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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My love of chicken fried gizzards started when I started frying Sunday chicken at age 11. The gizzard was my prize for frying all that chicken! At the table my dad looked at me and said “Where’s the gizzard Sha?” I just smiled at him and told him I ate it and continued eating. That is how I became a closet chicken fried gizzards person! This recipe brings me a smile?
Looks very.delicious and can.also used as starter for family gatherings..will start consider gizzards as favourite snack..
YEAH…I MEAN, WHAT MORE CAN I SAY?
This reminds me of my childhood! My mom used to make fried gizzard. Thanks so much for the great recipe.
Usually I am not a fan of gizzard. But after checking your recipe, I am starting to have second thought. This looks delicious especially with the hot sauce.
Thank you for the information
What a special recipe! I confess that I was never confident about making gizzards because I was afraid they’d be tough but the buttermilk marinade made all the difference. So tasty!
These gizzards are marinated to give the most tender center with a nice crispy coating. Once of my new favorites!
Fantastic! Making the chicken tenders now. Thank you for the best carrot cake ever and for all your insights. And mostly your passion. Do you have a killer recipe for Chicken Livers? Interesting because the livers are probably the most common of the innards, I have never, and I mean never found a great recipe for them. What I love is that this food encompasses many places/religions, cultures. Popeyes Chicken used to sell them, but I cannot find a Popeyes. So, watcha got??
I’ve loved gizzards since I can remember, for the flavor but rarely for the texture. Here in the midwest they’re usually just battered and fried, hard as erasers. Then I had them in a salad at a French restaurant, and discovered they could be tenderize by a slow simmer (with onion, garlic, celery, the usual suspects). Since, I’ve found them sliced into Asian stir-fry, added to soups and minced into stuffing but always tenderized first. I don’t have a pressure cooker, so I take the slow road, then batter and fry if that’s where I’m headed, but the broth is half the reward.