What Are Stuffed Turkey Wings And How Do You Make Them?
While chicken wings are a loud and proud addition to every game day, turkey wings are an underused alternative. And, stuffed turkey wings? Essentially unheard of unless you live in the southern U.S., particularly Louisiana.
Stuffed turkey wings are a rural, Creole dish prepared with Creole or Cajun seasonings and cooked over the course of many hours. This dish is a bit higher maintenance than chicken wings but oh-so worth it. Plus, you get all the warmth of Thanksgiving dinner from the cooked turkey with only a fraction of the effort of cooking a whole bird.
Of course, just like a Thanksgiving dinner spread, every stuffed turkey wing recipe is different. Some people stuff the turkey wing with cooked veggies or sofrito, and others use a cornbread dressing for stuffing. One thing's for certain, though –- no matter which ingredients you stuff your turkey wing with, you can't go wrong with a low-and-slow cook.
The general process for making stuffed turkey wings
As previously mentioned, the possibilities for stuffed turkey wing recipes are endless. That being said, most of them follow a very similar set of instructions. For instance, if you plan on deboning your wings, you should do so before actually getting into the stuffing.
Once your turkey wings are cleaned and seasoned (traditionally with Creole or Cajun seasonings, but you can also season to personal preference), you can cook up your veggies or cornbread or whatever else you want to stuff your wings with. Some recipes may call for you to brown your wings before stuffing them, but others may say to stuff your wings prior to any sort of cooking. Most recipes will then instruct you to bake the wings until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
When it comes time to serve your stuffed turkey wings, you can do so with the wings as a stand-alone dish or you can serve them with gravy and white rice. You can also serve your wings atop a homemade jambalaya. Of course, on the other end of the spectrum, you can pair your stuffed wings with the usual Thanksgiving fare.