Cranberry Glazed Turkey Wings

Sometimes roasting a whole turkey for the holidays can be too much, and sometimes, you just need to change things up a little! These Cranberry Glazed Turkey Wings are affordable, easy to prepare, much faster than a whole turkey, and more importantly, smothered in an easy homemade sweet and sticky cranberry sauce!

I grew up in a home where a whole roasted turkey was the norm. There was a whole roasted turkey for every celebration. And, in between celebrations, if there wasn’t a whole turkey, then there was certainly my mom’s version of Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs. This year, I wanted to try something a little different. I love lots of sauce, so creating these Cranberry Glazed Turkey Wings in a thick, sweet, and sticky sauce was a given!

It’s odd, but even during the holidays, it can be difficult to find turkey wings where I live. But, two years ago, I found a somewhat local grocer that tends to have fresh turkey wings in stock at all times. I don’t go to that grocer often, but whenever I do, I tend to buy all of the wings they have in the cooler. Many times I’ll prepare just one or two wings for myself for dinner. I simply season them and bake them – no sauce, no extra fuss. Served with a salad, I’m good to go!

On other ocassions however, I crave large, juicy wings that are swimming in sauce. When chicken wings just don’t cut it, I reach for turkey wings. They can prepared the exact same way you would bake chicken wings, with the exception of needing 5-10 minutes more baking time. And, unlike chicken wings, you only need two pieces of turkey wings for a filling and hearty serving!

SOMETIMES A WHOLE TURKEY IS TOO MUCH

My partner, John.e is a vegetarian, and since we don’t live close to any of our family members, oftentimes, it’s just him, me, and my daughter, McKenna for the holidays. And, because of her university and work schedule, we don’t often get together for thanksgiving and easter, but Christmas is an absolute must! So, rather than roast a whole turkey for just me, I opt for a few legs and thighs just so that I don’t feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick. That way, I have lots of leftovers as well.

We do limit turkey dinners to Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day though.  I’ll never give that up!  I’ll roast a store-bought Tofurkey for John.e and depending on how I feel, either a whole turkey or turkey wings/drumsticks for McKenna and myself. And, of course, we will all share the sides.

I prepared this recipe back in the summer using my homemade cranberry sauce, but I also tested the recipe with canned chunky cranberry sauce and it works perfectly. When I finished photographing the images you see here, I kept a couple of these wings for myself and packaged up the rest for my good friend, Eileen. She said they were delicious!

MORE TURKEY RECIPES

One of my personal favourites are these absolutely delicious Smoked Turkey Legs. I wish I could make them over and over again, but I no longer have my smoker. Maybe some day I’ll get another one! Also, you cannot beat the timeless classic simplicity of a Whole Roasted Turkey whether it’s for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any day you like! My mom loved to roast a turkey and would do so at least 6-8 times a year.

When it comes to turkey wings, you can try these Honey Garlic Turkey Wings. But, if turkey legs and thighs are more your thing, you cannot beat these Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs.

If you have leftover turkey, try my 30 Minute Turkey Teriyaki, or this Crack Turkey Salad, this Bacon and Turkey Panini, or finally, my homemade Leftover Turkey Soup!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Turkey Wings – For this recipe you will need 4 whole wings. Use a knife to separate the drumette from the wingette. Cut away the tip and discard it or save it to make turkey stock.
• Salt – This recipe looks like it has a lot of salt, but don’t worry, turkey needs to be very well seasoned.
• Ground Black Pepper
• Cornstarch – The turkey pieces are tossed lightly in this and when baked, it will create a light and crispy skin.
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray
• Cranberry Sauce – I used the chunky kind, but you can use the smooth or jelly type too.
• Cranberry Juice
• Orange Juice
• Sugar
• Orange Zest

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY GLAZED TURKEY WINGS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and generously coat the baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Set the separated turkey pieces into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle over the salt and ground black pepper. Toss the pieces to coat and season evenly. Next, sprinkle in the cornstarch and toss the turkey pieces once again to coat in the cornstarch. If you need more cornstarch, you can add a bit more, but you don’t need much – just a light dusting.

Transfer the turkey wings to the prepared baking sheet and arrange them in a single layer. Use two baking sheets if needed. Bake the turkey pieces for 45-60 minutes. The baking time will depend on the size of your individual wings. A meat thermometer should read 175 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the drumette. Be sure to not touch the bone with the thermometer! Once fully cooked remove from the oven.

While the turkey is in the oven, make the glaze. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a large skillet and stir to combine over medium heat. Bring the glaze to a low boil and cook for 5-7 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Turn off the heat and set the glaze aside. Once the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and transfer the pieces to the skillet with the cranberry glaze. Toss the turkey pieces with the glaze until the turkey is well coated. Plate, garnish, and serve immediately.

O CRANBERRY, CRANBERRY, WHEREFORE ART THOU CRANBERRY?

Have you been reading my blog for any length of time? If you have, you will already be aware of what I’m about to discuss. If you haven’t, it’s important that you understand how frustrating it can be to be a food blogger at times. Food bloggers are always working ahead of schedule. When it comes to Christmas recipes, for example, we are baking cakes and cookies as early as September!

We do this so that we can test the recipes to make sure that they will work for you at home. The recipes need to be plated and styled. Photographs need to be taken. We have to write up the post and make sure we please the folks at Google, otherwise, our recipes run the risk of being buried in cyberspace somewhere. There are many other steps that I’m skipping here, but all of it is to say that we need the time to get the recipes out to you a few weeks before you need them.

Now, as a huge fan of Christmas baking – the 300+ Christmas recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen are proof of that – there’s one thing that frustrates me every single year. There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! Luckily, here in Ontario, we happen to have a little town called Bala, which is the cranberry capital of Ontario. It makes finding them during the off-season a little easier!

MAKE YOUR OWN CRANBERRY SAUCE AT HOME

For these Cranberry Glazed Turkey Wings, you want chunky cranberry sauce. If you can’t find the canned variety in stores, it’s very easy to make your own if you happen to have fresh cranberries on hand. Most of the fresh cranberries I find in grocery stores come in a bag that usually weighs about twelve ounces. I like to wash the cranberries well under cold running water before using them.

Scoop out a whole cup of the cranberries and set them aside. Transfer the rest to a saucepan with one cup of granulated sugar, two tablespoons of water, and the zest from half an orange. Cook everything together over low heat, keeping in mind to stir often, for ten minutes.

Increase the heat to medium. The sauce will come to a boil and the cranberries will burst open. This will take about another ten minutes. At this point, reduce the heat to low and add the cup of cranberries you had previously set aside. Stir them in and turn off the heat. Set aside to cool. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!