Emily Carter
Chicken gizzards are a popular food item around the world, especially in Haiti, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Africa, Europe, and the American South. They are part of the chicken's digestive system, similar to a stomach, and are used to grind up food. Gizzards are typically slow-cooked and have a tough texture with a deep, rich, dark-meat chicken flavor. When preparing a whole chicken, it is important to know how to remove the gizzards safely and effectively. The first step is to locate the gizzards at the end of the intestines and gently lift them out of the interior cavity. Once removed, the gizzards can be cleaned and prepared for cooking.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Gizzard location | At the end of the intestines |
| Gizzard appearance | Looks like a second stomach |
| Gizzard texture | Muscle-like consistency |
| Gizzard function | Grinds up food to make it easier for nutrients to be extracted |
| Gizzard cleaning | Sanitize workspace and tools, cut gizzard open, remove interior sediment, peel away inner membrane |
| Gizzard preparation | Slow cooking, braising, grilling, frying |
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What You'll Learn
Locate the gizzard inside the chicken
To locate the gizzard inside a chicken, start by looking for the giblet package. This is usually found inside the cavity of the chicken and contains the neck, kidneys, heart, and gizzards. If you are butchering a fresh chicken, the gizzard will be located at the end of the intestines and will almost look like a second stomach.
Once you have located the gizzard, reach your hand into the interior cavity and gently lift it out, taking some of the intestine with you if necessary. Be careful to keep the intestines intact to avoid polluting the meat and gizzard. Place the gizzard on a cutting board, being mindful that it can be slippery. If the gizzard is covered in blood or debris, rinse it with water before proceeding.
The gizzard is an important part of a chicken's digestive system and is similar to a stomach. It is used to grind up food, aided by gritty, sand-like particles that the chicken ingests while pecking for food. This process allows the chicken to extract nutrients from its food.
The gizzard has a muscle-like consistency and is packed with protein. It tends to be chewy and tastes like dark-meat chicken. Due to its tough texture, the gizzard is typically slow-cooked to help tenderize the meat.
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Remove the gizzard carefully
To remove the gizzard carefully, you will first need to locate it inside the chicken. The gizzard is part of the chicken's digestive system, similar to a stomach, and is usually included in the giblet pack when you purchase a whole chicken. It is located at the end of the intestines and will almost look like a second stomach. Reach your hand into the interior cavity and gently lift the gizzard out, taking some of the intestine with you if necessary. Make sure to keep the intestines intact to avoid polluting the meat and gizzard.
Once you have located the gizzard, place it on a cutting board. If the gizzard is covered in blood or debris, rinse it with water before proceeding. Hold the gizzard down firmly but gently, taking care not to change its overall shape. Using a knife, carefully cut open the gizzard's white outer membrane to expose the inner stomach pouch. This pouch is usually grey or yellowish, and it is important not to cut, puncture, or tear it as it can expose unhealthy organisms onto the meat.
After exposing the inner membrane, begin carefully peeling it back to access the inside of the gizzard. Here, you will find a variety of debris and sediment that needs to be removed. Rinse the inside of the gizzard under water, using your fingers to loosen and remove any stubborn debris. Continue until the flesh looks clean and smooth.
Finally, to ensure a tender gizzard, remove the "stars". This refers to the shiny, thin centre tendon that resembles a flattened star when removed. Flatten one of these tendons down on the cutting board and use a fillet knife to carefully skin it off the gizzard. Repeat this process on the other side, and your gizzard will now be ready for cooking!
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Clean the gizzard
To clean a chicken gizzard, you must first locate the gizzard inside the chicken. If you are butchering a fresh chicken, the gizzard will be at the end of the intestines and will almost look like a second stomach. Reach your hand into the interior cavity and gently lift the gizzard out, taking some of the intestine with you if necessary. Be careful to keep the intestines intact to avoid polluting the meat and gizzard. Place the gizzard on a cutting board, and if it is covered in blood or debris, rinse it with water.
Next, sanitise your workspace and tools. Cut the gizzard in half lengthwise, and remove the interior sediment. You will see a variety of debris inside the gizzard, so rinse it under water, moving the stream around to wash out all the sediment. You can use your fingers to scrub the interior and loosen stubborn debris. The inside of a gizzard can appear brown or black due to the presence of sediment.
Once the gizzard is clean, you can carefully peel away the yellow interior membrane. The gizzard is now ready to be cooked.
For a tender and easy-to-chew gizzard, you can also remove the "stars". This refers to the thin centre tendon that resembles a fat, flattened star when removed. Lay the gizzard with the inside white part up on a cutting board. Working from the centre out, use a fillet knife to skin the outer tendon off the gizzard. Flip the gizzard and repeat the process on the other side.
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Cut the gizzard
To cut the gizzard, you must first locate it inside the chicken. The gizzard is part of the chicken's digestive system, similar to a stomach, and is usually included in the giblet pack when you purchase a whole chicken. It is located at the end of the intestines and will almost look like a second stomach.
Once you have located the gizzard, reach your hand into the interior cavity and gently lift it out, taking some of the intestine with you if necessary. Be careful to keep the intestines intact to avoid polluting the meat and gizzard. Place the gizzard on a cutting board, being careful as it can be slippery. If the gizzard is covered in blood or debris, rinse it with water before proceeding.
Firmly hold the gizzard down and use a knife to cut it in half lengthwise. Make one smooth cut all the way through until you have two separate pieces.
At this point, you can remove the interior sediment. Rinse the inside of the gizzard with water, using your fingers to loosen any stubborn debris. The inside of a gizzard can appear brown or black due to the presence of sediment.
You can also remove the "stars," or the shiny thin centre tendon that resembles a flattened star when removed. Flatten the tendon with your fingers and use a fillet knife to skin it off the gizzard. Repeat this process on the other side.
Finally, you can peel away the yellow interior membrane. The gizzard is now ready to be cooked or added to other dishes.
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Prepare the gizzard for cooking
Preparing chicken gizzards for cooking can be a simple process, but it requires care and attention. Chicken gizzards are the muscular stomach of the bird, where food is ground down for digestion. Due to their muscular nature, they can become tough and chewy if not prepared correctly.
Firstly, it is important to ensure your gizzards are cleaned thoroughly. If you have purchased your gizzards from a large supermarket chain, they will likely already be cleaned. However, if you have sourced them from a local butcher, it is worth checking and giving them an additional rinse if needed.
Once you are confident that your gizzards are clean, you can begin preparing them for cooking. One popular method is to boil the gizzards first, which helps to tenderize them. Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium heat, add the gizzards, and cook for around 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and quantity of the gizzards. You can also add some salt to the water to enhance the flavour.
After boiling, you can then chop the gizzards into bite-sized pieces. Some people prefer to remove any remaining white parts or silver skin at this stage, but others suggest keeping some of the silver skin to add chewiness to the dish.
Now your gizzards are ready for cooking! You can choose to sauté, fry, stir-fry, or grill them, depending on your preference.
If you plan to sauté your gizzards, heat some oil in a pan over medium heat and add the gizzards, stirring frequently. You can also add onions, garlic, and spices such as bouillon powder or herbs for extra flavour.
For frying, you can coat the gizzard pieces in flour, egg wash, or breadcrumbs before frying in hot oil over medium-high heat until golden and crispy.
Stir-frying is another popular option, especially when incorporating Asian flavours like soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, and black pepper.
Grilling gizzards is also a great choice, and you can even skewer them for a fun presentation.
No matter which cooking method you choose, remember that the key to delicious gizzards is taking your time and not rushing the preparation and cooking process.
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