Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Gizzards are so tender and flavorful, perfect for game day and holiday parties. Boiling them before baking is the key to ensure the super tender texture, and panko bread crumbs create an addictive crunch! No deep-frying! We’ll show you how to make these baked chicken gizzards from scratch with step by step guide.
Tender, crispy oven fried chicken gizzards are irresistible. Dip them in hot sauce or honey mustard sauce for the perfect finger food. It’s much healthier than the Southern deep-fried version.
I love to serve these homemade chicken gizzards with some classic comfort food like Fried Apples, Frito Chili Pie, and Sous Vide Chicken Wings. Yum!
What are Chicken Gizzards?
The chicken gizzard is an organ found in the digestive tract of a chicken. It’s made of strong and thick muscular walls that grind up the foods the animal eats. So it’s a tough piece of meat.
When cooked properly, they’re very delicious and are a popular street food in many parts of the world such as Haiti, Southeast Asia and Mexico. They can be fried, boiled, sautéed, or baked. In the U.S., they’re often fried and served with spicy sauce.
Oven Fried Chicken Gizzards – A Healthier Version
Instead of deep-frying gizzards, my version is much healthier with no mess, and no oil wastage!
You don’t have to stand around the stove deep frying gizzards with oil splattering all over the place. These gizzards are simple to make with a deep fried taste. I typically serve my chicken gizzards with hot sauce mixed with mayo and honey, and my favorite brand is Frank’s Redhot Buffalo Wing’s Sauce. Other great options are ranch, ketchup or honey mustard.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Gizzards – you can find them in most Chinese grocery stores. Clean them thoroughly before cooking.
- Panko Breadcrumbs – the secret to truly crispy and crunchy chicken gizzard is to use Panko breadcrumbs. You can sub regular breadcrumbs in a pinch, but they’re less crispy.
- Garlic Powder – for extra flavor.
- Egg – helps the breadcrumb mixture stay on the gizzards.
- Mayonnaise – adds a creamy and tangy flavor.
- Mustard – use any types of mustard such as dijon or yellow mustard.
- Flour – regular all-purpose flour works great for this recipe.
- Salt – I used regular table salt in this recipe.
- Black Pepper – freshly ground pepper works the best.
- Cooking Oil Spray – makes the outside extra crispy.
How to Cook Chicken Gizzards
1. Clean chicken gizzards thoroughly and cut each one into two pieces.
2. Bring the cleaned chicken gizzards to boil in a saucepan, and then simmer for about 1 hour or until tender.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine egg, mayo, mustard, flour, salt, and pepper. Whisk until combined.
4. In another bowl, mix the Panko breadcrumbs with garlic powder. (About 15 minutes before the chicken gizzards are ready, heat oven to 400°F/200°C.)
5. Once the gizzards are tender, drain the water, and add them into the batter and toss to coat.
6. Take each piece of the chicken gizzard with kitchen tongs and place it into the breadcrumbs mixture.
7. Sprinkle with more breadcrumbs to cover completely. Then press down to adhere. Repeat until all pieces are coated. Arrange gizzards on the baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking oil spray.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip halfway through. (Broil in the last 2 minutes for a golden crispy crumb!)
Tips for Making the Best Crispy Tender Chicken Gizzards
- Make sure the gizzards are thoroughly cleaned before cooking. The ones from local grocery stores are usually pre-cleaned. If you get the fresh ones from a local butcher or farmer, it’s best to ask them to clean for you if possible.
- To tenderize the gizzards, the easiest way is to boil it until very tender before cooking. Alternatively, you can marinate them in buttermilk for about 8 hours in the fridge.
- I highly recommend using Panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs. This will create a truly crispy and golden browned gizzards.
- Use tongs to dip the battered gizzards into the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over breadcrumbs to cover. No more messy fingers!
Health Benefits and Nutrition Value
The chicken gizzard is one of the most nutritious parts of the animal. It’s high in protein and a good sauce of vitamins. It helps to prevent anemia and is important for brain function. It’s also low in fat, so is a good choice if you need to up your protein intake without increasing fat levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do Chicken Gizzards Taste Like?
Chicken gizzards have a distinctive taste that slightly resembles dark chicken meat. They have a chewier and tougher texture.
How to Make Chicken Gizzards Tender?
To tenderize the gizzard, it’s best to cook it slowly over low heat, which ensures that the tough connective tissue melts away. That’s why we recommend boiling it first before cooking.
What Part of the Chicken Is the Gizzard?
It’s a muscular part of the stomach and uses grit to grind grains and fiber into smaller, more digestible particles.
What’s the Difference Between Chicken Gizzards and Giblets?
Chicken giblets are various organs found inside the cavity of the bird. They usually include the liver, heart, neck, kidney, and gizzard. But you can buy gizzards separately.
Where to Buy Chicken Gizzards?
You can find chicken gizzards and other giblets at local Asian grocery stores or butcher shops. Most of the time they’ve been pre-cleaned. If not, you’ll need to clean them at home before cooking.
More Chicken Recipes
Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Gizzard Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Gizzards
- 1 pound chicken gizzards
- oil spray
Breadcrumbs Mixture
- 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Batter
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard I used yellow mustard, but you can use dijion or other mustard
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional for serving
- chopped parsley for serving
- hot sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Clean the chicken gizzard and trim the excess fat and gristle. (Make sure to clean them one by one and remove any leftover dirty part.)
- Cut each gizzard into 2 pieces. (As each gizzard is cut open in the middle so it's naturally 2 connected parts in one gizzard.)
- Add the cleaned gizzards in a saucepan with water. Bring to boil, then lower the heat. Cover with a lid and cook for about 1 hour until tender. Then drain the water. (Check from time to time and make sure there's enough water. Add more if needed)
- In a small bowl, combine batter ingredients and whisk until combined.
- In another bowl, mix together Panko breadcrumbs and garlic powder.
- About 15 minutes before the gizzards are ready, heat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Add the gizzards into the batter and toss to coat.
- Take each piece of the chicken gizzard with tongs and place it into the breadcrumbs mixture.
- Sprinkle with more breadcrumbs to cover completely. Then press down to adhere. Repeat until all pieces are coated.
- Arrange gizzards on the baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking oil spray.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Flip halfway through. (Broil in the last 1-2 minutes for a golden crispy crumb! Watch very carefully as it can be burned easily.)
Notes
- These chicken gizzards are best served immediately. If you need to reheat them, you can bake them at 400°F for 15 minutes or until crispy.
Nutrition
David Randall says
If you “throw awy the water” you’re losing the second most important part of this, a rich, unctuous broth. Season with aromatics, onion, garlic,celery, a few cloves and bay leaves and you have an amazing collegen-rich stock