Welcome, food adventurers! If you want to explore the delicious world of offal cuisine, our chicken gizzard recipe is just what you need. Chicken gizzards, the muscle that grinds up a hen’s food, are a robust and hearty bite of poultry that packs a flavorful punch when cooked properly.
Diverse cuisine cultures worldwide have long valued gizzards for their rich taste and uniquely chewy texture. From the spicy stews of Nigeria to the down-home Southern comfort food of the United States, gizzards hold a coveted place at the dining table. Our recipe nuances this traditional ingredient with familiar flavors and easy-to-follow cooking techniques, ensuring a satisfying foray into this overlooked delicacy.
Our recipe brings out the best in these humble gizzards, whether you want to try something new in the kitchen or make an old favorite again. You’ll learn to transform this offal into a tender, tasty, and nourishing meal in no time. So, please pull up a chair, grab your apron, and come with us as we guide you through mastering gizzard cooking.
Chicken gizzards are an underrated and often overlooked part of the chicken. However when prepared properly gizzards can be an incredibly tasty and unique addition to meals. The key is knowing how to make them tender. With the right techniques, you can transform tough and chewy gizzards into tender, flavorful delights.
In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about preparing chicken gizzards so they come out meltingly tender every time. We’ll cover:
- What are Chicken Gizzards?
- Benefits of Eating Chicken Gizzards
- Why Chicken Gizzards Are Tough
- Methods for Tenderizing Gizzards
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cooking Tips for Super Tender Gizzards
- Delicious Gizzard Recipes
What are Chicken Gizzards?
Chicken gizzards are the muscular stomachs of chickens. Their main function is to grind up food for digestion. Gizzards have a lot of connective tissue and muscle fibers because they are always contracting during a chicken’s life. This makes them naturally tough and chewy.
Like chicken hearts and livers, gizzards are an organ meat and are often thrown in with them. However, gizzards have a distinct texture and flavor. When cooked right, they get so tender and juicy that you can’t stop eating them.
Benefits of Eating Chicken Gizzards
Chicken gizzards are extremely nutritious. They have a lot of iron, zinc, magnesium, protein, and B vitamins in them. Chicken gizzards have more iron per ounce than chicken breast or thigh meat. Geese also have more bioavailable iron than plant-based iron.
Additionally, gizzards are budget-friendly and sustainable. As an oft-discarded odd bit, they are very inexpensive to purchase. Making use of the whole chicken helps reduce food waste.
And by cooking a bunch of tender gizzards, you can enjoy a tasty, healthy, and eco-friendly meat treat. It’s a winning combination!.
Why Chicken Gizzards Are Tough
Chicken gizzards are naturally tough and chewy. This texture comes from their abundance of collagen, elastin, and muscle fibers.
Collagen is a tough, fibrous protein that provides structure and elasticity to connective tissues like tendons and ligaments. Gizzards need a lot of collagen to withstand constant muscle contractions.
Elastin is another protein that allows tissues to stretch and return to their original shape. It cooperates with collagen to create elasticity.
Finally, gizzards have a high ratio of muscle fibers to fat and bone. Muscles are composed of bundled fibers that tighten and relax to create movement. The fibers are made of a protein called myosin. An abundance of myosin makes meat tougher.
When these three elements – collagen, elastin, and muscle fiber – combine, they create an extremely chewy, rubbery texture.
Thankfully, there are several methods for breaking down those tough tissues to yield tender gizzards.
Methods for Tenderizing Gizzards
To make gizzards tender, you need to break down the collagen, elastin, and muscle fibers. This can be accomplished through mechanical or chemical tenderizing techniques. Here are some of the most effective gizzard tenderizing methods:
Long, Slow Cooking
The traditional technique for tender gizzards is long, slow moist heat cooking. When cooked for an extended time in liquid at a gentle simmer or braise, the collagen gradually breaks down into gelatin. This leaves the gizzards fall-apart tender.
Marinating
Marinating gizzards in an acidic liquid like wine, vinegar, yogurt, citrus juice, or tomato sauce helps weaken the tough muscle fibers through denaturation. The acids partially unravel the bundled myosin proteins.
Mechanical Tenderizing
Processing gizzards by pounding, grinding, massaging, or mincing them physically disrupts the structure of the meat. This makes the tissues less dense and easier to chew.
Enzyme Tenderizing
Enzyme tenderizers like papain, bromelain, and ficin break down proteins. When applied to gizzards, they help digest the tough collagen, elastin, and myosin.
By harnessing one or more of these tenderizing techniques, you can transform rubbery gizzards into tender and tasty morsels.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Now let’s walk through the complete process for preparing irresistibly tender chicken gizzards:
1. Clean the Gizzards
Rinse the gizzards under cold running water. Use a paring knife to carefully trim off any excess fat or sinew.
2. Simmer in Liquid
Place the cleaned gizzards in a pot and cover with broth, water, or sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
3. Cook Low and Slow
Let the gizzards simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The extended cooking allows the collagen to break down fully.
4. Drain and Finish
Drain the tenderized gizzards. At this point, they are ready to add to soups, stews, and gravies. Or, give them a final sear, bake, or grill to concentrate the flavors.
And that’s really all there is to it! With this simple process of cleaning, slow simmering, and draining, you can guarantee tender gizzards every time.
Cooking Tips for Super Tender Gizzards
Here are some extra tips to take your gizzards from tender to melt-in-your-mouth:
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Simmer in an acidic cooking liquid: Wine, vinegar, tomato sauce, and citrus juice all help further tenderize the gizzards during cooking.
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Combine cooking methods: Get the benefits of both moist and dry heat by braising first, then searing or broiling. The initial braise tenderizes while the high heat crisps and caramelizes.
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Cook beyond 1 1/2 hours: The longer the simmer, the more tender the gizzards become. Cook for up to 3 hours for ultra-soft gizzards that shred with just a fork.
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Use an Instant Pot: The high pressure environment of the Instant Pot produces insanely tender gizzards in a fraction of the normal time. Cook for just 20-30 minutes.
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Shred, chop, or grind: Mechanically tenderizing the gizzards after cooking enhances tenderness. Shred with two forks, give a rough chop, or grind them up in a food processor.
With a little time, care, and creativity, you can enjoy chicken gizzards with a texture so tender, they practically melt away.
Delicious Gizzard Recipes
Now that you know how to transform tough gizzards into tender morsels, let’s look at some tasty ways to enjoy them:
Simmered Gizzards – The simple classics of chicken and gizzards gently cooked in broth or wine makes a comforting soup or stew.
Smothered Gizzards – Braise gizzards in a rich, flavorful sauce like mushroom gravy or creole sauce poured over rice.
Fried Gizzards – For the ultimate textural contrast, bread and fry boiled gizzards until crispy and golden.
Skewered Gizzards – Alternate tender boiled gizzards with veggies and pineapple on skewers for colorful kabobs.
Curried Gizzards – Indian-spiced gizzards are delicious as a stew or stuffed into samosas or flatbread with chutney.
Gizzard “Wings” – Dredge boiled, shredded gizzards in sauce and stuff into a roasted pepper for the perfect low-carb game day snack.
The possibilities are endless! Chicken gizzards take well to global flavors from Cajun to Thai. With the simple tricks above for making gizzards tender, you can enjoy this versatile, tasty, and nutritious meat in so many ways.
Ingredients in Chicken Gizzard:
- The star of our dish is the chicken gizzards, which give it a unique and hearty texture.
- Garlic is a must for giving our dish its unique taste and smell.
- Onions: When sautéed, onions give the dish a very nice sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Green bell pepper: This gives the dish a crunchy texture and a bright green color.
- Carrots: These soft, slightly sweet vegetables go great with the gizzards’ savory flavor.
- Tomatoes: Adding color, depth, and a little acidity, tomatoes help keep the overall flavor of the dish in check.
- Bay leaves are a wonderful herb that add a subtle, complex scent to food.
- Smoked Paprika: This unique spice gives the food a smoky flavor.
- Chicken Stock: It’s amazing how this gives everything a huge, rich flavor.
- Olive oil: This brings all the flavors together and helps the dish blend, making it one whole.
- Salt and pepper are needed to season the food and bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
How To Cook Chicken Gizzard
- To get rid of any grit, wash the chicken gizzards well in cold water.
- Next, put the gizzards in a large pot and cover them with cold water.
- Add the herbs and spices of your choice for a strong flavor.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to keep a simmer.
- Keep cooking for three hours or until the gizzards are soft.
- In the meantime, make your favorite gravy or sauce to go with the dish.
- When the gizzards are soft and done, drain them and set them aside.
- Next, heat a skillet and add a dribble of oil.
- Add the gizzards to the pan and cook them until they turn a little golden.
- Carefully pour the sauce or gravy you’ve made over the gizzards that have been cooked.
- For a few minutes, let the gizzards cook in the sauce or gravy.
- If you need to, taste the food and make any necessary seasoning changes based on your tastes.
- Turn your gizzards into a serving dish and add any toppings you like.
- Warm up soft, tasty chicken gizzards and serve them with your favorite side dish.
- Now it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy this tasty, different-textured dish you made!
- Clean chicken gizzards well every time to get rid of any grit or dirt.
- Gizzards taste better and are easier to cook if you marinate them first.
- Gizzards will be more tender and take in flavors better if you cook them slowly.
- Gizzards should be cut with sharp knives so they don’t tear or become different sizes.
- Remember that gizzards can get tough if they are cooked too long; check for tenderness while they are simmering.
- You can make the dish your own by adding your favorite spices.
- When gizzards are boiled, they are put in a hot liquid and cooked all the way through.
- Stir-frying: Fast-paced cooking in a heated pan, mixing ingredients constantly.
- Deep-frying: Putting gizzards in hot oil makes the outside crispy and tasty.
- Cooking gizzards on a grill over direct heat gives them a smokey taste.
- Slow cooking: In this method, gizzards are cooked at a low temperature for a long time.
- In sautéing, gizzards are quickly fried in a little fat.
- Roasting is a dry heat cooking method that makes the gizzard brown and tasty.
- Pressure cooking: To cook gizzards quickly, this method uses steam pressure.
- Steaming: Gizzards are cooked in steam, which keeps them soft and juicy.
- Marinating means letting gizzards soak in a mix of ingredients to make them taste better.
The Secret to Tender Chicken Gizzards Every Time! These Chicken Gizzards Actually Taste Good!
FAQ
How do you cook gizzards so they are not tough?
Take cooled gizzards, dredge in flour,egg, then seasoned flour. THIS IS THE VERY IMPORTANT PART! FLOUR– EGG– SEASONED FLOUR– IN THAT ORDER! Place the gizzards in the fry pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, turning occasionally.
How long does it take for boil gizzards to get them tender?
Bring gizzards to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Pour in more water during simmering, if needed, to keep gizzards covered.
How long do you cook chicken gizzards for?
Place gizzards in a saucepan with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Is eating chicken gizzards good for you?
Chicken gizzards are one of the healthiest portions of chicken. Rich in protein, they are also great for digestion and are a high source of vitamins. If you’re wondering what a “gizzard” is, it is the stomach of birds. Here lie all the nutrients that your body needs.
How do you cook chicken gizzards?
There are many ways to cook chicken gizzards, but one of the most common is to boil them. To do so, place the gizzards in a pot and cover them with water. Once the water starts to boil, lower the heat and let the gizzards cook for about an hour, or until they are soft. Frying chicken gizzards is another popular method.
How to make tender chicken gizzards?
If you want to know how to make tender chicken gizzards, these are the best gizzards ever! Pressure cook for 15 to 20 minutes, cool dry them, and dip in egg, roll them Panko flakes, and fry until brown, salt and serve. To those who say to boil them for 15 minutes before fryingwhat is your definition of tender?.
Can you cook chicken gizzards with baking soda?
In just 15 minutes, baking soda will make chicken gizzards moist and tender. You don’t even have to boil them; just follow these easy steps. Texture is very important when cooking different kinds of meat and poultry. One problem with gizzards is that they can be tough if you don’t cook them right.
Can you cook chicken gizzards in a slow cooker?
Cooking chicken gizzards low and slow is a great way to make them tender and flavorful. To do so, place the gizzards in a slow cooker with some broth or water and let them cook on low heat for several hours, or until they are tender. Deep-frying chicken gizzards is a popular way to enjoy them as a snack or appetizer.
Are chicken gizzards ready to cook?
Pre-packaged chicken gizzards from the grocery store are ready to cook as-is with no cleaning needed. During commercial processing, gizzards are thoroughly cleaned, with the inner linings and membranes removed. This leaves just the muscle meat behind, tuurning it into a kitchen-ready ingredient.
How do you make gizzards tender?
Baking soda works. Soaked the gizzards overnight and add baking soda to the water the next day for about 1 hour. Drained the water, rinsed them and fry’em up. Oh so tender. I boil mine in crab boil until extremely tender then lightly bread and flash fry. Awesome!!! I tried Gizzard Chef’s method and man were those gizzards tender and good.