You may have thrown them out in the past because you did not know what to do with turkey giblets, but you will soon enough. The offal meat is invaluable.
As holiday time approaches, so do ideas of abundant turkey dinners and giblets. Yes, the offal meat, packaged and stuffed into the cavity of the bird that you forgot to remove at least once in your life, is a bundle of special ingredients. The problem is that a lot of people do not know what to do with turkey giblets or don’t care to cook with them because they are not very appealing. That said, once you give them a try and experience the depth of flavor they add, you may find yourself requesting some from your local butcher.
As mentioned, giblets are offal meat, a term used for edible internal organs and nonmuscular meat parts of animals that people regularly consume. The giblets often included in the package found in the turkey cavity include the heart, the liver, and the gizzard (a muscular organ that grinds up food for digestion). Hearts have a lot of complexity, turkey livers are very nutrient-dense, and gizzards have a complex, earthy flavor. According to the USDA the neck of the bird is not a “giblet” but since the neck boasts dark, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth meat, we include it in our uses below.
Innards refers to the all the internal organs while giblets refers to certain specific internal organs, the heart, liver, and gizzard. Examples of turkey innards that are not giblets include the gall bladder, lungs, kidneys, and trachea. Some are dangerous to consume (gall bladder) while others just may be too small (lungs) to consume, have a tougher texture (kidneys) or are undesirable to eat for most people (testicles).
As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s time to start planning that big turkey dinner. You likely already have plans for the breast meat legs thighs and wings. But what about the giblets – the neck, heart, gizzard and liver found inside the turkey cavity? These nutritious and flavorful turkey parts are often overlooked or discarded, but cooking them right inside the turkey is an easy way to get the most out of your bird.
In this complete guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about preparing, cooking and using turkey giblets You’ll learn how to clean them properly, what each giblet tastes like, how long to cook them, and delicious ways to use them in your Thanksgiving spread Follow these tips for giblets that are moist, tender and full of flavor.
What Are Giblets?
Let’s start with the basics – what exactly are giblets? Giblets refer to the edible internal organs of poultry. In a whole turkey, the giblets are typically the neck, heart, gizzard and liver. Here’s a quick overview of each:
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Turkey Neck – This is an especially meaty giblet that’s full of collagen and fat. It’s often used to make flavorful turkey stock.
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Turkey Heart – The heart is all muscle meat with a rich, meaty flavor. It has a firm, dense texture when cooked.
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Turkey Gizzard – The gizzard is a very muscular organ that actually grinds food for the bird. When cooked, it has a flavor and texture similar to turkey dark meat.
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Turkey Liver – The mild liver provides a soft texture and subtle richness. It’s key for gravies and sauces.
Preparing Giblets for Cooking
Before cooking your giblets, proper cleaning is essential. Here’s how to prep them:
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Rinse and drain – Run giblets under cold water while gently rubbing away any excess fat, membranes or blood clots. Pat dry with paper towels.
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Trim excess fat/skin – Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, carefully trim away any large pieces of fat or skin, especially from the heart and gizzard.
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Separate – Pull the giblets apart from each other. You’ll cook each piece individually.
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Pierce – Use a fork or knife tip to poke holes all over the gizzard. This allows seasonings to penetrate and speeds cook time.
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Chill – For food safety, it’s best to refrigerate giblets up to 2 days before cooking.
Properly prepped giblets are ready for the oven!
Cooking Giblets in a Turkey
The easiest way to cook giblets is right inside the turkey cavity alongside the breast and legs. Here’s how:
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Time giblet cook time – Plan to add giblets about 1 hour before the turkey finishes roasting. Their cook time is much faster than the large breast and legs.
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Prepare turkey as normal – Season and truss the turkey per your normal method. Preheat oven to 325°F.
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Add giblets – Once the turkey has roasted for about 2 hours, carefully place prepared giblets directly into the main cavity.
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Return to oven – Put turkey back in the oven and continue roasting until the breast meat reaches 165°F and the legs reach 175°F. The giblets will cook perfectly in this last hour.
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Check doneness – Giblets are done when fork tender. If needed, transfer them to a small dish to finish cooking if turkey breast is ready first.
Cooking giblets right in the turkey infuses them with delicious roasted turkey flavor.
Alternative Cooking Methods
If you’d prefer to cook your giblets separately, here are a few easy alternative cooking methods:
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Simmer – Place giblets in a pot, add water to cover by 1 inch and simmer for 45 mins to 1 hour until tender.
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Sauté – Cook chopped giblets in olive oil over medium high heat for 7-10 minutes until browned.
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Roast – Spread giblets on a baking sheet and roast at 350°F for 30-40 minutes until browned.
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Grill – Toss giblets with oil and grill over direct high heat for 6-8 minutes, flipping once.
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Air Fry – Air fry giblets at 370°F for 15-18 minutes, shaking halfway through.
Using Cooked Turkey Giblets
Once your giblets are perfectly cooked, it’s time to put them to use! Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy giblets:
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Chop and add them to gravy for extra rich flavor.
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Dice the heart and gizzard for homemade stuffing.
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Shred and mix into turkey salad or sandwiches.
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Slice the liver and sauté with onions for an easy side.
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Simmer the neck for hearty turkey soup stock.
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Grind the cooked gizzard in a food processor for giblet pâté.
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Sauté the heart with veggies for a nutritious dinner.
Don’t toss those giblets – with the right prep and cook time, they become a delicious and versatile addition to your Thanksgiving table! Still have giblet questions? Let us know in the comments.
Add to Stuffing for Sausage Stuffing
Giblets add an immensely flavorful, savory meatiness to stuffing. If you make stock, everything except the liver will be cooked, so all you have to do is remove the meat from the neck, finely chop the heart and gizzards, then sauté the livers before chopping those up as well. Once done, everything goes into the stuffing, which goes into a casserole dish, where it is baked until golden brown. In case you didn’t prepare turkey giblet stock beforehand, boil the giblets with water and broth, as well as aromatic vegetables, until cooked through.
Turn turkey giblets into a tasty appetizer to serve before the turkey dinner alongside crackers or crostini. This option calls for the liver, which you should never boil since doing so results in an unpleasant bitter flavor. To make it:
- Pat the raw liver dry with a paper towel and cut the liver into uniform slices.
- Sauté the liver over medium heat with olive oil and butter along with onions. Take the liver off the heat once the slices brown. Turkey liver only needs 3-4 minutes to cook.
- Add the liver to a food processor with whatever else you would like to include in the pâté, such as herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, sherry, and cream. There are several directions to go in.
- Transfer to a serving platter alongside crackers or spread on crostini, then serve.
Turkey Giblet Stock
The best turkey dinners start with a turkey giblet stock. Generally, when you prep a turkey in advance for roasting (whether you brine it, apply butter under the skin and season, or apply a marinade), the giblets come out and should go directly into a stock pot (except the liver) with aromatic vegetables, herbs, and water, then simmered for hours. The neck, in particular, has quite an impact, as it is the key to a rich, almost gelatinous stock that can be used to make anything from gravy to various soups and stews.
As mentioned, turkey giblet stock can be used to make gravy, but good giblet gravy extends beyond that. Start with the standard butter and flour roux. From there, the stock goes in, as well as turkey pan drippings, which significantly deepens the color of the gravy. Then, the cooked giblets from the stock are finely chopped and added to the gravy as well. There’s also the choice to add the meat from the turkey neck along with milk or cream, but that is entirely up to you.