We are having Sauteed Chicken Gizzards today on the menu. Please do not turn your head and make that face. This recipe is really delicious; on top of all, even my kids love them.
What? Your kids eat sautéed chicken gizzards!!!
Why, yes, yes they do! Hearts, gizzards, liver. When I was young, whole packs of gizzards were unavailable to me, at least I do not remember.
You had one chicken for lunch, and most of the chicken insides were slow-cooked in a large pot for soup, even the chicken feet.
I mean, that is a really rich, flavorful soup that you would ever taste, but you had only one liver and one gizzard and so on… That could not satisfy me.
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When I came to the US, whole packages of gizzard were like a shock to me… not that I am complaining! 😀 I am a real foodie, and I will eat almost everything except oysters… I cannot do them. I really tried!
Anyhow, the way I make Sauteed Chicken Gizzards, they are soft yet chewy, flavorful, delicious… OK! My mouth is watering already! And they are so cheap!!!
Now to tell you something funny… every time I go to buy them, the cashier is giving me that look, or asking, “Do you make food for your pets?” Really?
Yes, I was insecure about putting this recipe on my blog because of the dirty looks, but I can’t hold it anymore because even though they might not be your cup of tea, it is most certainly mine!
I have been making this recipe for over 14 years, and we absolutely love it, so suck it up, buttercup. You do not need to leave me nasty comments about it.
I do hope somebody in the crowd is a lover too!
If you make my Sauteed Chicken Gizzards, please share your ideas, recipes, and images with me on Instagram. Tag me @sandraseasycooking
A Few Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Clean and trim them well. Remove any excess fat, tough connective tissue, or greenish areas before cooking.
- Don’t skip the boiling step. Chicken gizzards are naturally firm and chewy. Boiling them before sautéing gives them a much softer, more enjoyable bite.
- Adjust the cooking time to your preference. I usually boil mine for 20 to 30 minutes because we enjoy a little chewiness. For very tender gizzards, simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, or until they reach your preferred texture.
- Drain and dry them thoroughly. Excess water will cause the hot oil to splatter and will prevent the gizzards from browning properly.
- Use a lid or splatter screen. Gizzards can pop while sautéing, so keep a fitted lid nearby and protect yourself from the hot oil.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Give the gizzards enough room to brown instead of steam. If necessary, sauté them in batches.
- Go easy on the salt at first. Since the gizzards are boiled in salted water and seasoned with bouillon powder, taste them before adding more salt.
- Add the onion and garlic after the gizzards begin to brown. This gives the gizzards time to develop color without burning the garlic.
- Serve them while hot. They are delicious with creamy polenta, grits, rice, potatoes, vegetables, or simply on their own.
You can find my favorite skillet and pressure cooker on Amazon.
Sauteed Chicken Gizzards
Sauteed Chicken Gizzards recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 pack Gizzards, you may use with hearts or w/o
- 1/2 Onion sliced
- 2 Garlic cloves sliced or minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Bouillon powder
- Salt to taste, a few pinches
Instructions
- First, wash gizzards really well under cold water, cut them in half, and cut off any green or fatty parts, if any. Boil 1/2 pot of salted water, drop in the water gizzards and let them boil for 20 minutes, keep the lid halfway closed, and be close by because water will start to bubble.
- Boil on high for the first 5 minutes, then turn down the heat to lower temperature. It doesn't have to be simmer, just to keep boiling.
- Drop gizzards in a colander and wash under cold water, let them get air dry until ready to use.
- Slice onion, garlic and set aside. Preheat oil and drop in the carefully chicken gizzard, turn the heat to medium and saute for a few minutes, just when they start to turn brownish, crunchy color, drop in onion and garlic.
- Season with Bouillon powder (You can use herbs too) or salt to taste; Since gizzards were cooking in salted water, you do not need much, maybe few pinches. Saute until onion and garlic start to get a golden color, and gizzards are brownish.
- Add polenta to the bowl, then put in gizzards and take a tablespoon of that oil that gizzards sauteed in and drizzle on top.
- You can also serve them with rice or potatoes. Serve it over POLENTA, RICE OR ON IT'S OWN.
Notes
When you sauteing gizzards, they tend to burst from time to time, if you have fitted saute pan lid that would be the best to keep you protected! You can also make soup/stew base with gizzards just add salt to taste, onion, celery, bay leaf, and carrots. After boiling, just take out gizzards for sauteing and drain the stock into container separating it from veggies.
FOR ME IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO boil gizzards before sauteing. They are still chewy and get that softer bite. Sometimes I boil them even longer than 30 minutes.
I usually make instant polenta. That is the kind I like, so just follow the instructions on the back.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per ServingCalories 87Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 51mgSodium 113mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 3g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate, but we try our best.
Shepherd's Pie
Lunch Box: Spaghetti with Beef Sauce
July 4, 2019 at 11:47 amThank you so much for sharing this recipe. I love chicken gizzards with carmelized onions. So healthy, contains a lot of Iron. I have MS/Multiple Sclerosis and need a clean, healthy diet. Up North it’s rare to even find them on the menu so I’m hoping my local grocery store sells them. In the South while on vacation years ago they even sold these at Gas Stations, much like the way you can buy Fries! I was so surprised. I prefer mine boiled 1st, then I roll them in a seasoned flour mix and sauté slowly. I’ve also tasted them cooked more crispy. My next trip to the grocery store I plan to use your recipe; just dredging in flour before sautéing! Thanks so much. This recipe will bring up my iron count, add so much protein to my diet. I’m trying to eat as few Carbs as possible so I need to figure out what to eat with them other than Rice, Polenta or Potatoes.. Maybe just a Salad or a side dish of steamed Veggies! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
July 8, 2019 at 2:37 amI am sorry to hear about your health issues and I hope it gets better. Cleaning up a diet is a step forward.
I like mine just like you as well but found it that just frying them up a bit is easier. I like them crispy. with some onions. Yes, you can definitely serve them with anything. Potatoes, maybe grits or polenta… it’s really tasty! Let me know if you decide to make them. I will make step by step instructions soon so stay tuned.
Sending positive vibes and blessings your way.
August 26, 2019 at 8:42 pmI love them deep fried and boiled and served in gravy, getting ready to try them your way except will instant pot 20 minutes first step. For lower carb impact, use a “slow carb” that releases sugar slower into the bloodstream like a sweet potato or yam, brown rice, or multi grain bread.
August 1, 2019 at 10:24 amMy brother just served gizzards at his convenience store/truck stop. They went well and he says he’s now a southerner!
January 11, 2021 at 9:55 pmThat’s Great!!! They are pretty delicious when cooked right.
November 21, 2019 at 4:08 pmSandra,
Don’t know about gizzards being a Southern thing. I grew up in Pennsylvania and we called them giblets in my family but I think we got the name wrong. At any rate, my grandmother would boil gizzards and use in Thanksgiving Italian style turkey stuffing. I would eat some of them before they went into the stuffing. If i don’t eat anything else on Thanksgiving I have to have this stuffing to this day. Of course, being an Italian family we love polenta too so I look forward to trying your recipe. Question: do you trim away that connective tissue thing between the two gizzard lobes? We always do but perhaps it is unnecessary. One year, I sliced this cooked stuffing and put on a platter. My son thought it was chocolate chip cookie dough and heaped his plate with it. He was about 4 and was definitely not into stuffing. You should have seen his face! I know, I know. Never eat raw cookie dough and I am not recommending it by any means, but every year since we have a small plate of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough at the Thanksgiving table and none of us ever croaked from a small morsel of it. Happy Thanksgiving.
November 22, 2019 at 10:48 pmHahaha, thank you so much for sharing! I can only imagine your son’s face. Anyhow, Southern or not, I grew up in Europe on them so I think they are most definitely international thing :)) To answer your question, I cut them in half because they boil and fry much better and faster, and trim or cut off only if there is any green parts on it.
It is so good with soft polenta or even grits. We love it all year round! 😀 Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Marlene!
January 5, 2021 at 5:07 pmI know you’re post was over a year ago, but there is a difference between gizzards and giblets. Giblets include gizzards, livers, heart and the neck and tail (all the parts included with a whole chicken or turkey. Sometimes the label will read giblets included. So you are not wrong to refer to the gizzards as giblets but other parts are also included. Sorry if you’ve already received many replies but just thought I would reply.
January 11, 2021 at 9:54 pmI usually get either gizzards in one pack or it is mixed with hearts. You would usually get giblets when you get a turkey or a chicken, but I haven’t seen it sold in the pack altogether. Maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough but it would be great for a broth.
October 8, 2021 at 7:11 pm@Sandra Mihic, Publix supermarket in the freezer section. Usually in the open freezer near the turkey.
June 3, 2022 at 9:53 pm@Marlene Perrott, Same here. SW PA and we loved our gizzards, hearts, etc.
December 2, 2019 at 6:54 pmI do my gizzards after boiling and lightly broning. In garlic and onion placing itomato sauce serviving with pasta
January 26, 2020 at 3:54 pmCan this recipe be adapted to use just hearts instead of gizzards? TY!
January 29, 2020 at 12:50 amYES!!! Watch out on the cooking time… they do cook faster than gizzards. I cook both at the same time for my family. I don’t like hearts, but they do.:)
February 22, 2020 at 7:34 pmYummm! Thanks for the warning that they tend to pop while sauteing – they really do! Ha
January 11, 2021 at 9:56 pmI think you could use hearts. Sometimes I just cook both at the same time, depends on what I get in my gizzard pack 🙂
February 19, 2020 at 5:39 pmI understand the “embarrassment” at questions by the cashier about my dogs, which I don’t actually have. Now I use self-service check-out; problem solved. My mother boiled them and as kids we loved them for their chewiness. Now I add onion, carrots and celery. I buy 3-4 packages at a time. The stores in northern NYS don’t sell hearts or I’d be adding them to the grocery list. I was pleasantly surprised to see your recipe and plan on trying it out soon. Thanks.
February 20, 2020 at 5:03 pmWe have had fried gizzards for years. I too precook them before I fry them. I don’t know how long I boil them. I let them cook for several hours until they are tender. they are not tough. I drain them then bread them, usually with Panko type breading before frying them in a skillet.
April 26, 2020 at 9:42 pmI just ate these for dinner, and I wanted to comment before I even wash the dishes! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I had a package of gizzards in the freezer. My husband doesn’t like organ meats, so I haven’t cooked them before now, but his work schedule is wonky, so I thought today would be the perfect time for me to indulge in a personal meal. I had never cooked gizzards before, so I looked up recipes on the Internet, and this one looked like exactly what I was searching for– and was! Delicious! (And I have enough leftovers for my lunch tomorrow!)
April 28, 2020 at 7:12 pmWow! Fantastic… I was hesitant to post this recipe for so long but I have nothing but a great response. Thank you so much for letting me know!
May 22, 2020 at 2:06 pmI’ve had fried gizzards all my life–maybe it’s my Tennessee grandmother who started this. Always just fried the flour-coated gizzards without boiling first, cause I liked the chewiness. I have some in the refrigerator right now and plan on boiling them first this time to check it out. Years ago someone who worked at a fried chicken place in the evenings brought to the office two big tubs of gizzards and livers, and they were snapped up before 9 am!
May 25, 2020 at 12:36 amI grew up eating gizzards and loved them. Before I was married, I had planned to make gizzards for dinner. My then boyfriend refused to eat gizzards and made that face when I talked about serving them. One evening he was planning to go to his company Christmas party, so I was planning to cook gizzards for dinner. My BF called me right before dinner because his buddy couldn’t attend the party. He wanted me to go with him. I made a deal – I’d attend the party if he’d eat gizzards. He accepted and found that he likes them as much as I do. My recipe is from James Beard’s American Cookery. After boiling, you saute and add cilantro, green onions, garlic and soy sauce, Delicious! I checked out your recipe because I haven’t cooked gizzards for such a long time (because I can’t usually find them in the grocery store) and I needed to know how long to boil them. Thanks for posting!
January 11, 2021 at 9:58 pmMy husband loves them! I would say it all depends on the gizzard. Sometimes I cook them for 30 minutes and they are amazing and sometimes an hour and it feels like I could boil more :)) I think dropping them in an instant pot for like 15 minutes would do the trick for sure.
June 24, 2020 at 11:52 pmCooked this tonight with turkey gizzards, which were a first for me. Have had chicken gizzards my whole life. The turkey ones turned out great. So big and meaty!
Thank you for posting the recipe. I’ve never sauteed them before, so this was new for me.
June 29, 2020 at 11:57 pmI also love chicken gizzards so much and just wanted to add that if you had jalapeno when you gook gizzards it is really great (if you are also into spicy food)!
July 19, 2020 at 4:10 pmI love gizzards. In fact I cooked some today. I will be trying your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing.
September 6, 2020 at 1:36 pmThanks for sharing this recipe. When I moved to Canada, I do get the same weird looks from the cashiers here whenever I buy a pack of gizzards. For me chicken gizzards are a comfort food as I reminds me of the taste from home. Most that I found very adverse to it just didn’t know how to cook it properly.
Although I do have to appreciate that more and more Canadian stores are carrying these now.
January 11, 2021 at 10:01 pmI am so glad to hear! I can find them in every store. Maybe because it is Tennesee and it is purely a southrn thing too, but I am glad we can find them any time of the year.
December 15, 2020 at 2:19 amI followed the instructions but the Gizzards were still very chewy. I think the boiling needs to go a lot longer. My mother who makes them great says she boils for 2 hours.
February 8, 2021 at 10:29 pmI’ve had gizzards that were just breaded and fried and they were crunchy and terrible
February 9, 2021 at 12:52 amYeah? I don’t think I’ve ever had a breaded version. These are just fried on a bit of oil. They are quite tasty.
February 24, 2021 at 1:59 amOur Eastern European family calls them ‘pipicks’ and we basically flour and pan fry them…I was just here looking for a new idea for them though bc one of our kids doesn’t like them and we have been eating them more often lately due to financial concerns (you are right they are cheap – a lot of bang for the buck). His main issue is the chewiness so I may try your recipe next time to see if the softer texture will make the difference. Thank you!
March 3, 2021 at 12:03 amHi, Lynn! My mother-in-law boil them for an hour then fry. They are so tender after. We don’t mind chewiness but I know it really is not everyone’s cup of tea. You can also slice them in half, boil and fry with his favorite seasoning. He might like it. Good luck, mama!
June 22, 2022 at 4:49 pm@Sandra Mihic, 2 hours in an instapot…get them real tender. Bread in seasoning and then fry. I’m a NYer, we grew up on gizzards. I googled your recipe, so you’re cooking them right. Just sharing my recipe w/ you
June 27, 2022 at 7:51 pmThank you, Richard! I love getting real comments and feedback.
April 17, 2021 at 4:53 pmoh my! in my nation pan fried or battered and deep fried chicken gizzards are real treat 🙂 this recipe also looks delicious!
October 24, 2021 at 6:09 amI love gizzards…..
especially the taste and texture. those who make a face….it’s their lose. Great recipe by the way
December 7, 2021 at 8:02 pmAfter reading through the comments I find that you and I are not the only ones who love chicken hearts and gizzards! Thank you for posting this recipe. This, together with the addition of Sudan’s suggestion of breading first, fits the bill for me. Serving it today. A word of encouragement, never be afraid to air the odd-ball recipe, there are going to be many who agree with you, after all, a good many of us eat Rocky Mountain Oysters too! It’s usually the nay-sayers and those who can’t think outside the box who have the negative comments to make while the rest of us rejoice!
December 12, 2021 at 7:19 amHi, some 30(!) years ago I lived in Quwait and worked aside some Girls from the Philippines. They Made fantastic little dumplings filled with gizzards. But I never thought about making them myself, mostly due to the bad reputation of chicken meat regarding the amount of heavy Metals, residues of medicine etc. Big issue here in Europe. Anyway now I know where to buy good quality and I started with liver- delicious. I would be very happy If you had a recepie for steamed dumplings with gizzards filling.
Thanks for answering Agnes
March 22, 2022 at 11:22 pmHello there. Bought some gizzards today! Did not think I would find it here in Canada. I grew up in the southern states and just remembering certain dishes. Yeah, you cant eat squirrel or rattlesnake here lol. I will be the only one partaking on this recipe as my husband teenage son think S&P is a condiment. Cheers!
April 6, 2022 at 9:52 pmhahaha, I hear ya! I hope you liked it!
March 23, 2022 at 12:33 pmUmmmm I really bought the gizzards yesterday! I will be the only one eating them haha. Thanks for the recipe and will tell you how it worked out. Cheers.
April 1, 2022 at 11:36 pmwhat is a pack?
April 6, 2022 at 9:51 pmIt depends where you live. Here in the States one pack is usually 1.25 lbs (567g).
April 2, 2022 at 5:25 pmI like your way of cooking gizzards gets them nice and soft
I use tomato bolognaise sauce over them
LOVE ET SOUTH AFRICA BELLVILLE
April 7, 2022 at 7:12 pmI am so nervous to make this. I have been saving chicken giblets that come in a little bag in a whole chicken for a few weeks now, so I have quite a bit frozen right now. Your recipe sounds like what I am looking for. I really don’t want to fry them. I don’t like to throw things away so have been saving them, hoping I would build up the courage enough to try a recipe like this. Hope it tastes good. It will help my low iron levels too.
April 9, 2022 at 10:19 pmIt is such inexpensive food so just go for it. Boil and use a bit of oil and shallow fry. Some people like boiling for longer (an hour) and just adding a bit of salt without frying. You can even chop them after boiling and fry them like that… they are less chewy. I hope you like it! Let me know how they turned out. Thanks!!!
June 14, 2022 at 10:44 pmI usually fry them and wanted to try something different–these were really good—people think gizzards are gross but they are not and actually very good for you. Full of protein and flavor.
I’ve also experimented with sort of a stir fry—that was tasty also.
December 25, 2024 at 10:35 pmI’m a Canadian from the west coast and grew up eating chicken hearts and gizzards and still enjoy them. Packs of them are much harder to find at the regular grocery stores but I know where they are available. When the opportunity presents itself, I look forward to trying your recipe
December 31, 2024 at 5:11 amThat’s awesome! We have it here in Tennessee in most stores which was super unusual for me when I first time came from EU. I hope you enjoy this one Raven!
January 3, 2025 at 12:19 amOur family used to add them to a pot with ketchup, brown sugar, grape jelly and crushed ginger snaps and simmer for an hour. So, so delicious.
January 3, 2025 at 12:28 amWow! I’ve never heard that one before. Sounds delicious!
June 7, 2026 at 4:00 pmHi I remember my mum used to make chicken gizzards. she would say they are so good for you. I bought some today. I’m based in the UK and I saw a pack in a shop called ‘Hoo Hing’. I wanted a recipe that was fairly similar to how I remember my mum making them (she passed away in December 2025) and stumbled across yours. Your introduction and explanation of the gizzards did make me chuckle. Its great to hear your kids eat them too. I got the funniest looks from mine when I said let’s eat grandma’s old dish. oh well more for me I suppose. Thank you for the recipe I hope you are doing alright.
June 8, 2026 at 1:47 pmThank you so much for sharing this with me. First, I’m very sorry for the loss of your mom. It means a lot that this recipe brought back a special memory of her and the meals she used to make for you.I hope the recipe tasted close to the one you remember. Food has such a beautiful way of keeping the people we love close to us, even after they’re gone.
Thank you again for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful message. Wishing you all the best from across the pond, and I hope you enjoy every bite of those gizzards. ❤️