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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I think I over seasoned mine. So in the ingredient list you put 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons seasoned salt. So before you put them in the buttermilk would you add that amount and then when you’re seasoning the flour portion , do you put that same amount in again? I was confused by that.
No just add to the flour to season.
This was a hit! I had to alter the recipe a little considering I have children and no buttermilk. Will be using this recipe for now on!
Some of the best gizzards that I have ever had. I’m 74 and grew up on a farm where we grew most everything that we ate and I have traveled some and this is one treat that is hard to find. I just never could get mine to taste like the ones I had growing up. I will be using your recipe from now on. Thank you
Do you rinse off the buttermilk before dipping them in the flour?
No you definitely don’t want to lose the flavor. Keep all of that on it.
I LOVE Chicken Gizzards. It’s true that they can be tough at times. I have found that cooking in an InstaPot is the way to go. Place gizzards into the InstaPot, add 1 cup water. Using 15 Lbs pressure set pot for 25 minutes. Let pressure release naturally. Take gizzards out of the pot and refrigerate to cool down. This is when I mix hot sauce with the gizzards. After gizzards have cooled, roll in seasoned flour and fry. REMEMBER: The gizzards are fully cooked already. Just fry until the breading has turned a golden brown.
Thank you William, I am gonna prepare you recipe now!
Love it had mine already cooked in pressure cooker
you seem like a really good cook how about i challenge you to see what we both really made of
Ha!! You really thought that would work brother ?? Nice try though. 🙂
I have loved gizzards since my youth. My father introduced them to me and after my first taste I was hooked. This is killer good. The buttermilk does something in the translation that allows the full flavor of the gizzard to be experienced. It is a little longer prep time than I am used to or have seen in other recipes but well worth the wait. Tasted like I had transported myself to Atlanta! Delicious!
And they’re so inexpensive!
I really loved the flavor of the food, thanks for the recipe ,
I didn’t rate the recipe because I haven’t tried it yet but it sounds really good. I’m the only person I know in my family that will eat them. I live in Texas and it’s not too hard to find them at fast food places. We have Chicken Express and my husband has gotten them there for me. The only problem is you have to ask how long they have been on the heat table. They will usually do a fresh order for him. Once when we were out I got an order at a fast food resturant and the gizzards were the best I have ever had. I complimented the fry cook on how good they were and tender instead of being so chewy. He told me his secret was he parboiled them before battering and frying. That place was always so busy everytime we were there. It was a fast food place and their specialty was fried chicken. They did other things but the chichen was the reason people went there.
How long do you parboil them. I also clean’em and remove the inner rough portion of the gizzards.
I doubt they prepared a fresh order for him ( pre- boiling) that’s what you said cook did, well that would take a minute, fresh order, NO
Excellent!
does the buttermilk help make the gizzards tender?
Yes it does!