Why You Will Love This Slow-Baked Southern Smothered Turkey Recipe
If you grew up eating soul food, this Slow-Baked Southern Smothered Turkey Recipe is going to feel like home. The turkey wings bake low and slow until they’re incredibly tender, while the onions, peppers, garlic, and creamy gravy create the most flavorful sauce to spoon over rice. It’s also one of my favorite meals because it’s mostly hands-off. After a little prep, the oven does all the work while you spend time with your family, catch up around the house, or simply relax. Serve these Smothered Turkey Wings with fluffy white rice and my Southern Collard Greens for a meal that tastes just like Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
- Turkey: Three pounds of fresh turkey wings. We start by cutting the drumette from the flat (and discarding or saving the wing tips for stock) so they lay flat and bake evenly.
- Red & Yellow bell peppers: One red and one yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips to add a sweet, colorful crunch that melts into the gravy.
- Yellow onion & Garlic: One large sliced yellow onion and three minced garlic cloves to create our rich aromatic base.
- Cream of chicken soup: One 26-ounce can. This acts as the creamy foundation for our savory pan gravy.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: Two cups of broth whisked into the soup to thin it out into a smooth, pourable sauce.
- The Seasoning Blend: A heavy-hitting soul food spice mix featuring onion powder, garlic powder, chicken bouillon, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Tony Chachere’s Spice N Herbs Creole seasoning, and paprika.
How to Make Slow-Baked Southern Smothered Turkey
Start by prepping your turkey wings. Use a knife or kitchen shears to separate the wings into sections, cutting the drumette away from the flat joint and trimming off the wing tips. Rinse and pat the pieces completely dry with paper towels, then preheat your oven to 375°F.
In a small bowl, combine all your seasonings (the onion powder, garlic powder, chicken bouillon, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Tony’s Creole seasoning, and paprika). Sprinkle the seasoning blend over your turkey, making sure to use your hands to massage those spices deep into every single crevice of the meat.
Arrange the turkey wings in a single layer inside a large baking dish. Cover the top of the wings evenly with your sliced red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, yellow onion, and minced garlic.
Whisk together the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth until smooth. Growing up, my mom always called mixtures like this her “concoction,” so that’s exactly what we’re making here. Pour it all over the turkey wings and vegetables.
Cover the baking dish with foil and let it slow-bake in the oven at 375°F for 3 hours. During the last 20 minutes, remove the foil so the turkey can brown slightly while the gravy thickens. Once done, serve with rice and collard greens!
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Tips for the Best Slow-Baked Southern Smothered Turkey
- Don’t rush the cooking time. Low and slow is what makes these turkey wings so tender.
- Use Low-Sodium Broth. Since canned cream soups, bouillon, and Creole seasoning already contain salt, using a low-sodium chicken broth gives you complete control so your final gravy doesn’t turn out overly salty.
Variations & Substitutions
- If you run out of cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup are good alternatives.
- You can easily swap out the turkey wings for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks! Just adjust the covered baking time down to about 1 hour and 15 minutes since chicken cooks much faster than large turkey wings.
Other Recipes You Will Love
If you loved this, you have to try my:
Slow-Baked Southern Smothered Turkey Wings
Description
Tender Smothered Turkey Wings baked low and slow in a creamy, flavorful gravy with onions, peppers, and garlic. A true Southern comfort food classic.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cut the turkey wings to separate the drumettes from the flats.
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Combine the onion powder, garlic powder, chicken bouillon, black pepper, red pepper flakes, Tony's Creole seasoning, and paprika in a bowl. Rub the spice blend thoroughly over the turkey wing pieces until fully covered.
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Arrange the seasoned wings in a large baking dish. Top with the sliced bell peppers, yellow onion, and minced garlic.
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Whisk the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth together in a bowl until smooth. Pour the mixture over the wings and vegetables.
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Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 3 hours. Uncover the dish and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and the gravy is bubbling.
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Serve with collard greens and rice!
Nutrition Facts
Servings 5
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 540kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 26g40%
- Saturated Fat 8g40%
- Cholesterol 145mg49%
- Sodium 980mg41%
- Total Carbohydrate 18g6%
- Dietary Fiber 2g8%
- Sugars 4g
- Protein 52g104%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
