Chicken Gizzards – Panlasang Pinoy

A number of people who are just getting to know Filipino cuisine often get surprised by the many dishes involving animal innards. You’ve got the likes of Isaw and Bopis finding their rightful place in the most popular Filipino restaurants. I mean, there is a reason why we have grown so accustomed to utilizing these kinds of components in our dishes. While it is partially due to the resourcefulness in Pinoys, the actual taste of various kinds of innards also play a part. Chicken Gizzard, for example, is a great lean protein that can have the most satisfying savor to it when seasoned right.

But what does it actually mean to season this the correct way? And can this be considered a healthy ingredient? You may have clicked on this article because you have questions like these about the ingredient that you need answered before you work with it. You came to the right place. For this article, I will delve into what Chicken Gizzard is, its health benefits, various recipes and possible alternatives, and more! 

What is Chicken Gizzard?

This great and useful ingredient is essentially the stomach of the chicken with muscular walls, which makes them quite tough initially when you cook them. That’s why it is essential that you prepare it properly. And because it is part of the digestive tract, cleaning the gizzard is another step you simply cannot forget to ensure that it is good for eating. As for the taste, it can be likened to your regular chicken, but as I mentioned, the texture would be a bit different. Plus it holds a bit of a deeper flavor, which can be quite appealing.

But Chicken Gizzard often gets mistaken for Chicken Giblets. Care to know the difference?

Chicken Gizzard vs Chicken Giblets

These two are not actually entirely different things, as a gizzard is considered a giblet! Giblets refer to a variety of organs, such as the gizzard, liver and heart of a bird. And so these can also refer to the parts of a turkey. But since these are not as commonly used as other parts of birds for food, it may be a bit more challenging to find these at the store.

Nonetheless, it would be great to make use of giblets by finding various recipes that utilize them well. And that’s why Filipino cooks took it upon themselves to create dishes with these delicious ingredients. This can range from street food to rich, meaty stews. But it is not just the great flavor chicken gizzards provide that make it such an optimal component. It can also be quite good for you! 

Health benefits of Chicken Gizzard

Did you know that you usually get less than 100 calories in each serving for your chicken gizzards? Low-calorie diets usually help those who are trying to manage their weight, which can help those with diabetes and high blood pressure. Another plus is that it contains a good deal of vitamins and minerals. Among these is Selenium, which could lessen the risk of diseases like skin and breast cancer. You can also count on this to keep away oxidative stress, and it helps your metabolism as well.

Vitamin C is another antioxidant, which could also lower the threat of oxidative stress. And so we are lucky that there is plenty of this in our chicken gizzard. This vitamin could also keep your blood pressure down, and decrease the risk of heart disease.

Other healthy components you can find in the ingredient are magnesium, copper and riboflavin. Magnesium is actually something you can often find in seeds and leafy greens. But you could also get this just from gizzards. This component is great for transporting blood sugar into muscles, which is great for getting rid of lactate. When lactate builds up as you work out, this can make you feel fatigued. That’s why magnesium is associated with better exercise. Research also shows that this could aid in balancing out your blood sugar levels.

And this is a great source of protein, which can really give you an energy boost. This is also important in creating antibodies that fend off any infections. But before we get to cooking with chicken gizzards though, you cannot skip out on cleaning these. Let me show you how!

How to Clean Chicken Gizzards

1. Splitting the gizzard in half – Kick things off by getting your cutting board, and a sharp knife that you are regularly able to use to cut up your meat. Then we will get the gizzard, and split this in half. 
2. Washing the chicken gizzard – Make sure that you apply this step thoroughly. Run the chicken gizzard under some water, cleaning both the interior and exterior of it. Remember that we are working with a part of the chicken’s digestive tract here. And so it is possible that you will find dirt or tiny stones in the gizzard. Get all of those out of the way as you are rinsing the ingredient. And then open up the gizzard, and just try to check if there are any more dirt or inedible components left inside. 
3. Taking out the yellow lining – You will see a sort of white-yellow lining in the interior of the gizzard. This is something you will need to pull out with either a paring knife or kitchen shears.  Now since this part of the chicken tends to be a bit dense, it would be best to braise them first, and make sure the connective tissue melts. This helps make the gizzard less chewy, and overall have a better taste.

Cooking the chicken gizzard

You will need to cook these slowly with the heat set at low. This may take a couple of hours, possibly two on the stovetop, as we need the tissue to relax. You may use water as you are braising this, as well as aromatics of choice. 

Opting to use a slow cooker would also work. But this may take around eight hours. When you are done braising the chicken gizzard, and the texture is as preferred already, you can move on to preparing them the way you would like!

Got no idea yet on how you can make the most of your chicken gizzards? Here are just some of my recipes you can get to make at home. Some of these are pretty famous dishes, such as bopis. And there are other dishes as well that are Pinoy classics with a twist as we use chicken gizzard as the meat component. Come check these out!

Recipes to Recreate with Chicken Gizzard

Fried Chicken Gizzard

The cleaning process for chicken gizzard may be quite complicated. And so if you want something that is already pretty simple to make once you’ve prepared the gizzard, this is the dish for you. Fried Chicken Gizzard is delightfully crunchy. And it can be somewhat likened to a popular street food or pulutan, which is chicken skin. However, this would taste a lot meatier, and would be a bit more filling.

One thing that I like in a fried chicken dish is that note of spice as that added heat can truly upgrade the flavor of the meat. That’s why for this Fried Chicken Gizzard, we will be using just a bit of chili powder, as well as some garlic powder. That little kick does wonders for the taste of the dish. And it makes for a nice pairing with a dipping sauce of ketchup and mayonnaise.

Bopis

Let’s move on to a Filipino favorite that has a beautiful collaboration of flavors. Bopis has hints of sourness, but what truly stands out is its unique savor brought about by ginger, soy sauce, patis, as well as, of course, our delicious chicken gizzard. This contains more chicken innards, specifically chicken heart. That’s why some are still hesitant to try out this classic dish. But as I mentioned earlier, don’t let that deter you. These ingredients are not only low-cost and delicious at the same time, but they are also safe to eat if prepared properly.

But it’s not just the seasonings and the meat that stand out in this dish. Part of what makes it so special are the bits of vegetables that add some variety in texture, such as bell peppers, carrots and daikon radish. By the way, this article teaches you how to make Bopis na Manok, since for me, the ingredients are easier to find compared to those of Pork Bopis.

Chicken Gizzard Bicol Express

What if you could have the perfectly creamy Bicol Express with a kick, but using some tender chicken gizzards? This is a fantastic way to put a spin on the favored Pinoy recipe as like the usual meat component we use for this, which is pork belly, chicken gizzards are meaty and work great with salty flavors. Bicol Express is already such a lively and unique recipe in itself. But creating Chicken Gizzard Bicol Express can make it even more distinct, as well as a bit healthier. But if you have no background on the original Pinoy dish, let me provide some context. We mix the flavors of ginataang gulay for a refreshing, coconut-y, creamy taste with an exciting punch from chili peppers. 

This is also a stew so a number of Filipinos enjoy this best on particularly cold chilly days. As for the cooking process, just know that you will need about an hour to get all of this ready. But the actual steps to make it are not all too complicated. So long as you already have your chicken gizzard ready as I taught you earlier, I’d say the rest of the recipe would not be too hard to follow. Just keep track of the time you are sautéing as well as cooking. 

Chicken Liver And Gizzard Adobo

Here comes another beloved Filipino recipe with a twist. Now I know adobo is already a somewhat affordable dish with its use of simple ingredients to create a burst of sour and savory flavors. But you could utilize both chicken liver and gizzard instead of the usual parts of chicken for a more budget-friendly, and I’d say one of a kind version. This Chicken Liver and Gizzard Adobo has a rich set of flavors. And we can credit the likes of white vinegar, soy sauce and crushed garlic for that.

However, I believe what can make it a truly standout dish is the slightly earthy taste of chicken liver paired with chewy, delicious chicken gizzard. Now to improve the texture of the chicken liver, I made sure to dredge it in flour. I also pan-fried it beforehand. This is not a step that you will see in many other adobo recipes. But I used it for this one so you can really get the best of this liver part. And of course, don’t forget to have this with plenty of warm rice!

Chicken Liver And Gizzard Stew With Quail Eggs And Snap Peas

Chicken gizzard is also notorious as a pulutan ingredient. And that’s likely due to how the strong taste of alcohol just goes nicely with the saltiness of many dishes with chicken innards. Now if you really want to take your pulutan to the next level, this Chicken Liver and Gizzard Stew with Quail Eggs and Snap Peas is the way to go! We play to the strengths of our meat components here by mixing in the perfect savor of oyster sauce, and adding a bit of sweetness with white sugar.

And what is a Filipino dish without a touch of veggie goodness? We’ve got some snap peas and red bell peppers to give each bite some refreshing crispness. The boiled eggs are also a perfect addition to this dish. That’s because they contrast with the richness of the gizzard and liver. And should you be struggling to imagine the taste of this dish, it is actually quite similar in terms of flavor with our previous recipe— the Chicken Liver and Gizzard Adobo. 

Still not sure about recreating these dishes? What’s stopping you might not be your general opinion of this food, but rather the accessibility of it. While it can be pretty easy to find in wet markets in the Philippines, the case could be different in other countries. But you can still try out these recipes with similar ingredients. Here is a short guide on picking a good chicken gizzard alternative!

Substitutes for Chicken Gizzard

Chicken Thighs

One of the best ways to replicate the taste of an ingredient is by looking at options that are in the same category as that particular food. That being said, you can opt for other parts of the chicken too, especially if you are still thinking twice about using innards. Other cuts of the chicken such as thighs work nicely in providing some flavor and texture to a dish. It really would be best to go for dark meat to get a more similar taste. But of course, if you want to get the full experience with recipes like Bopis, I would still suggest trying out gizzards.

Chicken Breast

For those looking to keep going down that healthy, protein-rich route, chicken breast works as a decent alternative for our chicken gizzards. Just keep in mind that this will not have as much a deep flavor as the chicken gizzards. But a convenient thing about this is the preparation is definitely not as rigorous as you will not need to clean it like earlier demonstrated with the innards.

Turkey Gizzard

Lastly, turkey gizzards also make for a good substitute. You might be familiar with this component not as an ingredient for a viand, but rather as something that you use for gravy. These are also commonly used in making some delicious giblet gravy. But turkey gizzards also have other great uses, and you can definitely utilize them in the place of chicken gizzards. These are also significantly bigger than their chicken counterpart, and so you can allot more for your recipes. This part of the turkey also notably has a richer flavor than the cuts we often eat.

I hope this persuades you to look into various ingredients you may not be used to cooking with, such as chicken gizzards! And if you are curious about anything else regarding this cut of meat, just comment your questions below.