This is the right way to make Fried Chicken Gizzards. I marinade the gizzards in a spiced buttermilk before I dredge in a seasoned flour and fry them up. Gizzards can have a tough texture if you don’t cook them right but my recipe gives you tender, juicy textures every time.
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Fried Chicken Gizzards Ingredients
- Gizzards: You can buy these by the package in the refrigerated poultry section in most grocery stores. Swap in some chicken livers or you can even cube boneless chicken thighs or breasts and make nuggets.
- Buttermilk: Because gizzards are super chewy and tough, I let the acid in the buttermilk soak help break it down. None around? Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to 2 cups of buttermilk. Wait a few minutes until it curdles then use in my recipe.
- Self-rising flour: I like the lighter breading this creates. All-purpose can also be used. Also you can use your fave 1:1 cup for cup gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Seasonings: I use a combo of seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika.
- Vegetable Oil: Any neutral oil like canola or even peanut can be used.
- Hot Sauce: Optional. Chili paste, cayenne or siracha can be used.
How to Cook Chicken Gizzards
Step 1: Begin trimming the excess fat and gristle from the gizzards.
Step 2: Next add the buttermilk and hot sauce to a plastic storage bag and shake to combine. Add gizzards to the bag and allow them to marinate for 2-3 hours.
Step 3: After marinating, add the flour and seasonings to a large bag and mix up. Add the gizzards a few at a time and coat them evenly then place on a parchment lined baking sheet and set in the fridge.
Step 4: Heat the oil to 365°F then fry until golden brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on paper towels before serving up.
Fried Chicken Gizzards Recipe
In this tender chicken gizzards recipe, the gizzards are first marinated in a spicy bath of buttermilk and hot sauce, then battered in a seasoned flour and finally fried to golden brown perfection.
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Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken gizzards
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 ¼ cup self-rising flour
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt plus 2 teaspoons
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Vegetable 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 2-3 hours.
- To a large bag, add flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne and smoked 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 in your vessel. The oil should heat to between 365°F and 375°F.
- Fry until golden brown then drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.
Notes
How to Store and Reheat this Gizzard Recipe
Pop your leftovers in an airtight container or add to a freezer bag releasing all the air. They should go in the fridge. When you are ready to reheat, add to your oven at 350°F on a parchment lined baking sheet and reheat for about 10-15 minutes until warmed through. You can also add them to your air fryer so you keep them super crispy!How long will fried gizzards last in the fridge?
They should last up to 3-4 days.Can I freeze this fried chicken gizzard recipe?
Yep you sure can boos. The freeze them up correctly, you should follow this two step process. First spread the gizzards evenly on a lined baking sheet. Pop in the fridge for 2 hours (this helps them not stick once you finish the freeze process). Once they are nice and solid, add to a freezer bag and label with the date. They should freeze well up to 3 months.Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 1626mg | Potassium: 210mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 4.3mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1.8mg
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Recipe Tips
- Marinate as long as possible: If you skip out on this step or shortcut the time, you could end up with some beyond chewy gizzards.
- Set that Breading: I like to pop the breaded gizzards in the fridge for 20 minutes to really let that flour stick to them so it won’t come off in the hot oil.
- 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.
- Right Temp: Get that oil cranked up between 365°F and 375°F so they fry up crispy and don’t get soggy boos.
- Fry in Batches! Don’t overcrowd the fryer with too many gizzards or they’ll clump together and lower the oil temp boos.
Serving Suggestions
- Sauces It Up: Serve them up with more hot sauce, remoulade sauce, homemade gravy, or chipotle bbq sauce.
- Southern Fried Side Dishes: While you have the grease hot, drop in some fried okra, fried pickles, onion rings, and fried green tomatoes.
- More Southern Sides: These chicken gizzards are right at home with some soul food veggie sides like collard greens, Southern green beans, or mustard greens.
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Recipe Variations
- Go Buffalo: After you fry them up, toss in my fave buffalo wings sauce.
- Go Hot Honey: Drizzle these fried gizzards in this delish hot honey chicken sauce for some sweet and heat.
More Fried Food Recipes
This post was originally published in June 2018. It has been updated with new photos and content in August 2022.
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Hi Jocelyn! I have to make gizzards just for me now. Single living but I still love to bake & cook! Great recipe, even better with the collard greens, omg I get up & eat leftovers for breakfast … cold even . Thanks
Jocelyn, I cook chicken gizzards all the time, but this recipe is totally amazing!!!
Too salty. Next time will not use as much salt. However, the texture and everything else was on point. Definitely will make again.
Love love chicken gizzards yummy. So glad to find this recipe! Thank you.
For the fried gizzards, are there two flour bags? Number 4 and number 5 in the instructions
have me somewhat confused. Please explain really want to try these. Love your site Thanks
Only 1 bag of dry flour mix.
My mom used to cook up chicken gizzards often, especially in a paprika onion sauce. These look great and can’t wait to try the recipe. Thank you!
BTW, your daughter is such a cutie!
Aww thank you so much! I hope you love them. That sauce sounds fantastic.
Hey, just wondering do they sell gizzards alone or only in chicken?
You buy them alone. You can find them at Kroger, but It is hard to find them in major grocery stores sometimes. Look in like Food Depot, Piggly Wiggly, Farmer’s market etc…. I love them. I even like them boiled with a seasoned tomato sauce on them served over rice. Haitians eat them alllll the time and call them z z avec sauce and diri.
Thank you so much for the gizzard recipe. Growing in Beaumont TX, It was one of my favorite comfort food.
Baby Harmony is beautiful, I love her costume.
Thank you so so much Jacke!
Just ran across your recipient,and it indeed brought back memories of my mom cooking them. However,like another reader,I am confused about # 4 and 5 in the directions,can you please clarify? Thank you so much.
Wal mart has them in the chicken area.
They as selling them now at Food Lion!
I see them all the time and they usually come in a package mixed together with chicken hearts.
Yes indeed!
I have occasional cravings for fried gizzards but haven’t had good luck in buying them from a fast food restaurant so today I’m going to try your recipe. I have boiled mine a little to rid the toughness,never thought to marinate them. Thanks for this and other “southern,home cooked meals”.
My daughter love fried gizzards, can’t wait to try these. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you’ve blessed us with.
Hooray let me know how they turn out for you!
Can’t wait to try this. We used to buy these at a resturant “Youngbloods” in Houston. They went out of business but I remember the days of my youth. They sale them at some fast food places but the are not good. This looks like it will hit the spot
Hooray let me know how they turn out for you!