Roast Turkey Wings: A Budget Friendly, Flavour Packed Dinner Alternative

Wednesday, 28 January 2026

If you’re still firmly in the camp that chicken wings are the undisputed kings of the barbecued finger foods, I’m here to convince you otherwise. For years, no BBQ was complete without chicken wings, until recently I discovered the heavy-hitting, flavour-packed deliciousness of the roast turkey wing. And best of all, there was no need to even fire up the grill, because the oven was where all the magic took place.

While chicken wings are fine, they can sometimes feel like a lot of work for a very small reward. Turkey wings, on the other hand, are more of a main event. They offer a much more satisfying meat-to-bone ratio, and a deeper, richer flavour that stands up beautifully to bold seasonings. If chicken wings feel like more of a snack, turkey wings are a feast. They’re heartier, juicier, and infinitely more impressive when you pull a tray of them sizzling out of the oven.

I buy the prepacked turkey wings, there are usually six or seven in a pack for around $15. I’ve also made soup with them, think chicken noodle soup but again, much more flavour.

What you need:

• Approx. 1.5kg turkey wings (separate the flats from the leg pieces if they aren’t already).
• The liquid gold: extra virgin olive oil.
• Dry seasoning: plenty of salt and cracked black pepper. I also make my own ras el hanout* (see notes below) so I used that, but any combo of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano is fine, in any quantity that looks good to you. Some Old Bay seasoning would be perfect if you like a bit of heat.
• Aromatics: 2 lemons, one for roasting in the tin and one for marinating; and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme.
• The veggies: I used about six potatoes peeled and quartered, a couple of red onions halved, corn cobs, and broccolini. Obviously go with whatever you feel like, but the magic of roast potatoes is a must for me.

The Method:

1. Seasoning: Preheat your oven to 220C. Wipe the wings with paper towel, and in a large bowl, toss the wings with some oil, juice of one lemon, and all the dry seasoning ingredients. Mix with your hands until the wings are well coated.
2. Into the pan: I use a large round enamel baking dish* (see notes below) and line it with baking paper. Lay out the wings in a single layer, make sure the bottom has enough olive oil oozing around, and roast uncovered on high heat for twenty to thirty minutes. Give the pan a spin halfway through so everything browns evenly.
3. Roast: Remove from the oven and drop the temperature to 180C. Add the veegtables that will take the longest (I added potatoes, corn and onions, leaving the broccolini for later), as well as some lemon halves. Make sure everything is nicely spread out, and cover tightly with foil. Roast for an hour. This kind-of-a-braise stage makes everything super flavourful and tender.
4. The final crisp: Remove the foil, basting the wings with the juices from the bottom of the pan. Add the broccolini or any other quick cooking veg, and crank the heat to 220C. Blast it for about ten to fifteen minutes more.

Notes:

• During the covered cooking time the lemon halves, olive oil, and pan juices make the most amazing sauce, especially for the potatoes to cook in. Please don’t skip the lemons!
• I purchased a 40cm round enamel baking dish known as a “tepsija” online, because I always love how much nicer our roasts are in Croatia using the one my mother in law has there (it’s also better produce but that’s a whole other story). This is the one I purchased from the site Meze Hub (linked here), and a quick search of “tepsija” on Amazon offered up lots of options, including sets of various sized pans.
• Making your own spice mixes can save a lot of time if you tend to use the same combination of spices and seasonings. Plus you can customise it to your exact taste!