If you leave the wings in the woods, you're missing out on a great part of a wild turkey.
Smoked Braised and Fried Wild Turkey Wings Recipe
30 Min
Prep Time
270 Min
Cook Time
5-9
Servings
Medium
Difficulty
If you're leaving your wild turkey wings in the woods or the trash can, you are wasting some really good eats. They may take a bit more work than the breast, legs and thighs, but the payoff is well worth a few extra minutes. Wild turkey wings see a lot of action, which means heavy muscle and lots of connective tissue. A long, slow and moist cooking process like braising works well to break down and tenderize the wing. Beer braising on a smoker is perfect. Not only does it break down the connective tissue, the smoke adds an extra layer of flavor.
But everyone knows the best chicken wings are deep fried. This recipe uses both cooking methods for smoky turkey wings with a crispy fried skin.
Heat a pot of water to 150 degrees. Holding the long wing feathers, dip the wing in the hot water and swirl it around for 30 to 45 seconds. Try a couple of feathers to see if they pull easily from the meat. If they do, pluck the small feathers from the surface of the wing. Try pulling a single wing feather from the wing. If it releases easily, remove all of the larger wing feathers. If the wing feathers are reluctant to pull free, dip the wing back into the water for 30 more seconds. Careful not to overheat your water, anything over 175 will cook the skin of the wing and make it tear more easily during the plucking process.
Ingredients
Wings from 4-5 wild turkeys, first and second sections, plucked and separated
12 ounces beer
12 ounces water
Salt and pepper
Spice rub blend
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
Buffalo sauce
1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
2 sticks butter
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Cooking Instructions
Place the wing sections in a disposable aluminum pan. Season well with salt and pepper. Pour in 12 ounces of beer and 12 ounces of water. Place the wings, uncovered, on your Traeger Grill at 225 degrees. Smoke for two hours.
As the wings fry, mix the sauce ingredients in a small pan. Heat to a heavy simmer/light boil. Once all wings have been fried, pour over the sauce and toss to coat. Serve with your favorite wing dipping sauces.
