point, don't worry, it will continue to thicken as it cooks in the oven! Return to the oven for 45-60 minutes for the final roast. If you see the pan beginning to dry out, add more broth or water as needed. At this point, your turkey should be tender and falling off the bone!
- You'll know your wings are ready when they're falling apart. Remove the bay leaves and herb bundle and discard.
- Serve over rice with cornbread, biscuits, and your favorite sides!
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Notes
Tips and tricks:
- Alternative cuts. No wings? No problem! Just use turkey drumsticks or even thighs, as they can stand up to long cooking times without drying out.
- Thickening the gravy. For a gluten-free option, skip the flour, and mix up a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cold water or broth and cornstarch) to add later once more liquids have been added.
- If the pan begins to dry out while cooking, add a splash more of broth or water!
Storage:
- Fridge storage and reheating: Leftovers will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- We do not recommend freezing this recipe, so sorry!
Alternative cooking methods:
- Stovetop: If you don't want to turn on the oven, follow all of the same instructions. The wings will still need to braise on the stovetop at a very gentle simmer for at least 3- 3 ½ hours. You don't want to cook at too high a heat, or the wings will become tough, and you may scorch the gravy.
Lily says
Oops forgot to click the star rating in my last comment. 5 stars for sure!
Lily says
An absolutely delicious recipe! I never knew a turkey dish could be so flavorful and decadent and now I am sad I don't have a Southern family to spend future holidays with who would enjoy this dish as much as I did. The recipe is so easy to follow and you guys really thought of every little detail to provide guidance for. I halved the recipe for my smaller household and it still turned out great; I definitely wish I followed your advice about using a generously-sized pan though, because I went light on the bell peppers for fit and found myself wanting more of those. For others making this, I recommend not skipping the optional liquid smoke for the marinade; that smoky flavor combined with the recipe's spice blend really complemented the turkey flavor so well.