How Long to Boil Chicken Gizzards Until Tender

A gizzard is a thick muscle that grinds grain, which is why it takes so long to cook. Time is counted from the boil, on low heat. Sources disagree widely, from 30-45 minutes for small gizzards from young broilers to 2.5 hours for a slow soup. The times below give tender gizzards without overcooking.

The key rule: safe and tender are not the same thing. In US Department of Agriculture (USDA) tests, chicken gizzards reached 71 °C (160 °F) inside after just 25-35 minutes. After that you cook them only for tenderness: done gizzards cut easily with a knife and a fork goes in without effort.

• Colour. Fresh gizzards are dark red or burgundy with a glossy surface. Grey, dull ones have been sitting for a while.
• Smell. A light meaty smell, with no sourness or ammonia. A sharp smell means they have gone off, and cooking will not save them.
• Surface. Moist but not sticky or slimy. Slime is a sign of spoilage.
• Packaging. Check the date: chilled gizzards keep only 1-2 days at home, so buy them with time to spare.
• Frozen. The gizzards should be separate pieces, with no thick layer of ice and no pink ice in the bag: both suggest they were thawed and refrozen.
• Cleaning. There should be no yellow lining or grit inside. Cleaned gizzards cost more but save time.

Supermarket gizzards are usually sold cleaned. Check each one: there should be no yellow lining or grit left inside.

• Yellow lining (koilin). This hard inner layer is what the bird uses to grind grain. It is inedible and always comes off: lift the edge with a knife and peel it away. If it clings, scald the gizzard in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.
• Uncleaned gizzard. Cut it open lengthways, empty it, rinse out the grit and peel off the yellow lining.
• Silverskin. The thin shiny membrane on the outside of chicken gizzards can stay on: it softens during long cooking. On turkey gizzards it is thicker and better trimmed.
• Fat. Trim excess fat from the edges for a clearer broth.
• Do not cut gizzards small before boiling: whole ones stay juicier. Large ones can be halved.

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises against washing raw poultry under the tap, because splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen. Shop-bought gizzards do not need washing. If you clean them yourself, rinse the grit out gently under a low stream and wash the sink afterwards.

1. Put the cleaned gizzards in a pan and cover with cold water by 3-4 cm: some of it will boil away over 1.5 hours.
2. Bring to the boil over medium heat and skim off the foam.
3. Turn the heat down so the water barely trembles, and cover, leaving a gap.
4. After 40 minutes, add a whole onion and a carrot if you will use the broth.
5. Add salt 10-15 minutes before the end, together with a bay leaf and peppercorns.
6. After 1-1.5 hours, test the largest gizzard: a knife should go in easily. If it is still firm, cook for another 15-20 minutes and check again.

There is no need to pour off the first water for safety. Some cooks discard it after the first boil for a paler broth; that is a matter of taste.

• Not cooked long enough. The most common reason: after 30-40 minutes a gizzard is safe but still tough. It needs 1-1.5 hours.
• A hard boil. Over high heat the muscle contracts. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
• Older birds. Gizzards from laying hens and turkeys are denser and need 30-40 minutes more.
• Yellow lining left on. It never softens, so the whole gizzard seems tough.

Soaking in water or milk does not make gizzards more tender: there is no evidence for it, and raw meat should not sit out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. What did help in a study on duck gizzards was piercing them several times with a fork before cooking.

• Before frying or braising: 40-45 minutes, then 40-50 minutes in a covered pan with onion and carrot, as in chicken gizzard goulash and gizzards in cream sauce.
• For salads: 1-1.5 hours until tender, then cool them in the broth and slice thinly. Refrigerate boiled gizzards within 2 hours.
• For soup: boil the gizzards for 1-1.5 hours first, then add potatoes, and noodles and herbs at the end, as in chicken gizzard noodle soup.
• With hearts: chicken hearts take 30-40 minutes, so add them 40-50 minutes after the gizzards.

Pressure cooker

• Cover the gizzards with water, at least 400 ml, and close the lid.
• Cook for 20-25 minutes at pressure.
• Let the pressure release naturally, about 10 minutes.
• If they are still a little firm, simmer without pressure for 10-15 minutes. Turkey gizzards take about 45 minutes at pressure.

Multicooker

• "Stew" mode: 1.5 hours for broiler gizzards, 2 hours for gizzards from older birds.
• Add water to 2-3 cm above the gizzards and skim the foam after 10-15 minutes.
• Add salt and spices 15 minutes before the end.

For pets, boil gizzards the same way, until tender, 1-1.5 hours, but without salt, onion, garlic or spices. Cool them and cut them to a size that suits the animal. Gizzards are rich in protein and iron, but they are not a complete diet: ask your vet how much to give.

• Raw chilled gizzards keep for 1-2 days in the fridge and 3-4 months in the freezer.
• Thaw them in the fridge: a 0.5 kg pack takes about a day. Cold water is faster, about an hour, but then cook them straight away.
• Refrigerate boiled gizzards within 2 hours and eat them within 2-3 days. The USDA allows 3-4 days; the UK FSA advises 2 days.
• Boiled gizzards and dishes made with them keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

100 g of boiled chicken gizzards has 154 kcal, 30 g of protein, about 3 g of fat and no carbohydrates, according to the USDA. They are lean and high in protein, with plenty of iron and zinc, but also 370 mg of cholesterol per 100 g. Gizzards lose almost half their weight in cooking, so cooked gizzards have more calories per 100 g than raw ones (94 kcal).

• Chicken gizzard goulash with tomato and paprika.
• Gizzards in cream sauce in a skillet.
• Braised gizzards with onion and carrot: a simple dinner with buckwheat or mash.
• Chicken gizzard noodle soup made with their own broth.
• A warm salad: boiled gizzards fried with onion, fresh vegetables and a soy sauce dressing.

Times for other poultry: how long to boil chicken and how long to boil turkey.