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The smoked turkey wings on a white platter and cream-colored placemat with fresh sage to the left.
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Crispy Smoked Turkey Wings

Skip the whole bird and make these crispy smoked turkey wings for your next holiday dinner! Thanks to a simple dry brining technique, these wings show off tender, succulent meat with that crispy turkey skin everyone loves. Preparing these wings only requires about 20 minutes of hands-on time, and then they smoke to absolute perfection. You’ll love this new holiday tradition for your delicious Thanksgiving dinner.
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 191kcal

Equipment

  • Smoker any kind
  • Wood pellets or chunks preferably hickory

Ingredients

  • 4 whole turkey wings
  • 1 ½ tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder not baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Using a sharp knife, slice off the wing tips and discard or reserve for making stock. Locate the circular, knob-like bone on the bottom of the drumette and cut right below that to separate each whole wing into two pieces — the flat and drumette.
  • Pat the wings with a paper towel to ensure the skin is as dry as possible. Sprinkle salt all over the wings. Place uncovered in the refrigerator for at least six to eight hours or up to 24 hours to dry brine. This helps get that crispy skin and creates a more flavorful meat.
  • Remove the wings from the refrigerator. Coat with the baking powder and shake off any excess powder. Stir together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder and onion powder in a small bowl to make the dry rub. Then, rub the spices all over the skin and underneath it to season the meat as well.
  • Place the wings skin-side up in a 250-degree F smoker with a water pan. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat without touching the bone. Close the lid and smoke until the wings reach an internal temperature of 120-130 degrees F. This should take about 1 ½-1 ¾ hours, though exact cooking time varies.
  • For crispy skin, remove the wings and crank up the heat to 400 degrees F. As the smoker comes up in heat, brush the skin with olive oil. When the smoker gets to 400 degrees F, place the wings back in the smoker, close the lid and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 175-180 degrees F.
  • Allow the wings to rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute to the meat. If desired, toss with your favorite sauce, though this is optional. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Keep in mind, the flat pieces will cook faster than the drumettes, so I recommend monitoring that piece. Or better yet, use two meat thermometers — one for the flat and one for the drumette.
  • We increase the temperature to a high heat to help crisp the skin. If you don’t plan on enjoying the skin, feel free to continue smoking the wings at 250 degrees F.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1wing | Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 1678mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 2mg