In this Southern Fried Chicken Gizzards recipe, gizzards are marinated in a spicy bath of buttermilk and hot sauce then battered in seasoned flour and fried to golden brown perfection!!
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For every 10 fried chicken lovers, there is at least one fried chicken gizzard lover. In my family, that lover is my Uncle BB. For as long as I can remember, we have had to make a stop at a KFC in Effingham, Illinois on the way back from our annual round trips to Mississippi to visit my grandparents.
Many places don’t make fried gizzards so I decided it was time to put a recipe for this unique Southern classic right here on the blog.
The secret to the best recipe for chicken gizzards starts with marinating them in buttermilk. Then we add on more flavor with some hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
Next, seasoned flour, similar to my breading recipe for chicken fried steak, coats the gizzards. When fried, they come out perfectly crispy and delicious. Using this three-fold process to add flavor, you will get a bit of spice in every single bite!
What Are Gizzards?
Gizzards are a muscle found in most fowl or organs of the chicken. They are super small, and their texture is unlike what you would expect from chicken.
Because of their chewy texture, they can end up tough if they aren’t cooked properly. In this recipe for chicken gizzards soak in a buttermilk bath. The acid in the buttermilk helps break down a bit of the toughness without taking away its signature taste.
Why You Will Love This Chicken Gizzard Recipe
- Budget-friendly. Cooking with this inexpensive ingredient is one way to save some money on groceries.
- Great flavor and texture. Perfectly seasoned and delicious meal idea.
- Easy to make. Not necessarily quick since they have to marinate but with a little thought in advance, these are easy enough for even a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Other than the chicken gizzards, this recipe is made using pantry staples! I’m betting you already have many of them on hand.
- Gizzards: You can buy these by the package in the refrigerated poultry section in most grocery stores.
- Buttermilk: Used to marinate and tenderize the gizzards.
- Hot sauce: Adds flavor to the marinade and is great to serve for dipping too!
- Self-rising flour: This slightly seasoned and prepared flour works perfectly for breading meats.
- Seasonings: I use a combination of seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika. I love the addition of garlic powder to give it that distinctive flavor. And for a kick, both cayenne, and paprika are added to the bunch.
- Oil: The oil is just going to be used for frying so be sure to choose a vegetable oil that is good for high heat.
How to Make Fried Gizzards
All it takes are a few easy steps to make the best recipe for fried chicken gizzards!!!
- The first step when making fried gizzards is to start with trimming the excess fat and gristle.
- Next, add the buttermilk and hot sauce to a plastic storage bag and shake to combine. After it’s mixed add gizzards to the bag and allow them to marinate for 1-2 hours.
- When the marinating time is almost finished marinating, add the flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, and paprika to a large bag. Use a whisk and mix everything until combined.
- Once the gizzards are done soaking, add them a few at a time to the bag of seasoned flour and shake to evenly coat the gizzards. Then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then into the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set the flour.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure the oil is at least 2-3 inches high in the pan.
- Add the gizzards to the skillet and fry until golden brown. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on paper towels.
How to Serve Chicken Gizzards
Serve up chicken gizzards immediately after cooking! Use some of the ideas below to create meals with them as the centerpiece!
- Sauces for Crispy Gizzards: These pair well with a dipping sauce or you can eat them alone. Serve them up with more hot sauce, Ranch Dip, Remoulade Sauce, Homemade Gravy, or Chipotle BBQ Sauce.
- Southern Fried Side Dishes: Fried Okra, Fried Pickles, Fried Onion Rings, and Fried Green Tomatoes.
- More Southern Style Sides: Mustard Greens or Collard Greens, Southern Green Beans, and Creamed Spinach.
Expert Tips and FAQs
This post has all you need to know about how to gizzards! Here are a few tips to help you get the best results!
- Deep Fryer: Works best if you have one. This way you don’t have to turn them over and they cook evenly on all sides. If not, try using a smaller, deeper pan so the level of oil is higher.
- Marinate: The marinating step is crucial to making the best fried chicken gizzards since it softens the toughness of the meat.
The taste is very distinctive. They are much chewier than regular chicken meat and the taste resembles dark meat like legs and thigh pieces from a whole chicken.
There are two ways to make gizzards more tender. The first is to cook them slowly over low heat in liquid to soften the meat. The second, which is perfect for fried gizzards, is adding a marinade with ingredients such as buttermilk to help break the toughness of the muscle down.
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Fried Chicken Gizzards Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 pound gizzards
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 ¼ cup self rising flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Start by trimming the excess fat and gristle from the chicken gizzards.
- Add buttermilk and hot sauce to a plastic storage bag and shake to combine. Add gizzards to bag and allow to marinate for 1-2 hours.
- To a large bag, add flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne and paprika and whisk until combined.
- Once gizzards are done soaking, add gizzards a few at a time to seasoned flour bag and shake to evenly coat then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes to set flour.
- Heat oil over medium high heat. Make sure oil is at least 2-3 inches tall.
- Fry until golden brown then drain on paper towels.
Notes
- Deep Fryer: Works best if you have one. This way you don’t have to turn them over and they cook evenly on all sides. If not, try using a smaller, deeper pan so the level of oil is higher.
- Marinate: The marinating step is crucial to making the best fried chicken gizzards since it softens the toughness of the meat.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in June 2018. It has been updated with new photos and content in August 2022.
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Excellent job with the recipe. Mine were perfect
Thanks so much, Boo!
These were delicious ! Very happy hubby.
So glad you and your hubby enjoyed!
This sounds yummy and I plan to use it for chicken hearts as well
NEED DIRECTIONS ON CLEANING GIZZARDS DO A VIDEO OF WHAT AND HOW TO REMOVE UNWANTED PARTS. WHat about the fat on outside with cracked corn and such to trim off and that yellow skin pouch that holds the throw away bowels.
NOT EVERYONE KNOW WHAT AND HOW TO CLEAN GIZZARDS OR CHITLINS NEED DEMO AND WASHING HOW TO.