Learn how to make Smothered Turkey Wings cooked in savory onion gravy! This Southern classic is fall-off-the-bone tender and perfect for a Sunday soul food dinner.
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Recipe Highlights
- ⏱️ Cook Time: 2 hours
- 🍽️ Serves: 4-6
- 👩🏽🍳 Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
- 🦃 Best For: Sunday dinners, holidays, or comforting weeknight meals
This Southern smothered turkey wings recipe is perfect for Sunday dinner and also makes a delicious addition to any soul food Thanksgiving feast.
The wings are baked until tender, then smothered in a rich homemade gravy made with onions, bell peppers, butter, and soul food seasonings. The onion gravy is sooo savory and flavorful, you’ll want to pour it over rice or serve up mashed potatoes with gravy!
Our smothered recipes are some of the most loved on our site, like this smothered chicken and rice, Southern oxtail recipe, and smothered pork chops. They all have one thing in common: delicious homemade gravy that takes comfort food to the next level.
If you love turkey, be sure to check out more of our turkey recipes too, like this Cajun-style turkey neck boil, our smoked turkey breast on the pellet grill, and this smoked turkey wings recipe.
Why You'll Love This Turkey Wing Recipe
- They're fall-off-the-bone tender!
- The savory homemade gravy is made with onions and bell peppers for extra flavor.
- It's a true soul food classic perfect for Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
- Turkey Wings: Split wings into drums and flats for even cooking. This recipe also works great with turkey legs or thighs if that’s what you have on hand.
- Oil & Butter: We use Graza “Frizzle” extra virgin olive oil (for high heat cooking) along with Kerrygold butter. The olive oil helps sear the turkey wings without burning, while the butter adds richness and deep flavor to the gravy.
- Chicken Stock: You can use stock, broth, or Better Than Bouillon mixed with water. All will give you a savory base for the homemade gravy.
See the recipe card below for full information on the ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Smothered Turkey Wings (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Preheat oven and place turkey wings in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season both sides with soul food seasoning.
Step 2: Add sliced onions and bell peppers, then cover with foil and bake. Remove the wings after baking and reserve the pan drippings for gravy.
Step 3: Make the gravy. In a skillet, melt butter and sauté onions and garlic until fragrant.
Step 4: Stir in flour.
Step 5: Then slowly whisk in the pan drippings and chicken stock.
Step 6: Pour the gravy over the wings, bake again until tender.
Step 7: Remove from oven, then serve and enjoy!
What to Serve with Turkey Wings
Smothered turkey wings taste even better with these classic soul food sides dishes.
Collard greens and ham hocks or collard greens with smoked turkey, and soul food cabbage, this black folks mac and cheese recipe, and Southern candied yams are a few of our favorites.
You can also serve the wings over rice or mashed potatoes with gravy.
Smothered Turkey Wings FAQs
Turkey wings are safe to eat at 165°F, but for fall-off-the-bone tenderness, cook them until they reach 185–195°F.
Yes! This recipe also works with turkey legs or thighs. Just adjust the cooking time since the pieces may be larger.
More Southern Meat and Gravy Recipes
Looking for more soul food favorites smothered in rich gravy? Try these:
If you tried this Smothered Turkey Wings Recipe or any other recipe on our blog, consider leaving us a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments!
📖 Recipe
Smothered Turkey Wings Recipe
Equipment
- Roasting pan or baking dish
- Large skillet or sauté pan (for the gravy)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds turkey wings split into drums and flats
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons soul food seasoning or your favorite all-purpose seasoning, plus more to taste
- 1 large yellow onion sliced
- 1 medium green bell pepper sliced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided
- 2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Arrange the turkey wings in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, coating evenly.
- Sprinkle the soul food seasoning mix over both sides of the wings.
- Top with half of the sliced onions and bell peppers, then cover the pan tightly with foil.
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Remove the wings from the oven and carefully pour the pan drippings into a measuring cup to reserve for the gravy.
Gravy
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until it begins to bubble.
- Add the remainder of the chopped onions and garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the reserved pan drippings, then add the chicken stock. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Pour the gravy over the turkey wings, making sure they’re well coated. Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes, or until the wings are tender and the gravy has thickened.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Seasoning: You can use your favorite soul food or all-purpose seasoning blend. Adjust salt to taste, especially if your seasoning mix already contains salt.
- Drippings: Don’t skip reserving the pan drippings! They add deep flavor and color to the gravy.
- Gravy consistency: If the gravy becomes too thick, whisk in a splash of chicken stock until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Serving ideas: Pair with rice, mashed potatoes, or collard greens to soak up all that flavorful gravy.
- Storage: Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the oven or on the stovetop with a little extra broth to keep them moist.
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