Here’s a guide to chicken gizzards 🍗—how to prepare them and a simple recipe idea.
Chicken Gizzards
What they are:
- Gizzards are the muscular part of a chicken’s stomach.
- They’re chewy but flavorful and often used in stews, fried dishes, or gravies.
Nutritional benefits (per 3 oz / 85 g cooked):
- Calories: ~130
- Protein: 21 g
- Fat: 5 g
- Low carb, rich in iron, zinc, and B vitamins
Basic Preparation Tips
- Clean thoroughly
- Rinse gizzards and trim excess fat.
- Optional: soak in salt water for 30 minutes to tenderize.
- Tenderizing
- Simmer in water or broth for 45–60 minutes until soft.
- Pressure cook for 20–25 minutes for faster results.
Simple Fried Chicken Gizzards Recipe
Ingredients (2–3 servings)
- 1 lb chicken gizzards, cleaned
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Marinate
- Soak gizzards in buttermilk for 1–2 hours (optional, helps tenderize and adds flavor).
- Prepare coating
- Mix flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a bowl.
- Coat gizzards
- Remove gizzards from buttermilk, shake off excess, and dredge in seasoned flour.
- Fry
- Heat oil in a deep skillet or fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry gizzards 5–7 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain on paper towels.
- Serve
- Serve hot with dipping sauce, mashed potatoes, or as a snack.
Tips
- Stew variation: After simmering, add onions, garlic, and spices for a hearty gizzard stew.
- Flavor boost: Add garlic powder, cayenne, or your favorite spice blend to the flour.
- Crispier coating: Double-dredge by dipping back in buttermilk and then flour again before frying.
If you want, I can also give a slow-cooker chicken gizzards recipe that’s tender, flavorful, and great over rice. Do you want me to do that?
