Grilled Turkey Wings with BBQ Sauce – Cooking With Fire
If you like chicken wings but wish there was more meat on them, try these grilled turkey wings. Six turkey wings split in half into flats and drums, no tips. Rubbed with poultry seasoning and grilled at 350°F, rotating as needed, until they reach an internal temp of 185°F. That is higher than you would take a chicken wing, but it is what makes turkey wings fall off the bone tender. BBQ sauce brushed on at the end, and one more minute on the grill. My Smoked Fried Turkey Wings are the other way I cook turkey wings.
I had some really big turkey wings. This will work with smaller ones, they will just take less time. Twelve turkey wing pieces will feed 4 to 6, or 3 if they are the big ones and everybody is hungry.
These are a game day cook, a Sunday cook, or the thing you make in November for the people who want turkey but not a whole bird.
Quick Look: Grilled Turkey Wings with BBQ Sauce
- Method: Split and season the wings. Grill at 350°F, rotating, until 185°F internal. Sauce the wings and grill 1 more minute
- Grill temp: 350°F
- Pull temp: 185°F internal. The USDA minimum for poultry is 165°F, and the extra 20 degrees is what makes the wings tender
- Time: 45 to 75 minutes for the wings I had. It depends on how big your wings are, so use a thermometer
- Serves: 4 to 6 from 12 pieces
- The one thing that matters most: Put the sauce on at the end, not the beginning. BBQ sauce will burn on your grill before the turkey wings are tender if it is on the whole cook
Chicken wings take about 30 minutes on the grill. Here is how I cook those: Grilled Chicken Wings. Turkey wings take twice as long and feed twice as many, and they come off the grill with the same crispy skin if you give them the time.
Why This Recipe
- They are turkey wings. If you want chicken wings, use chicken wings. But these have at least 3 to 4 times the amount of meat. A drum alone could be a meal for some.
- Split in half. By splitting the wing you have even sized pieces of meat to cook. Everything cooks at the same time and temp, and every piece fits on the grate without hanging over the edge.
- Taken to 185°F. Because there is more meat on the wings, you want to take them hotter than you would chicken wings. That is how you get tender meat instead of chewy meat.
- Rotated on the grill. As they cook, turn them over so all sides get heat and no side gets scorched. The drums especially need it, since the thick end sits closer to the grate.
- BBQ sauce at the end. You don’t want to burn the sauce. Once the wings reach 185°F, put the sauce on and give them a minute to become sticky.
Twelve pieces, one bottle of sauce, one grill. There is not much to it, which is why they get made more than once. The only thing you have to get right is the temperature, and the thermometer does that for you.
Key Ingredients
For the Grilled Turkey Wings
- Turkey wings. Six turkey wings cut into flats and drums. I had 12 pieces of turkey wing from my 6 wings. I didn’t use the wing tips. If you have smaller turkey wings, follow the same steps with less time on the grill.
- Poultry seasoning. Whatever you like, to taste. Season them like you would any chicken wing and cover all sides. Any rub you would put on a chicken works here.
- BBQ sauce. Whatever you like, to taste. You want enough to coat all of the wings and some for the table. A thicker sauce clings better than a thin one.
That’s it. The turkey wings do most of the work. If you want to add more flavor, see the tips below about brining and injecting. Look for wings with the skin intact, since torn skin dries out over an hour on the grill.
Substitutions or Additions
- Chicken wings. Follow the same directions. Cook at 350°F and take them off at 175 to 185°F internal. Should take about 30 to 40 minutes. See my Honey Chipotle Smoked Chicken Wings for the smoker version.
- Turkey drumsticks. You can use these too. Just know they will take longer to cook. Same 350°F, same 185°F internal. See my Fall-Apart Smoked Turkey Legs.
- Smoke the wings. Put them on your smoker at 250°F until they reach 185°F internal, then finish them on the grill with the BBQ sauce. My Smoked Fried Turkey Wings smoke and then fry them instead.
- Rub only. You can skip the BBQ sauce if you like. Just rub the wings with your seasoning and let the skin carry it. Pull them at the same 185°F.
- Sweet and hot. Half BBQ sauce and half hot sauce stirred together before you brush. The sugar still goes tacky and the heat shows up at the end.
- Hot honey. Instead of BBQ sauce, or on top of it. The same hot honey I use on my Smoked Turkey Breast.
- Buffalo wings. Instead of BBQ sauce, toss your cooked wings in Buffalo sauce.
- Oven. Place the wings on a rack in the oven at 350°F. Cook until they reach 185°F internal. Add your BBQ sauce and finish under the broiler. You won’t get the grilled flavor.
How to Make Grilled Turkey Wings with BBQ Sauce (Step by Step)
Cut the wings in half. Separate each wing into the flat and the drum at the joint. Cut the tips off. I had 12 pieces of turkey wing from 6 turkey wings.
Season the wings. With your favorite poultry seasoning. Cover all sides.
Preheat to 350°F and put the wings on. I like to have two temps on my grill, a hot side and a cooler side, so the wings can move off direct heat if they are getting dark. Give them room on the grill and close the lid.
Rotate the wings. I rotate the wings every so often, about every 10 to 15 minutes, so all sides get heat.
Cook until 185°F internal. Use a thermometer to check the temp in the thickest part. It will take anywhere from 45 to 75 minutes depending on the size of your turkey wings.
Add the BBQ sauce. Once the wings reach 185°F internal, brush your BBQ sauce on all sides of the wings.
Give them one more minute. Let them cook on the grill for at least one more minute so the sauce becomes sticky.
Serve. Plate the wings and have more BBQ sauce on the side.
Remember, the internal temp you want your turkey wings to reach is 185°F. The USDA minimum for poultry is 165°F, so you are well past safe before you are at tender. If your wings are getting too dark on the outside before the temp reaches 185°F, move them off direct heat to cool down and let the inside catch up. You will know they are close when the meat starts pulling back from the end of the bone on the drums and the skin has gone from tight to loose. Probe anyway. On a wing this size the difference between 175 and 185 is a few minutes and a lot of chew. Here is what I cook next when I have chicken wings instead: Rotisserie Hot Honey Lime Chicken Wings.
Tips From Miguel
Brine the turkey wings. If you have time, brine your turkey wings before cooking them. My Brown Sugar Brined Smoked Turkey Breast has my brine.
Inject the turkey wings. You can also inject your turkey wings with a turkey injection. My Brown Butter Garlic & Herb Injected Fried Turkey has the injection I use on the whole bird, and it adds a lot of flavor to the turkey.
Leave them out to dry overnight. After seasoning your turkey wings, place them uncovered on a rack in your fridge overnight. When you are ready to grill them, pat them dry. This will help your skin be crispier when you grill them. Wet skin steams before it browns.
Don’t take them off too soon. Remember, these are turkey wings. They will take longer to cook than chicken wings. If you take them off the grill too early they will be chewy.
Put the BBQ sauce on at the end. The last minute or so on the grill is when you want to put your sauce on. Otherwise it will burn.
Have a cooler section on your grill. If your wings are getting too brown on the outside before they reach 185°F internal, move them to a cooler section of the grill until the inside catches up.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
- Reheat: In the oven at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or back on the grill. I like to brush them with more BBQ sauce when they go back on. The microwave makes the skin soft, so use it only if you have to.
- Make ahead: Split and season your turkey wings the night before and leave them uncovered in the fridge. Same as the tip above about drying them out, and it saves you the prep on the day. The sauce can be any bottle you already have.
Any leftover meat comes off the bone and goes into my Smoked Turkey Sliders.
More Turkey Recipes to Try
Grilled Turkey Wings with BBQ Sauce FAQs
What temperature do you want your turkey wings to reach?
You want your turkey wings to reach 185°F internal. This is 20 degrees above the USDA minimum for poultry, which is 165°F. The extra 20 degrees is what makes your turkey wings tender instead of chewy.
How long does it take to grill turkey wings?
About 45 to 75 minutes on a grill that is at 350°F. It will depend on the size of your turkey wings. Use a thermometer to check them and pull them at 185°F.
Should you cut turkey wings before grilling?
Yes. Separate the turkey wings into the flat and the drum at the joint, and cut the tip off. Even sized pieces cook evenly.
When do you put BBQ sauce on turkey wings?
At the end. Once they reach 185°F internal, brush on your sauce and give them one more minute on the grill so it gets sticky. Sauce on from the start will burn before the wings are done.
Do you need to brine turkey wings before grilling?
No. These were seasoned and grilled with no brine and came out tender at 185°F. A brine or an injection adds flavor and some insurance against drying out on a long cook, so do it if you have the time, and skip it if you don’t.
Can you grill turkey wings without cutting them?
Yes, but it will take longer for them to cook, and the flat will be done before the drum. Cut them into halves so they cook evenly.
Grilled Turkey Wings with BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Separate each wing into the flat and the drum at the joint. Cut off the wing tips. You will have 12 pieces.
- Season all the pieces generously with poultry seasoning on every side.
- Preheat the grill to 350°F with a cooler zone available. Lay the wings out with room between them and close the lid.
- Grill, rotating the wings every so often so every side gets heat, until they reach 185°F internal in the thickest part. Figure 45 to 75 minutes depending on size. If the skin is darkening before the inside is done, move them off direct heat.
- Brush BBQ sauce on all sides of the wings. Leave them on the grill at least one more minute so the sauce sets up and goes tacky.
- Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
