Fried Chicken Gizzards

Here’s a Southern-style Fried Chicken Gizzards recipe that turns these little bites into crispy, tender, and flavorful goodness:

🍗 Crispy Fried Chicken Gizzards

500 g (about 1 lb) chicken gizzards
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice, let sit 5 mins)
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal (optional, for extra crunch)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika (smoked paprika if available)
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for spice)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Oil for frying (vegetable, peanut, or canola)

Clean the Gizzards
- Rinse gizzards well under cold water.
- Trim off any yellowish lining or tough gristle if present.
Tenderize (Very Important!)
- Place cleaned gizzards in a pot, cover with water, add 1 tsp salt.
- Simmer for 30–40 minutes until fork-tender.
- Drain and let cool slightly.
Marinate
- Place gizzards in a bowl, cover with buttermilk.
- Chill for at least 1 hour (overnight is best) – this tenderizes and flavors them.
Coating Station
- In a shallow dish, mix flour, cornmeal, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
- Remove gizzards from buttermilk, shake off excess, then toss in flour mixture until well coated.
- For extra crispy gizzards: dip back into buttermilk, then coat in flour mixture again (double dredge).
Frying
- Heat oil in a deep skillet or fryer to 175°C / 350°F.
- Fry gizzards in batches for 3–4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan (they’ll steam instead of crisping).
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Serve
- Sprinkle with a pinch of salt while hot.
- Serve with hot sauce, ranch, or honey mustard for dipping.
- Great as a snack, appetizer, or with fries and coleslaw.

✨ Tips for the Best Fried Gizzards:

Pre-boiling makes them tender; otherwise, they can be chewy.
Resting the coated gizzards for 10 minutes before frying helps the coating stick.
For a spicier kick, add extra cayenne or chili powder to the flour mix.