Turkey wings substitutes

The traditional swap in Southern cooking and, for many cooks, the original. A hock gives you the same three things smoked turkey wings give: salt, smoke and collagen that thickens the pot liquor. The difference is that pork is sweeter and fattier, so greens cooked with a hock taste richer and glossier, where smoked turkey is leaner and cleaner-tasting.

Best for

Collard and mustard greens, Black-eyed peas, Pinto and lima beans, Rice and peas, Split pea soup

Simmer at least 90 minutes so the collagen releases. Both hocks and smoked turkey are very salty, so do not salt the pot until the end.

The closest possible match, same bird and same smoke, and usually sitting right next to the wings in the same case. Necks are the best value because they are almost pure collagen and bone and give the most body to a pot liquor, while smoked turkey legs give more actual meat to pick and shred. Flavor is essentially identical.

Best for

Greens, Beans, Soup, Gumbo, Rice dishes, Gravy

Smoked turkey products vary a lot in saltiness by brand. Taste the cooking liquid before you add any salt or bouillon.

The swap when the wings are the dinner rather than the seasoning. Turkey thighs and drumsticks are the same dark, firm, deeply savory meat, and they braise into the same fall-apart texture. There is more meat and proportionally less skin and collagen, so the braising liquid ends up a little thinner and less naturally glossy than a wing braise, which is easily fixed with a small cornstarch slurry.

Best for

Braised turkey dinner, Smothered turkey with gravy, Roasting, Stew

Braise at 325F for about 2 to 2.5 hours to 185F, similar to wings. Thighs have a large central bone; drumsticks have tendons that firm up if undercooked, so give them the full time.

Everywhere available and a fine swap for a braise, though the character shifts. Chicken dark meat is milder, softer and sweeter than turkey, so a smothered chicken dish tastes lighter and less robust than the turkey version. The bigger change is timing: chicken is tender in 45 minutes rather than two hours, so a recipe written for turkey wings will turn chicken to mush if you follow it literally.

Best for

Smothered braises, Baked in gravy, Stew, Rice dishes

Cut the braising time to about 45 minutes and check at 35. For seasoning a pot of greens, chicken is a poor choice because it lacks the smoke and collagen; use smoked meat or bacon instead.

The pantry answer for greens or beans. Bacon delivers the salt, smoke and fat and it is fast, but it brings almost no collagen, so the pot liquor stays thin rather than developing the slightly viscous body a smoked wing gives. A pinch of smoked paprika deepens the smoke, and the finished pot tastes distinctly porky and sweeter than a turkey version.

Best for

Collard greens, Beans, Cabbage, Quick weeknight versions

Render the bacon first and cook the onion in the fat, then add the greens. If you want body, add a splash of chicken stock rather than water.

The route to smoky vegan greens or beans, and it gets you closer than you would expect on flavor while missing the body entirely. It tastes properly smoky and savory but stays thin and lean, with none of the mouthcoating richness the wings provide. A tablespoon of olive oil or a spoonful of tahini adds back some of that weight.

Best for

Vegan greens, Vegan black-eyed peas, Vegetarian gumbo

Liquid smoke is powerful and turns acrid if overused; three drops for a large pot is plenty. Add a teaspoon of soy sauce for savory depth and a splash of vinegar at the end for balance.