Get ready for some finger-licking, fall-off-the-bone deliciousness with these juicy smoked turkey wings!
Perfectly brined for maximum flavor, seasoned with just the right kick, and smoked low and slow to tender perfection, these wings are everything you crave in comfort food.
Whether you’re firing up the grill for a weekend feast or adding a smoky twist to your holiday spread, this recipe will take your turkey game to the next level. Grab your napkins—it’s about to get tasty!
How To Cook Smoked Turkey Wings
After hours of testing, our preferred method for smoking turkey wings is...
1. Simple overnight salt brine (even 1-2 hours of brining is helpful for turkey wings due to their small size)
2. Season with your favorite spice rub or use our favorite method, Turkey Paint
3. Smoke at 250° F until the internal temperature of the meat reads 165°F, (about 2 to 3 hours)
4. Glaze if desired with barbecue sauce, or cranberry glaze for Thanksgiving preparation
5. Pull meat from bones to serve (optional)
What Extra Supplies Are Needed For Smoking Turkey Wings?
- Meat Thermometer: Your pellet smoker or electric smoker may have come with a digital probe, but it is likely too thick to monitor the temperature of the turkey meat without hitting a bone. For that reason, I recommend a simple narrow probe meat thermometer, and my favorite is Thermopro.
- Wood, Wood Pellets, or Chips: Pecan, Hickory, Cherry wood, Apple wood, and Peach wood are all nice options.
- Clean and Prepped Barbecue Smoker
- Deep Vessel for Brining the Wings: We used the 4-quart Cambro containers with lid, or large disposable Tupperware (you'll need 2)
- Water Pan
Where Can I Buy Turkey Wings?
You can find turkey wings at several places, depending on your location and preferences:
- Grocery Stores: Many supermarkets, especially larger ones, carry turkey wings in the meat section, particularly during the fall and winter months. Stores like Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, and Whole Foods often have them in stock.
- Butcher Shops: Local butcher shops or specialty meat markets are great places to find fresh turkey wings. You can also ask the butcher to order them if they’re not on display.
- Online Retailers: Websites like ButcherBox, Crowd Cow, or FarmFoods often sell turkey wings and other cuts of turkey, which can be shipped directly to your door.
- Farmers Markets: Local farmers markets, especially those that sell poultry, may have fresh, locally sourced turkey wings available.
- Warehouse Stores: Places like Costco or Sam’s Club sometimes offer turkey wings in bulk, particularly around holiday season.
If turkey wings are out of season or hard to find, asking your grocery store's butcher to place a special order can also be helpful!
Why Should I Brine Turkey Wings?
Turkey wings benefit from a brine because brining enhances their flavor and juiciness in several key ways:
1. Moisture Retention:
Brining infuses the turkey wings with liquid, allowing them to retain more moisture during cooking. This is especially important for turkey wings, which have less fat than other cuts and can easily dry out. The salt in the brine helps the meat absorb water, keeping it moist and tender even after roasting or smoking.
2. Improved Flavor:
The salt and optional flavor enhancers (like herbs, spices, and garlic) in the brine penetrate deep into the meat. This helps to season the wings more thoroughly than just seasoning the surface before cooking. The result is flavorful meat all the way through.
3. Tenderizing the Meat:
The salt in the brine helps break down the protein structure in the turkey wings, making the meat more tender. This is especially beneficial for tougher cuts of meat like wings, as the brine can make them easier to chew and more enjoyable to eat.
4. Even Cooking:
Brining helps the turkey wings cook more evenly. By hydrating the meat and breaking down proteins, the wings are less likely to dry out, even if slightly overcooked. This is useful, especially when using dry heat methods like roasting or smoking.
5. Convenient Brine Time:
Brine time is determined by the thickness of the meat. Brines can penetrate about 1 inch an hour so due to the shape and narrow nature of a turkey wing, a lot of moisture and flavor can be added quickly in comparison to 2 days brines for a whole bird. Brining adds an extra step, but it's an easy and effective way to ensure that turkey wings turn out moist, flavorful, and tender!
Preparing A Basic Brine For Turkey Wings
This easy recipe includes a salt and water brine for simplicity. I also have many fun and seasonal brines like our Honey Apple Brine and Cajun Brine, if you're feeling festive!
- Prepare the Brine:
In a large pot, combine water and salt. Stir until the salt dissolves completely. If you're adding optional flavor enhancers like peppercorns, garlic, herbs, citrus, or sweeteners like honey, add them now. You can gently heat the water to help the salt dissolve faster, but allow the brine to cool completely before using. - Submerge the Turkey Wings:
Place your turkey wings in a large bowl, pot, or brining bag. Pour the cooled brine over the wings, making sure they are fully submerged. If you need more brine, you can scale the recipe accordingly. - Refrigerate:
Cover the container or seal the bag and refrigerate the turkey wings for 6-8 hours. If you're short on time, a minimum of 2 hours can still have a positive effect, but longer is better to allow the brine to penetrate fully. - Remove and Rinse:
After brining, remove the turkey wings from the liquid and rinse them thoroughly under cold water to remove any excess salt. Pat them dry with paper towels. - Season and Cook:
Now that your wings are brined, they’re ready for seasoning and smoking (or any other cooking method you prefer). Keep in mind that the brine has already salted the wings, so you may want to go lighter on any additional salt when seasoning.
Trimming The Wing Tip
Trimming the wing tip off a turkey wing is a simple process that can help make the wings easier to cook and serve.
Start by laying the turkey wing flat on a cutting board. Locate the joint where the wing tip connects to the middle section of the wing—this is where the bones naturally bend. Using a sharp knife, slice through the joint by applying firm pressure, following the natural separation between the bones.
You may encounter some cartilage, but a good knife should slice through with minimal effort. Once separated, discard the wing tip or save it for making broth or stock. This technique gives you a cleaner, more manageable wing for cooking, especially if you plan to smoke the wings.
Seasoning The Turkey Wings
To season turkey wings, you want to highlight their natural flavors while adding layers of depth, whether you’re smoking, roasting, or baking them. A blend of smoky, savory, and earthy spices works beautifully—think salt, black pepper, and a hit of smoked paprika or chili powder to bring out a rich, robust flavor.
Adding garlic powder and onion powder gives a subtle background kick, while herbs like thyme or sage add a fragrant, earthy touch. For those who like a bit of heat, cayenne pepper works wonders.
If you're smoking the wings, the seasoning will enhance the natural smokiness, and you might even want to add a touch of sweetness with brown sugar. For roasting or baking, consider brightening the flavor with citrus zest or slices to complement the savory spices. By using a mix of bold and subtle seasonings, you’ll elevate the turkey wings without overshadowing their delicious flavor.
What is Turkey Paint?
Turkey Paint is a recipe I created last year to provide a gorgeous, golden brown skin to my turkey, loaded with both fresh herbs and a dry rub. As is common in competition barbecue, we use squeezable butter (margarine) as a binder to hold these flavors next to the skin of the bird during cooking.
The benefit of using a small amount of squeeze butter is that it does not melt and drip off the bird (like a compound butter does). It also paints onto the turkey easily with a silicone brush.
You can use any spice mixture or barbecue rub you like with this method. The best part is that it's fully customizable to whatever fresh herbs you have in the kitchen, or whatever flavor profile you're looking to add to your turkey wings recipe.
In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup squeezable butter with fresh herbs, garlic puree, Thanksgiving poultry seasoning, and spices. Mix well, and paint on the turkey wings. For best results, dry the wings of any moisture with a paper towel first.
Remember you don't have to use Turkey Paint, as it is an extra step. You may coat the wings thoroughly in any seasoning blend you like from cajun seasoning to Danno's, to your favorite seasonings!
Smoking Turkey Wings
After several batch tests, we loved wings smoked at 250° F best. This resulted in plenty of smoke flavor but with a faster cooking time than the 225° F wings, which were slightly less moist and didn't seem to benefit from the extra time it took to reach temp.
Place wings on the grill grate. Use a water pan. Don't spritz because you'll disturb the turkey paint!
The Problem With Turkey Skin & Why We Pull The Meat For Serving
If you've ever tried to bite into a turkey drumstick at the fair you know it's difficult to bite through the skin and get to the meat. Turkey skin is generally thicker and tougher than chicken skin, which can make it less crisp and harder to eat in low-temperature cooking techniques like smoking turkey. There are a few reasons for this:
- Size and Age of the Bird: Turkeys are much larger and typically older when processed compared to chickens. Their skin is thicker to support the larger structure of the bird.
- Fat Content: Chicken skin tends to have more fat, which helps it crisp up nicely during cooking. Turkey skin, while it does contain fat, often has less fat in comparison, especially on leaner cuts like the breast. This can result in a chewier, less crispy texture.
- Cooking Techniques: For turkey skin to become crispy and easier to eat, it often requires specific cooking methods, such as roasting at a higher temperature or properly air-drying the skin before cooking. Smoked or slow-cooked turkeys may have a rubbery skin, while roasting at higher temperatures usually results in crispier skin.
We prefer to pull the meat for a friendlier eating experience. If crispy turkey skin is what you desire, you may want to fry your turkey.
FAQ Questions:
Can I Substitute Other Cuts of Turkey With This Recipe?
Yes, you can use chicken wings, turkey legs, and a small turkey breast in the same procedure. Your smoked turkey breast might be best held in an aluminum pan while it smokes to collect juices. White meat will cook faster than dark meat, so always internally probe your meat and ensure that it cooks to 165° F.
For cooking a whole turkey, I would encourage you to check out these recipe tutorials I have already prepared for whole birds.
How To Smoke A Turkey On A Pellet Grill
Cajun Turkey Brine Recipe (For Ultra Juicy Cajun Turkey)
Turkey Injection Recipe (An Easy Guide To Ultra Juicy Turkey)
How Do I Store Leftover Wings and How Long Do They Stay Fresh?
We recommend pulling the turkey meat off the wings before serving, and serving as pulled turkey meat. This is only because they're bigger than chicken wings and the eating is a bit messier!
You can place pulled meat in an airtight container and refrigerate for 5 days, or freeze in a ziplock baggie for 6 weeks. It's best to press all of the air out of the ziplock baggie before closing it up to maintain freshness for as long as possible.
Whole wings can be placed in a large ziplock baggie, or airtight container and refrigerated for 3-5 days.
How Should I Reheat Turkey Wings?
You can microwave leftover turkey meat gently for 1-2 minutes until hot. You can also bake refrigerated leftover wings at 350° for 15 minutes until reheated throughout.
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Juicy Smoked Turkey Wings
Ingredients
- 4 turkey wings see notes about packaging
- Wood Chips or Wood Pellets
Turkey Paint (or use any seasoning rub you like)
- 1/3 cup Squeeze Butter such as I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Simple and Easy Turkey Wing Brine
- 2 quarts water
- 1/2 cup salt
Cranberry Glaze (or glaze with barbecue sauce)
- 1/2 can cranberry sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
Instructions
Brining The Turkey Wings
- Dissolve the salt: In a large pot, over high heat, combine the water and salt. Stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Cool the brine fully. (We encourage placing it in the refrigerator which is a great way to keep the wings cold and out of the temperature danger zone).
- Place turkey wings into the brine and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24-48 hours. Even a short brine of 4 hours can help produce juicy meat. A true liquid brine (not a dry brine) makes a huge difference in how much moisture is in the final wings, which results in succulent meat.
Preparing the Turkey Paint:
- In a small bowl combine the squeeze butter, minced garlic, chopped herbs, salt, poultry seasoning, thyme, pepper, and paprika. Stir well with a silicone brush until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Seasoning The Turkey Wings
- Remove the turkey wings from the brine and pat dry. It's important the wings are dry so that the turkey skin can bind to any kind of bbq rub or seasoning, but especially the turkey paint. Paint the turkey paint on (or sprinkle on any alternative seasoning you have chosen). Refrigerate until you are ready to head out to the smoker.
Smoking The Turkey Wings
- Prep your smoker according to your usual practice. This usually means, cleaning the grates, adding pellets to a pellet grill, or firing up the smoke box. Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees, which provides a rich smoky flavor without making the meat stringy. When the smoker is ready to go, place the wings on the grates.
- Place a small water pan inside the chamber, and close it up. I do not spritz wings made with turkey paint because of the relatively short cooking time. Spritzing causes the turkey paint to move. If you are using an ordinary barbecue rub you can spritz after 1 hour for flavor purposes.
- The wings are pulled when they reach 165° F. This took about 2 hours, give or take 30 minutes as all wings are different weights and cooking times can vary by how many times the chamber is opened.
Glazing The Turkey Wings
- Combine the cranberry sauce, water, sugar, and red wine vinegar in a small pot and heat gently on the stove until smooth. Begin glazing the turkey wings the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. Alternatively, you may glaze with your favorite bbq sauce.
Serving The Turkey Wings
- We prefer to remove the wings from the smoker and let them rest until just warm. Then using gloved hands, pull the meat off the bones and place it on a platter. Serve with gravy or passed cranberry sauce. You may also enjoy them whole and eat them straight from the bone.
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