Fried Turkey Wings With Cranberry Glaze
4.4
(7)

Love turkey but don’t want to cook a whole bird this Thanksgiving? Have you always been curious about deep-fried turkey but intimidated by the equipment required? These crispy fried turkey wings don’t require a turkey fryer and are ideal for a smaller gathering. The buttermilk brine makes them extra juicy while the flour dredge creates the crunchiest possible exterior. The tangy and flavorful cranberry glaze adds tons of umami thanks to a secret ingredient: soy sauce.
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What you’ll need
Small Saucepan
$220 At Amazon
Dutch Oven, 5.5 Quarts
$420 At Amazon
Instant-Read Thermometer
$69 At Thermapen
12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs
$16 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
5 hours
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
Wings
Sauce and assembly
Special equipment
Preparation
Wings
Step 1
Stir buttermilk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to combine. Add turkey wings to buttermilk brine (make sure they are submerged). Cover and chill at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
Sauce and assembly
Step 2
Cook cranberry sauce, orange juice, and soy sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat, breaking up cranberry sauce with a whisk, until cranberry sauce is melted and mixture is reduced slightly, 8–10 minutes. Season cranberry glaze with salt and let cool.
Step 3
Fit a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot with thermometer. Pour in oil to come 3" up sides. Heat over medium-high until thermometer registers 325°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels; set a wire rack inside baking sheet.
Step 4
Whisk flour, pepper, and 2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large shallow bowl.
Step 5
Using tongs, remove wings from brine, letting excess drip back into bowl, and place on a large plate. Spoon 3 Tbsp. brine into flour mixture and rub in with your fingers until mixture is the texture of coarse meal with some larger pieces; discard remaining brine.
Step 6
Working one at a time, dredge wings in flour mixture, turning to coat completely and pressing to adhere. Shake off excess and transfer wings to another large plate or baking sheet.
Step 7
Carefully slide wings into pot and fry, undisturbed, adjusting heat as needed to maintain temperature, until deep golden brown and crisp underneath, 6–8 minutes. Turn over and fry until deep golden brown on the other side and cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into each piece should register 165°), about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to prepared rack and let cool slightly.
Step 8
Using tongs, dip wings in cranberry glaze, turning to coat, then arrange on a platter. Sprinkle parsley over.