Sous vide turkey wings are my new favorite way to enjoy this often underappreciated cut of meat. With just a few simple steps, you can make juicy, tender turkey wings that fall right off the bone. Keep reading as I walk through everything you need to know to make sous vide turkey wings at home.
What Are The Benefits of Sous Vide Turkey Wings?
Cooking turkey wings sous vide offers several advantages over traditional methods:
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Precise temperature control – With sous vide, you select the exact temperature you want the turkey wings cooked to This prevents over or undercooking
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Evenly cooked meat – The water bath environment ensures the wings cook evenly from edge to edge without drying out
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Convenient – Once sealed sous vide turkey wings can cook unattended for hours. They don’t need to be watched or fussed over.
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Tender and juicy – The wings end up incredibly moist and tender, even the typically tougher drumette.
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Frees up oven space – You don’t have to occupy oven space for hours to roast turkey wings.
As you can see, sous vide yields amazing results with turkey wings!
Sous Vide Turkey Wings Equipment
You don’t need any fancy equipment to make sous vide turkey wings at home. Here’s what you’ll need:
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Sous vide immersion circulator – This gadget heats and circulates water during sous vide cooking. The Anova and Breville brands are top choices.
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Plastic bags – Look for BPA-free bags suitable for sous vide. Ziplock bags also work in a pinch.
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Vacuum sealer (optional) – Using a vacuum sealer like FoodSaver removes air from the bag for better heat transfer.
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Container – You’ll need a stock pot or plastic tub big enough to hold the wings and circulator.
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Rack or trivet – Prevent the wings from touching the bottom of the container.
That’s all the gear you need to sous vide turkey wings successfully!
Best Temperature for Sous Vide Turkey Wings
With sous vide cooking, you get to select the exact doneness you want. Here are the best temperatures for different textures:
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150°F (65.5°C) – The meat is moist with some chew. Great if you’ll be crisping the skin after.
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160°F (71°C) – Wings are very tender but not quite fall-off-the-bone. Juicy and fork tender.
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165°F (73.8°C) – The classic fall-off-the-bone texture for wings. Still moist.
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170°F (76.6°C) – Very soft with fall-off-the-bone meat. Can start to dry out.
For most sous vide turkey wings, I recommend 150°F or 160°F to prevent them getting too mushy. But feel free to experiment to find your favorite!
How Long to Cook Sous Vide Turkey Wings
Cooking time depends on the size and quantity of wings. Some guidelines:
- 2-4 hours for 2-3 pounds of wings
- 5-8 hours for 5 pounds of wings
- 8-12 hours for a larger batch or meatier sections
The meat begins tenderizing around the 2 hour mark. After that, extra time makes them increasingly tender.
I find 4 hours at 150°F or 160°F yields great wings with some chew left. Go longer if you like them super soft.
Step-By-Step Instructions for Sous Vide Turkey Wings
Follow these simple steps for perfect sous vide turkey wings every time:
1. Season the wings
Pat the wings dry and season all over with salt, pepper, spices, or other dry rub. Sealing helps the flavors penetrate deeply.
2. Bag the wings
Place the seasoned wings in a sous vide bag and remove as much air as possible. Vacuum seal if possible.
3. Cook sous vide
Submerge the bag in water preheated by your immersion circulator to the desired temp. Cook for the recommended time.
4. Chill and crispen (optional)
For crispy skin, chill the wings in an ice bath then broil, grill, or air fry until browned.
That’s all it takes for restaurant-quality wings! The sous vide cooking does most of the work.
Flavorful Sous Vide Turkey Wings Recipe Ideas
Turkey wings pair beautifully with bold flavors. Here are some tasty seasoning ideas:
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Jamaican jerk – Spicy and vibrant with spices like allspice, thyme, garlic, onion and scotch bonnets.
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Cajun – A flavorful Cajun blend or mix of paprika, garlic, onion, cayenne, black pepper, oregano, and thyme.
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Lemon pepper – Bright lemony flavor and warm peppery notes. Use fresh lemon zest too.
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Rosemary and garlic – Savory aroma and woodsy herbal notes from fresh rosemary and garlic.
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Honey mustard – Sweet honey and tangy mustard makes a sticky, delicious glaze.
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Smoky BBQ – Classic barbecue flavors of brown sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic, and cumin.
Get creative with seasoning combinations that complement the rich, savory turkey.
Cooking Times for Different Sizes of Turkey Wings
To determine cooking times, consider the size and number of wings:
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Small wings (2-3 lbs) – About 4 hours at 150°F or 160°F
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Medium wings (3-5 lbs) – 5 to 8 hours at 150°F to 160°F
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Large or meatier wings (5+ lbs) – 8 to 12+ hours at 150°F to 160°F
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Mixed sizes – Match time to largest wings, or remove smaller wings sooner
For the most even cooking, try to sous vide wings of similar size together. But you can always remove smaller wings early.
Serving Sous Vide Turkey Wings
There are lots of tasty ways to serve up your wings:
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Toss in buffalo wing sauce and serve with blue cheese dressing
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Coat with barbecue sauce for finger-lickin’ wings
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Pair with ranch dressing and fresh veggies for dipping
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Pile on top of a fresh garden salad for a protein boost
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Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy for a comfort food feast
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Add to pasta salad or grain bowls for bonus protein
However you serve them, sous vide turkey wings are sure to be a hit! The juicy tender meat with crispy skin is irresistible.
Common Sous Vide Turkey Wing Questions
Should turkey wings be brined before sous vide?
Brining is not necessary since sous vide keeps turkey wings very moist and tender. But you can brine for up to 12 hours to boost flavor.
Can you sous vide from frozen?
Absolutely! Cook frozen wings a couple hours longer at the same temperature. They’ll defrost gradually in the water bath.
Do you need to sear sous vide turkey wings?
Searing after sous vide is optional but does give a nice crispy skin. Broil, grill or air fry until browned.
How long do sous vide turkey wings last?
Properly cooked wings last 3-4 days refrigerated. Reheat gently before serving. Freeze for longer term storage.
Take Your Turkey Wings to the Next Level with Sous Vide
If you’re looking for tender, juicy turkey wings with crispy skin, sous vide is the foolproof cooking method. The precise temperature control prevents overcooking while infusing the meat with flavor.
For the best results, cook at 150°F or 160°F for at least 4 hours. Then toss the wings in your favorite sauce and finish quickly under the broiler or on the grill for that perfect crunch.
Once you try sous vide turkey wings, you’ll never go back to roasting! This hands-off technique consistently delivers incredible wings worth devouring. Give it a try and take your wings to the next level.
Stop throwing out those wild turkey wings! Tenderize the tough cuts with a low-and-slow method before finishing them on a smoker or grill
In my talks with successful turkey hunters so far this spring, all have admitted they saved the breasts. A couple mentioned they kept the thighs and legs. Zero of those polled said they saved the wings.
Yes, the harder-working cuts like thighs, legs, and wings require some serious time and some serious TLC to tenderize before they’re edible. But they are, indeed, and, in the case of wings, they are something special if prepared properly.
Truth be told, while I pluck most of my upland birds and waterfowl, I will skin my wild turkeys—everything other than the wings. I will take the time to pull out the feathers from them, and, yes, it does take some time, but it’s so worth it for the flavor that resides in this skin and how it keeps these cuts from drying out during the cooking process.
Why not pluck other parts of a wild turkey? You certainly can, but I’ve found that most of my spring longbeards come with thin leathery skin on the breasts. It hasn’t seemed worth the effort, but that’s my take. Because the skin on thighs and legs turns to gelatin during required low-and-slow cooking methods, I rarely bother plucking those either. That doesn’t mean you can’t, this is just my personal spring routine for these birds.
In this recipe, I am sharing a method for tenderizing tough cuts. This particular method requires a sous vide cooker. But what is a sous vide? Simply, a vertical cooking device with heating coils at the bottom that regulate the temperature of a water bath to a decimal point of a degree. It’s designed for precise, longer-term cooking. When meat is sealed and added to the bath, the pressure of the water and its consistent temperature slowly cook that meat for a final tender product. In the case of tough wild turkey cuts, over many hours, collagen breaks down at a low temperature resulting in fork-tender meat. Smoking it after helps firm up the meat, adding some texture while also imbuing it with additional flavor.
But you don’t absolutely need a sous vide cooker for this recipe. Below, I also share how to make delicious wings in your oven. And perhaps you don’t have or want a smoker. If that’s the case, follow the directions below and sear your wings over a hot grill instead of smoking for the final step.
In terms of what barbecue sauce to use, that choice is up to you, but I drizzled on some Beard Butcher Blend BBQ Sauce. If you’re feeling spicy, you could mix your favorite BBQ sauce with chili paste or something like Buffalo Wild Wing’s Mango Habanero sauce.
Sous Vibe Southern Smothered Turkey Wings / Turkey Wing Recipe
FAQ
How long to cook wings in sous vide?
What temperature to sous vide turkey?
What temperature are turkey wings safe to eat?
Can You sous vide Turkey wings?
The sous vide method is a great way not to overcook turkey wings as the meat is cooked in its own juices. This keeps the moisture locked in and prevents the meat from drying out. This cooking method uses a temperature-controlled water bath, which produces perfectly cooked Sous Vide Turkey Wings every time!
How long do you cook Turkey wings in a sous vide oven?
Sous vide turkey wings are usually cooked for 2 to 4 hours, but the longer you cook them, the more they will tenderize and break down so feel free to try out different times to get the texture you are looking for. In my opinion, this is the best simple sous vide turkey wings recipe.
How do you cook a Turkey in a sous vide machine?
Preheating: Preheat the sous vide machine to 140ºF (60ºC) for white meat or 150°F (65.6°C) for dark meat. Trim and Season turkey: Trim off any fat or gristle. Salt the meat then coat with any spices. Seal in Sous Vide Bag: Place the turkey in a sous vide bag and then seal.
How long do you cook a turkey breast in a sous vide bag?
Seal in Sous Vide Bag: Place the turkey in a sous vide bag and then seal. Sous Vide the breast: Place the sealed turkey in the sous vide water bath and cook until pasteurized, which is usually 3 to 4 hours, depending temperature used, but can go several hours longer.