The Best Fried Gizzards Recipe (Duck, Goose, & Pheasant)
I absolutely love Fried Gizzards!Don't turn away and make that face! If you really want to commit to nose to tail eating, then duck, goose, and pheasant gizzards are something you need to start harvesting on your next bird hunt. Most people are familiar with chicken gizzards. But goose gizzards are a huge piece of meat! This recipe for fried gizzards makes a delicious snack or game day appetizer, and your kids will even love them…maybe! This classic southern delicacy (traditionally made with chicken gizzards) is a true comfort food that is surprisingly easy to make. With a few simple ingredients and some basic cooking techniques, you can transform tough and chewy gizzards into a mouth-watering hors d'oeuvre or a flavorful main dish. Whether you're a die-hard fan of fried food or looking for a new way to add some wild game protein to your diet, this recipe is sure to impress.WHAT IS A GIZZARD?Gizzards are the stomach of a chicken, pheasant, duck, goose, or any other bird. Since birds don’t have teeth, they need a way to grind up their food before it enters their digestive tract. This is where the gizzard plays its part in bird anatomy.As birds peck at the ground eating bugs, shoots of grass, and seeds and berries, they also pick up itty bitty pieces of gravel and pebbles. All of this food and grit moves through the esophagus, gets stored in the crop (a storage area), and eventually ends up in the gizzard. Enzymes along with the gizzard’s muscles contract while the grit acts as little teeth to help pulverize the food so it becomes small enough to be digested. HOW TO CLEAN GIZZARDSCleaning a chicken gizzard or a gizzard from upland birds or waterfowl is easy, and my friend Hank Shaw has a great blog post I highly recommend on How to Clean A Gizzard. He also has a great recipe for Corned Gizzards in his hardcover cookbook Duck, Duck, Goose by Hank Shaw available on Amazon.com for only $15. It's a perfect Christmas gift for that hunter and wild game cook in your life.The only thing Hank doesn't cover in his instructions that is important to mention is that you can definitely boil the gizzards ahead of time. Drain and pat them dry before placing them in a ziplock bag or an airtight container. Then you can either freeze them for up to 2 months or refrigerate them for up to 2 days. This is a great way to save time if you plan to fry these up for some unique tailgate food or super bowl food.HOW TO FRY GIZZARDS1. Place the gizzards on a cutting board and tenderize with a Jaccard meat tenderizer before cutting into 1-inch pieces. 2. Put the gizzards in a 6-quart pot and cover with water by a few inches. Add 2 chicken bouillon cubes & black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil the gizzards for 4 hours.3. Remove the gizzards, rinse with cold water, and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.4. Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. 5. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.6. Pour the buttermilk into another bowl large enough for the gizzards to be immersed in the buttermilk.7. Prepare your dredging station. Place your gizzards in a bowl. Next to that, your bowl of buttermilk, and next to that, your dry mixture.8. Take your gizzards, lightly dust them with your flour mixture, then dip them in the buttermilk until they are coated, and then place them in the flour mixture again. Be a little aggressive here and push the flour mixture into the wet gizzards. Make sure they are very thoroughly coated, or you will not achieve the crust and crunch you are looking for. 9. Gently place the gizzards in the hot oil in your fryer. Fry for 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.MORE WATERFOWL RECIPESIf you are looking for another waterfowl recipe, be sure to check out my Duck Heart Stuffed Mushrooms, Goose Stew, Goose Pastrami, or my French Dip Sandwich Recipe with Canada Goose. For more great goose recipes and duck recipes, check out the Duck and Goose Recipes page here.COME HUNTING IN NORTH DAKOTAIf you would like to come to North Dakota and experience an amazing waterfowl or upland bird hunt, check out the North Dakota Tourism website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYIf you make this Fried Gizzards Recipe, I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Fried Gizzards Recipe? Be sure to leave a rating RIGHT HERE and a comment below!
Ingredients
- 1 pound duck, goose, or pheasant gizzards (cleaned)
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chickpea or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Place the gizzards on a cutting board and tenderize with a Jaccard meat tenderizer before cutting into 1-inch pieces.
- Put the gizzards in a 6-quart pot and cover with water by a few inches. Add 2 chicken bouillon cubes & black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil the gizzards for 4 hours.
- Remove the gizzards, rinse with cold water, and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
- Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
- Pour the buttermilk into another bowl large enough for the gizzards to be immersed in the buttermilk.
- Prepare your dredging station. Place your gizzards in a bowl. Next to that, your bowl of buttermilk, and next to that, your dry mixture.
- Take your gizzards, lightly dust them with your flour mixture, then dip them in the buttermilk until they are coated, and then place them in the flour mixture again. Be a little aggressive here and push the flour mixture into the wet gizzards. Make sure they are very thoroughly coated, or you will not achieve the crust and crunch you are looking for.
- Gently place the gizzards in the hot oil in your fryer. Fry for 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
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