Finding and Cooking Turkey Giblets for Gravy and Stuffing

When roasting a whole turkey for the holidays, don’t throw away the giblets! Known as the edible inner organs of poultry, turkey giblets are traditionally used to make rich gravy and flavorful stuffing But with many whole turkeys sold today without giblets, you may need to source them separately Read on for where to buy turkey giblets and how to cook them for your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.

What are Turkey Giblets?

Turkey giblets usually consist of

• Heart – Small but dense and flavorful muscle.

• Liver – Smooth in texture with mild, earthy taste.

• Gizzard – Acts as bird’s teeth to grind food. Requires prep.

• Neck – Bony but adds stock flavor when simmered.

Giblets impart deep savory flavor. The heart and liver are edible as is, while the gizzard must be cleaned and chopped before cooking. When buying whole turkey, giblets are typically tucked inside the cavity.

Why Cook with Turkey Giblets?

Beyond their rich, meaty taste, giblets have several uses for holiday meals:

• Simmer into turkey stock for hearty gravy.

• Chop and sauté for savory stuffing.

• Cook and mince giblets for giblet gravy.

• Sauté livers for giblet mousse appetizer.

So don’t miss out on these flavor boosters – get yourself some turkey giblets! Here’s where to source them.

Where to Buy Turkey Giblets

With Whole Turkeys

Many whole fresh or frozen turkeys include giblets in the cavity wrapping:

• Butterball – Giblet packets included with its whole turkeys. Also sells giblets separately.

• Honeysuckle White – Select whole turkeys contain giblets.

• Jennie-O – Whole turkeys include giblets in the bag cavity.

When buying a whole turkey, just remember to check if giblets are included before discarding packaging.

Meat Counters at Grocery Stores

Your supermarket meat department may carry turkey giblets, especially around the holidays:

• Kroger – Turkey giblets sold by the pound at meat counters.

• Publix – Fresh giblets available to order at butcher counters.

• HEB – Sells packaged turkey giblets and livers by the pound.

• Wegmans – Offers fresh turkey giblets behind butcher counters.

Call or visit your local grocer’s meat department to see if they stock turkey giblets. Availability varies seasonally.

Online Stores and Delivery

Several online stores ship fresh turkey giblets:

• Amazon – Giblets and livers sold from online butchers and farms.

• Walmart – Carries Butterball and other brand’s turkey giblets.

• Instacart – Source giblets from local stores for same-day delivery.

• Crowd Cow – Ships sustainably raised turkey giblets overnight.

Ordering online makes finding turkey giblets easy, though minimum purchase amounts and shipping costs may apply.

Direct from Local Farms

Check nearby turkey farms and family producers, many sell giblets:

• Koch’s Turkey Farm (PA) – Sells fresh or frozen giblets online and locally.

• Mary’s Free Range Turkeys (CA) – Offers organic turkey giblets by pre-order.

• Turkey Track Ranch (TX) – Farm’s holiday turkeys include giblets.

• Greeneville Turkeys (TN) – Call to ask, they may sell giblet packs separately.

Buying direct from local farms can get you the freshest giblets, though quantities may be limited.

Preparing and Cooking Turkey Giblets

Once you’ve sourced giblets, prep and cook them to maximize flavor:

• Trim excess fat and membranes from heart and liver. Rinse giblets.

• Simmer gizzard in water 30 mins to soften before slicing open to remove interior membranes and stones.

• Sauté diced giblets in butter until browned for gravy, stuffing, or mousse.

• Add neck and giblets to turkey carcass and scraps to simmer stock.

• Chop and add cooked giblets to stuffing along with herbs, broth, and vegetables.

With their concentrated turkey flavor, giblets are worth the small extra effort to elevate your holiday feast. Enjoy your giblet gravy and stuffing!