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Cajun Chicken Wing & Turkey Neck Boil (Seafoodless)

Listen, y'all! This Cajun Chicken Wing & Turkey Neck Boil ain't to be played with! Picture this: a classic Cajun boil, but we're flipping the script. Instead of seafood, we've got succulent chicken wings and juicy turkey necks, a nod to another Louisiana delicacy. This bag of flavor is popping with the perfect blend of fiery spices, tender potatoes, smoky sausage, and sweet corn, all simmering in a garlicky, spiced broth that's so good. And to put the icing on the cake, or should I say, the butter in the boil - I've got a luscious, buttery dipping sauce that brings this feast to a whole other level. Talk about a feast that'll have your tastebuds doing the Second Line!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Assembly: 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 6
Calories: 899kcal
Author: Meiko Temple

Ingredients

Cajun Boil Seasoning:

  • 1 cup Cajun seasoning I use Savory Low Sodium Cajun Seasoning
  • ¼ cup smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup lemon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt optional
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper

Chicken & Turkey Neck Boil:

  • 10 quarts water or enough water to fill up your pot a little over halfway. Leave enough room for ingredients
  • 3 lb turkey necks cut into 3 inch segments (see notes)
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 lb baby red or golden potatoes cleaned
  • 1 large yellow onion quartered
  • 12 cloves garlic halved
  • 13 - 16 oz smoked chicken or. beef sausage sliced into 2-3 inch segments
  • 3 lemons divided for boil & garnish
  • 4 ears corn shucked and cut into 1/3rds
  • 2 lb chicken wings flats & drumsticks cut
  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil or neutral oil
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley optional chopped for garnish
  • Cooking Spray
  • 2 Reynolds oven bags

Spicy Cajun Butter Sauce:

  • 4 sticks 2 cups unsalted butter
  • ½ medium yellow onion diced small
  • 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
  • 1 cup seasoned neck bone stock

Instructions

Prepare Cajun Boil Seasoning:

  • in a medium bowl whisk together cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, sugar, coriander, salt, and black pepper until well combined.

Prepare Turkey Neck Boil:

  • Take a very large pot and fill with water (should fill above half a 18-quart pot). Cover the pot and heat on high to bring water to a boil.
  • Rinse turkey necks and cut into 2-3 inch pieces (see notes). Carefully add them to the pot along with the bay leaves. Remove ½ cup of the prepared Cajun boil seasoning and set aside for the chicken and butter sauce. Stir in the remaining Cajun boil seasoning to the pot of boiling water. Reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid, and cook for 90 minutes.

Prepare Chicken

  • While the turkey necks are boiling, preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and generously spray with cooking spray. If using whole wings you must first cut and separate the wing, flat and tip. You can add the wing tips to the boiling stock or discard.
  • Dry chicken wings thoroughly with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
  • Add chicken wings to a large bowl and drizzle with oil. Thoroughly toss until all wings are coated. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of the reserved Cajun boil seasoning, baking powder, and cornstarch until blended. Add seasoning blend and toss until all the wings are evenly coated.
  • Evenly space the chicken on the baking sheet skin side up. Bake for 30 minutes and remember to flip the wings every 10 minutes. Cook until the skin is golden brown and crisp, and the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Remove from the oven & set aside.

Prepare Spicy Cajun Butter:

  • Add butter to a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until completely melted. Add in garlic, let it cook for 1-2 minutes stirring often. Add in 6 tablespoons of the reserved Cajun boil seasoning, lemon zest, lemon juice, and hot sauce stir together and let it cook for 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup of the seasoned turkey neck stock, remove from heat and set aside.

Complete The Turkey Boil:

  • Once the turkey necks have been cooking for 90 minutes they should become tender and the meat should be able to shred with a fork. Add onions, and potatoes to the pot. Stir, cover with lid, and let them cook for 10 minutes or until they are almost cooked through.
  • Cut 2 lemons into slices. Add in sausage and lemon slices. Cover with lid, reduce the temperature to low and let cook for 10 minutes.
  • Once that time is up, immediately turn off the heat and add in your corn. Gently stir once more, cover with lid and let the corn sit in the mixture for 5 minutes or until hot.

Assemble Boil In Bag, Toss & Serve:

  • Open and wrap both turkey bags around the open neck of a large pot or bowl to stabilize while filling.
  • Use a colander over a large bowl in a sink to strain the components in the stock but be bare careful because the steam will be hot.. Or use a slotted spoon to separate the boil from the stock. Transfer the turkey necks, corn, sausage and potatoes to the bag.
  • Pour half the spicy cajun butter sauce in the bag. Tie up the bags and shake to make sure all the components are well coated. Open the bag, add the chicken wings and shake again.
  • On your table, roll out butcher paper or newspaper to cover the surface. Carefully open the bag to release the steam. Dump your boil directly onto your table or in a serving dish. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, lemon wedges and serve immediately with your reserved cajun butter sauce.
Tried this recipe?Mention @MeikoAndTheDish or tag #MeikoAndTheDish

Notes

Turkey necks cut into 3 inch segments - 
  • Grocery stores typically sell whole turkey necks but this recipe calls for 2-3 inch segments. Cutting turkey neck bones at home can be a bit challenging if you don’t have the right equipment. Before leaving the grocery store, ask the butcher to cut the turkey neck bones for you. It’s  so much easier.
    1. If you can’t get your turkey necks butchered I would recommend cooking them whole then letting them cool to touch. It will be easier to cut them up once they are cooked and tender. 
Chicken wings
    1. If you have the time I would recommend frying the chicken wings in out to create more crispy texture.
    2. If using an airfryer,  coat wings with seasoning as instructed. Cook wings in a 400°F air fryer for 10 minutes, flip over, and cook an additional cook for 10 minutes.
If you don't have oven bags you can just pour the sauce over the top of he boil and toss or serve it on the side. 

Nutrition

Calories: 899kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 73g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 368mg | Sodium: 3185mg | Potassium: 1869mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 12133IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 513mg | Iron: 12mg

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

**The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use and love. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.