MoNika asked us how to cook turkey tail. Here is the exact comment she sent to us. “My husband brought home packages of turkey tails. Now Im a southern girl and will cook just about anything (as long as Ive heard about it). I have never heard of turkey tail being separated from the actual turkey itself and sold. How do you cook it and what are some suggested sides?”.
Turkey tails are an underrated and budget-friendly cut of meat that, when prepared properly can be exceptionally delicious. With the right techniques these odd-looking pieces transform into tender, juicy morsels brimming with rich flavor.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to cook mouthwatering oven-baked turkey tails, from start to finish. You’ll learn handy tips for choosing the best tails, proper prep and seasoning methods, ideal cooking times and temperatures, and even creative recipe ideas to please any palate.
Follow these simple steps, and you’ll be rewarded with succulent oven-roasted turkey tails to enjoy as a main dish, appetizer, or addition to your favorite sides Let’s get cooking!
Selecting Fresh, High-Quality Turkey Tails
When shopping for turkey tails, keep an eye out for ones that:
- Have a fresh, pinkish color without any off odors or sliminess
- Feel plump and firm to the touch
- Are individually packaged for maximum freshness
Vacuum-sealed tails from the butcher counter are ideal. Avoid tails with excessive fat or a shriveled appearance. Opting for quality tails from the start makes a big difference in the final flavor and texture.
Prepping Turkey Tails for the Oven
Proper prep is the key to infusing flavor and ensuring even cooking. Here’s how to get those tails oven-ready:
- Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels
- Trim off any excess skin or fat
- Apply a light coat of oil to encourage browning
- Generously season with salt, pepper, and spices of your choice
- For extra flavor, marinate the tails 1-2 days in advance
Calculating the Cook Time
Turkey tails require low, slow oven cooking to reach tender, fall-off-the-bone perfection. When roasted at 350°F, plan on:
- 2 to 2 1⁄2 hours for tail sections 2 inches thick or smaller
- Up to 3 hours for larger, meatier tails
Use a meat thermometer to confirm the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Mastering the Oven Bake Technique
These expert baking tips lead to superior turkey tail results:
- Preheat the oven fully before cooking
- Place tails on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet to promote air circulation
- Baste frequently with pan juices or marinade every 30 minutes
- Brush with barbecue sauce toward the end for extra flavor
- Allow to rest 5-10 minutes before serving
Creative Seasoning Ideas
Beyond basic salt and pepper, try these easy seasoning mixes:
- Cajun – cayenne, paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder
- Italian – basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel, garlic powder
- BBQ – chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, mustard, smoked paprika
- Asian – ginger, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, red pepper flakes
Marinating overnight draws the most flavor into the meat.
Satisfying Turkey Tail Recipe Ideas
Ready to move beyond basic roasted turkey tails? Explore these full-flavored oven-baked variations:
Sweet and Smoky BBQ Turkey Tails
Glazed with a homemade barbecue sauce, these tails strike the perfect balance of savory, tangy, and sweet.
Ingredients:
- Turkey tails
- 1⁄2 cup ketchup
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1⁄2 tsp onion powder
Instructions:
- Combine sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Roast tails at 350°F for 2-2 1⁄2 hours, basting with sauce during last 30 minutes.
- Bake until sauce is sticky and tails reach 165°F.
Crispy Buffalo Turkey Tails
These oven-fried tails get coated in a creamy, spicy buffalo sauce for the ultimate game day snack.
Ingredients:
- Turkey tails
- 1⁄2 cup hot sauce
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 1⁄4 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing
Instructions:
- Roast plain tails in oven until just cooked through, about 2 hours.
- Toss hot sauce and melted butter to coat tails.
- Finish baking 20 mins more until crispy.
- Serve with dipping sauce for cooling contrast.
Get creative with your own signature marinades and spice blends! Properly oven-baked turkey tails make for a memorable, delicious meal.
Let’s Get Cooking!
Now you have all the tools to cook juicy, flavorful turkey tails right in your own oven. Satisfy savory cravings with tender oven-roasted turkey tails. Impress your family at the next gathering, or keep all the tasty meat for yourself! Either way, you’ll come back tail-ing for more.
Turkey Tail Stir Fry
By: AnonymousÂ
Ingredients:
- 4-5 turkey tails
- 2 medium sized carrots, thinly sliced
- 2-3 stalks of celery, cut into 1/4 inch slices
- 3/4 c. of sliced mushrooms (button or abalone)
- 3/4 cup of thinly sliced wood ears
- 1 tablespoon of finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of finely minced ginger
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon of finely minced parsley
- 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon of tapioca or corn starch
- 1-1/2 cups of broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- sugar to taste
- 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
- sesame seed oil
Cooking procedure:
- Simmer the turkey tails for about an hour. Drain and cool. Cut the meat into 1/2 inch slices. Put them on an oven rack about an inch apart and season with salt and paper Place a container underneath to catch the fat. Grill in the oven until well-browned. If necessary, turn over to brown the other side.
- While the turkey tails brown, prepare the stir fry.
- Heat the cooking oil in a wok. Saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the sliced onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms. Stir fry for a few minutes. Season with salt, pepper and a little sugar. Disperse the starch in the broth. Add the oyster sauce and a little over a teaspoon of sesame seed oil.
- Drain the turkey tail slices on several layers of kitchen paper that can soak up the water. Add to the cooked vegetables. Toss a few times. Serve at once. Â .
What our other visitors said about How to cook turkey tail
Turkey Tails and Shells (By: Anonymous)Â
- Turkey tails
- Macaroni
- Chopped collard greens
Bake turkey tails with onion. Season to taste. Add macaroni shells. When macaroni is almost done, add chopped collard greens or any other greens. Add hot water as needed. Bake at 350 degrees in covered roaster pan or pan covered with foil until done.
Cooked Turkey Tails (By: Texcangal) – I found a package of turkey tails, which are what we used to call “pope’s nose” back home. It was always my favorite part of the turkey so I picked it up. Just put them on a rack in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour and season them with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and thyme. Â They turned out golden brown and crispy and tasted like they were attached to the whole bird. Â.
Turkey Sashimi (By: Anonymous): Put tails in boiling water for 5–6 seconds and then put them right into a bath of ice water. Separate meat from tail bone. Cut the meat into thin slices in the style of Julianne and add them to soy sauce that has ginger, minced garlic, a little rice vinegar, and toasted sesame seeds. Â.
How to Cook Turkey Tail (By: SASSY) -Â I am a southern lady, i love turkey tails. I bake them. When I cook collard greens I use the smoke turkey tails for my seasoning.
One reason I love cooking with turkey tails is that I learned how to do it when I was young. I use Turkey tails in my greens. I love the flavor. Turkey tails are more tasty than pork meat and they are better for you, even with the fat. During the holidays the stories run out of turkey tails very fast.
Prepare it (By: Anonymous): Begin by making big cuts on both sides of the tip in the thickest part of the tail. Next boil, then simmer the tails in a pot of salted water until the tails are tender. Drain and cool. Marinate overnight in your favorite sauce or dressing (italian, char siu, teriyaki, etc. ) then grill or bake to reheat. Â.
Greens and smoked turkey tails (By: Anonymous): Smoked turkey tails are the only way I know how to make greens. Boil pot of water with chopped onions and garlic salt (or season of choice). Place clean tails in a pot and boil for about an hour. Then add your choice of clean, chopped greens. Cook for another hour. Enjoy!Â.
Anonymous said, “Can’t do everything with turkey tails.” I really, really like these things! Turkey tails have become one of my favorite meats to season or just eat by themselves. I also enjoy them in gumbo, red beans and rice, and turkey tails that are really tender. To do this, I season them with garlic cloves, a little salt, pepper, and a chicken bouillon cube. I cook for about 40 minutes on medium high heat with 1/4 pot or little more water. I also like turkey tails with my greens. But I wouldn’t want to gourmet these things at all, because that would make them taste bad. These are not meant to be gourmet in my opinion but to each its own. People who like to eat hot dogs with tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles on them make me think of this. But, hey, to each their own.
Turkey Tails Smoked (By: SLUGGO) – We bought 5 pounds of fresh turkey tails and want to know how to smoke them. Do you brine them and smoke in a water smoker?Â.
Baked turkey tail (By: Linda) - Baked turkey tails has been my favorite meat. If cooked the right way, they are so tender and tasty. Its import that you learn how to cook turkey tail. I cook them this way: Cut turkey tails in half and lay them in a foiled baking pan. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, (or white sugar), oyster sauce, regular soy sauce and pepper. Pour them on the turkey tails and marinate for 30 minutes. Bake them at 350 degrees for an hour and half. Turn them over half way. Once tender, increase the temperature to 400 degrees for a few more minutes until each side turns brown. They have a percentage of water in them so oil and water will accumulate in the pan. Just Remove them from the oil. Enjoy!
Wonderful turkey tails recipe (By: Jay Didit) - I love them a lot. I just boil them for about one hour and forty-five minutes with onions, crushed red peppers, black pepper, and seasoning salt. Best to me with some good buttered rice. Â.
As someone else said, roasted turkey tail is one of my favorite parts of the bird. I wash them, dry them, and put them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast at 350 for about an hour. Talk about crispy ski and tender meat. You can save the pan dripping and make gravy–to use or to save for Thanksgiving. Â.
Tolie asked, “Where are the turkey tails?” Anyone know where I can find them in Texas? I’m from the west coast and haven’t been able to find them in the stores I always go to. As other people have already said, turkey tails can be eaten by themselves (smoked ones are best for this) or with beans and greens. Anything that you would normally season with pork meat, you can substitute and use the turkey tails. They are good boiled or baked. It’s best to cook with smoked turkey tails, but regular turkey tails are also good after being saline for five days (drain the water every day). Thanks to all the information here, I now know how to cook turkey tail.
Anonymous said, “Turkey tail is so good. I cook greens and green beans with them. Boil them for about an hour with onions and any seasonings you like. Add enough water to cover them while they’re boiling, then add the greens and green beans.” sooooo delicious. enjoyÂ.
Smoked Turkey Tails (By: Anonymous) - I like Smoked Turkey Tails. Because its the last part that went over the fence! Other then that. They are great cooked with Collar Greens in a Pressure Cooker.
Roasted Tails (By: Anonymous) - Sprinkle tails with favorite poultry seasoning. Roast for 1 hour at 350F on screen — tails will release a lot of fat. Serve with seasoned wild rice mixture and asparagus. Â.
Slow cooker turkey tails are delicious (By: Condo Cook) - I love these turkey tails. they are absolutely yummy. I used salt, pepper, liquid smoke, and a little hot sauce to season the turkey tails because they had a lot of fat and water in them. The broiled them until they were crispy turning once. Then I put them into the slow cooker on low til they fall  apart. How long? At least 2 hrs til tender. You can add a layer of hot sauce goodness to the mix. Enjoy!.
Anonymous’s recipe for turkey tails with collard greens and half a head of cabbage is delicious. I also like them with beans. In both cases I just cant get enough.
By Kisha Davis: “Hi there, I’m from dirty Jersey. Just saying that my turkey tails taste so damn good it makes you want to slap your mama, and I’ll be damn if anyone slaps mines. Just saying that a little pepper, a small piece of butter, and a dab of basil or oregano leaves me. I cook it on high for an hour, and then the water boils down. I add more water twice, because we don’t need all that grease. I then turn it on low and put the lid on for thirty minutes. I add the baby lima beans and let all the juices boil down. There is no salt in my water. After ten minutes, you can taste it and see why I’m called the pressure cooker queen. God bless you all and happy new year! Coming straight from Jersey yaheard mea. Peace love and respect to all.
I keep it simple (By: Anonymous) -Â I keep it simple. Turkey tails simmered in onions, favorite BBQ sauce and fresh garlic with a toss of curry powered. 425 degrees 45 minutes and broil 5-10 for crispness.
Wonderful! Turkey tails are GREAT!! (By: Anonymous) I’m 70 years old and have been eating turkey tails for 50 years. I slice them next to the bone on both sides to open them up. Pressure cook for 15 minutes. Lay out on a cookie sheet and brown them until crisp. Last 10 minutes add BBQ, Sweet and sour, what ever sauce you like. Dipping sauce is good also. The tails are LOADED with fat, boiling removes a lot of fat but keeps the flavor. I buy smoked tails when I can find them, they are the best. I can remember driving 50 miles back in 1970 to buy them, they were not too popular. They are best bought in a store that has a lot of southern-style meats and other foods. The southern folks know what tastes good thats for sure. Â.
How to make roast turkey tails in your oven #easyrecipes #BBQturkeytails
FAQ
How long does it take for turkey tails to get tender?
How long does it take to cook a turkey in the oven at 350 degrees?
What do you do with a turkey tail?
How do you cook a turkey tail in the oven?
Wash the turkey tails and pat dry with paper towels. Use tweezers to pull off any visible quill ends of the feathers. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Sprinkle with chopped herbs (optional). Place turkey tails on a rack over a foil-lined baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for about an hour.
What are the health benefits of turkey tail mushrooms?
Turkey tail is a medicinal mushroom. It has many health benefits. Turkey tail contains huge variety of anti-oxidants. It has powerful anti-oxidants which boosts the immunity. It also help to treat the cancer. But few people may be allergic to mushrooms. They should avoid this variety of turkey tail mushroom as well.
How do you cook turkey tails on a grill?
Heat Grill: Heat your grill to 250-275F degrees with an indirect heat zone. Season: After an hour, remove the tails from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Season all over with about 1 tablespoon of turkey rub. Smoke: Add the turkey tails to the smoker over indirect heat skin-side up and smoke for about 2 1/2 hours.
How do you cook a smoked turkey tail?
Place the smoked turkey tails in a large roasting pan. Stir the garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme into the sauce, and pour it over the Turkey Tails. Cover pot with lid or aluminum foil and let cook for 2½ hours. Uncover and stir smoked turkey tails. Replace cover and let cook for another hour.
How do you cook a turkey tail in a wok?
Heat the olive oil in a wok. Sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the sliced onion, carrot, celery and bell peppers. Stir fry for a few minutes. Season with salt, pepper and a little sugar. Disperse the starch in the broth. Stir in the oyster sauce. Drain the turkey tail slices on several layers of absorbent kitchen paper.
Is a side dish of baked turkey tails good?
Baked turkey tails make a great side dish during holiday feasts. They are sold as turkey tail packages at many grocery stores and are full of fat and extra flavor. You can make them even crispier by baking in the oven.