In our household, chicken gizzard was a thing. The butcher would set aside the extra gizzard for us because we were one of the few families who would buy gizzard.
Gizzard is commonly known all over the world. It is eaten in different cuisines and in all kinds of meals. But what is it?
Gizzard is essentially the stomach of the chicken. Since chickens don’t have teeth, the gizzard serves as the organ that breaks the food down in their system. This small organ is assisted by gravel and grit to grind the food that passes through it. It’s mind-blowing! This is why we see chickens swallowing grit.
Gizzards are very small, with a distinctive taste that resembles dark chicken meat, but with a chewier and tougher texture. Cook them low and slow. The average cost of a pound of chicken gizzards is about $1.50 (or less).
Why Chicken Gizzards?
Chicken Gizzard is a fleshy muscle organ. When cooked properly, it feels like a tender piece of mushroom. You can compare the taste to chicken dark meat.
The main attraction of chicken gizzard is the texture it surprises our mouths with. If you love chewing mushrooms, you’re going to love chewing gizzard. The flavor is chicken neutral so you can dress it up how you would with any chicken dish.
What is the best way to cook chicken gizzards?
Since gizzard is a muscle, it is a little tough and chewy. In order to enjoy the gizzard, it must be cooked low and slow. Braising is the best way to cook the gizzard before anything. By braising, you soften the gizzard to its desirable texture and then you can prepare it to your liking.
I’m a huge fan of sautéed gizzard. Thus, this recipe blog post! After braising the gizzard, season it and sauté. It’s so simple! You end up eating something like mushroom a la pobre!
My mother makes us chicken gizzard adobo, Filipino style. Braising is already part of adobo’s cooking process. The gizzard is slowly cooked in water, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves and peppercorn. The chicken umami is brought out in this dish through braising.
Do I have to clean my chicken gizzards?
This is an absolute YES. Cleaning chicken gizzard is a must. Gizzards are part of the chicken’s digestive system, which means whatever that the grit, and gravel wasn’t able to grind, stays in the organ. This means that whatever stayed in the gizzard is neither indigestible nor nutritious.
If your butcher has not cleaned the gizzard yet, you may ask them to clean it. However, you may clean it at home too. Cut the gizzard lengthwise and wash the residue away through running water. Trim the fat and yellow film and you’re ready to cook it!
How do you know when chicken gizzards are done?
The best-tasting chicken gizzards are the ones cooked properly. I mentioned earlier that braising is the best way to cook the gizzard. When you braise, it will roughly take you 20-60 minutes for best results. You will know it is perfectly cooked when you slice through the chicken gizzard and it is as tender as a morsel.
Some cuisines deep fry gizzards without braising. If you deep dry the gizzard at high heat for 5-7 minutes, you’re sure that the gizzard will be cooked.
Quick Sauteed Chicken Gizzards
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 pack gizzards
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 carrot
- ½ onion sliced
- ½ tsp chicken boulion
- Salt
Instructions
- Wash the gizzards and cut them in half. Trim the fatty parts.
- Drop the gizzards in salted boiling water for 20 minutes and keep the lip half closed.
- Keep boiling on high heat for 5 min before turning the heat down to a normal boiling temperature.
- Remove the gizzards and let them air dry.
- Heat up oil in a pan and add the chicken gizzard, saute until they start turning brown.
- Add onion and garlic and saute until they've got good color.
- Add the chicken bouillon and add salt if needed. Saute for a little bit longer to develop the flavor.
- Serve with rice, potato or pasta.
- Enjoy your dinner!
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