These Air Fryer Turkey Wings are perfect for a quick, flavorful meal. With an air fryer, you can achieve crispy, golden skin and juicy, tender meat without the excess oil and calories. These are a must make for weeknight dinners, Thanksgiving, and more.
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Table of Contents
Brandi's Key Ingredients
- Turkey Wings
- Olive Oil
- Spices
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick Cooking: Air fryers cook food faster than traditional methods. Turkey wings in the air fryer can be ready in a fraction of the time compared to roasting or baking.
- Crispy Texture: The air fryer's circulating hot air cooks the turkey evenly and can result in a crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender. This mimics the texture of deep-frying but with less oil.
- Customizable Flavors: With an air fryer, you can easily experiment with different seasonings, marinades, and sauces to create customized flavors for your wings.
Where to Buy Turkey Wings and How to Shop for Them
Some standard grocers will keep brands like Butterball and Jenni-O on hand year round. Many retailers only carry them seasonally around fall. A local butcher is usually really helpful. Most major grocery stores, such as Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, and Publix, carry turkey wings in the meat or poultry section, especially during the holiday season.
Ensure the packaging is sealed properly, with no tears or holes. Look for clear labeling regarding sell-by or use-by dates to ensure freshness. For fresh wings, the meat should have a pinkish color, firm texture, and no off-putting odors. Avoid wings that look grayish or have an unpleasant smell.
Do You Use Whole Wings or Split?
This is up to you. Split wings (split into drums and flats) will cook at a more even temperature. This is also better for even browning of the skin.
The wing is is made up of 3 parts: the drumette, the wingette, and the wing tip. The drumette looks like a small drumstick and usually has more meat. It's mostly dark meat, is slightly juicier than the wingette.
The wingette is often called the flat, is the middle section that is made of two bones running horizontally through the middle of it with meat in the middle. Because it’s thinner, this part normally crisps up easier when cooking them with the thicker drumette portions.
The wing tip doesn't have much flavor, but you can save it if you plan to make homemade broth.
You can separate the wings yourself by cutting at the elbow joint to separate the drum from the wingette. From there you can remove the wing tip to display a flat if you wish.
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Wings
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pat the wings dry and rub both sides with olive oil and spices.
- Place the wings in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry.
Air Fryer Temperature
I use 370 degrees.
Cook Time/How Long to Cook
Cook the wings for 35 for 40 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer.
How to Tell When the Turkey is Done
You will need to use a meat thermometer. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of one the turkey wings. According to the USDA, Poultry must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees.
The skin should be golden-brown and crispy. When you cut into the turkey wing, the juices should run clear, not pink or red. Pink juices indicate the turkey may need more cooking time. The meat should easily pull away from the bone when it's done. If it's still tough or chewy, it likely needs more time in the air fryer.
Texture
The texture is a lot similar to fried chicken wings. These have crispy skin. If you are looking for wings that fall off the bone, try my Slow Cooker Crockpot Turkey Wings, Baked Turkey Wings or Smothered Turkey Wings recipes.
More Ideas on How to Season Them
- Homemade BBQ Seasoning and Rub
- Homemade Blackened Seasoning
- Homemade Ranch Seasoning
- Cajun Seasoning
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Frozen Turkey Wings
Because of the size of the turkey wings, I recommend defrosting the turkey first, before cooking. Cooking from frozen will make it difficult for them to cook evenly and consistently.
Can You Use Turkey Legs or Drumsticks?
Yes. Turkey legs will follow a similar cook time and at the same temperature.
Can You Use Chicken Wings?
Check out my Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe.
How to Store Them
Cooked wings can be stored in the fridge tightly covered for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
You can reheat them at 350 degrees in the air fryer until warm. This will help maintain the texture.
Freezer Tips
You can freeze leftover wings tightly covered and sealed. For the best taste, they will last up to 3 months. Defrost the wings overnight in the fridge and reheat.
What to Pair with the Wings
Air Fryer French Fries
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Roasted Ranch Potatoes
Air Fryer Onion Rings
Cornbread Casserole
Air Fryer Crab Legs
Air Fryer Lamb Chops
Turkey Wings and Legs Recipes
Baked Turkey Legs
Air Fryer Turkey Legs
Stuffed Turkey Legs
Slow Cooker Turkey Legs
Smoked Turkey Legs
Grilled Turkey Legs
More Turkey Recipes
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Traeger Smoked Turkey
Cajun Spiced Roasted Turkey
Leftover Turkey Chili
Leftover Turkey Nachos
Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Turkey Bone Broth Recipe
Turkey and Cheese Sliders
Pair these with our Turkey Graving From Drippings recipe.
Air Fryer Turkey Wings
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Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds turkey wings Split wings will fit a 5.8 quart air fryer
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Creole Seasoned Wings (Option 1)
- 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Standard Turkey Seasoning Wing (Option 2)
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat the wings dry and rub both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle the spices throughout. Rub the spices into both sides of the wings. Ensure the spices completely cover both sides of the wings. Add more spices if necessary.
- Place the wings in the air fryer basket. Do not stack, Cook in batches if necessary.
- Air fry on 370 degrees for 25 minutes.
- Open the air fryer and flip the wings. Air fry for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature (at the thickest part of the wing) has reached 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer. Also air fry until the wings have reached your desired level of crisp.
- Cool before serving.
Video
Notes
- I provided my 2 favorite ways to season these wings. Pick a method or you can also use your favorite store-bought chicken or poultry rub.
- Cook time will vary based on the air fryer brand and model you use. Always cook turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer.
- You can use whole wings or split wings. I prefer split because they cook at even temperature and will easily fit in the air fryer. I also prefer the wing tip removed, so that these fit easily. I use a 5.8 quart air fryer.
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
Anita Hughes says
Definitely making for Thanksgiving. I love using air fryer to cook meats. I have not seen too many turkey wings in the meat section yet.
staysnatched says
Hard to find unless you go somewhere with a local butcher. Luckily the store near me keeps them stocked year round.
Jmeanne says
Just used this recipe for a couple of turkey legs, haven’t done turkey in the AF before, they came out perfect, crispy, moist and delicious! Thanks for another great recipe Brandi!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm so glad to hear it.
Cynthia says
I used the traditional seasoning with salt mixed in. These were very good, and done exactly in the time the recipe stated. Most meat departments in grocery stores will cut turkey wings for you if you plan a few days ahead, they need to thaw the birds.
staysnatched says
So glad you enjoyed it!