Giblets come packed inside the abdominal cavity of whole chickens, usually in a small bag you need to pull out before cooking. The process takes about 30 seconds once you know where to look. Here’s how to find them, remove them safely, and put them to good use.
What’s Inside the Giblet Bag
A standard giblet pack contains three organs: the heart, the liver, and the gizzard. The neck is almost always packaged alongside them, though it’s technically not a giblet. All four pieces are edible and useful for making stock or gravy.
If the liver looks green, toss it. That discoloration comes from bile retention and makes it unpleasant to eat. Other color variations in the liver, from deep mahogany to yellowish, are normal and depend on the chicken’s breed and diet. The rest of the bird is still safe regardless of liver color.
How to Find and Remove the Giblets
Start by figuring out which end of the chicken is which. The neck end sits near the wings and has a smaller opening. The posterior end, closer to the legs, has a larger opening. The giblet bag is tucked inside the main abdominal cavity, accessible from either side.
Try the neck opening first. Slide your fingers in and feel around for a small bag, usually plastic or paper. If you can’t reach it from there, go through the posterior opening instead. It’s wider and gives your hand more room to maneuver. Grab the bag and pull it straight out.
Sometimes the giblets aren’t in a bag at all. If the organs are sitting loose inside the cavity, you’ll need to pull them out one piece at a time. You may feel the gizzard (a firm, round muscle), the small heart, the soft liver, and the long bony neck. Run your hand around the inside of the cavity one final time to make sure nothing is left behind.
What Happens If You Forget to Remove Them
Accidentally cooking a chicken with the giblet bag still inside is surprisingly common, and it’s not always a problem. If the bag was paper, there’s no safety concern at all, as long as the chicken reached an internal temperature of 165°F. You can still eat everything.
Plastic bags are a different story. If the plastic looks intact and wasn’t melted or warped by the heat, the USDA says the meat is still safe to eat when cooked to 165°F. But if the bag melted, buckled, or changed shape in any way, don’t eat the giblets or the chicken. Melted plastic can release chemicals into the surrounding meat.
Cleaning Individual Giblet Parts
If you plan to cook the giblets, a little prep goes a long way. Rinse all the pieces under cold running water to wash off any residue. The heart and liver need minimal work beyond that rinse.
Gizzards benefit from extra attention. Use a sharp knife to trim away any excess fat and peel off the tough yellow lining on the inside. This membrane is chewy and unpleasant if left on. For more tender results, soak the trimmed gizzards in salted water or buttermilk for about 30 minutes before cooking.
Making Stock From the Giblets
Giblet stock is the base for rich poultry gravy, and it’s simple to make while your chicken roasts. Brown the neck, heart, and gizzard in a little oil with chopped carrots, celery, and onion, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until everything takes on good color. Hold the liver back for now, since it can make stock bitter if simmered too long.
Add enough broth and water to cover, along with a few peppercorns, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf. Bring it to a boil, then immediately drop to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and let it cook for one hour. Strain out the solids, skim off any fat, and reduce the liquid down to about two and a half cups. That concentrated stock is perfect for gravy, soup, or moistening stuffing.
The cooked giblets themselves are still usable after straining. Chop the heart and gizzard into small pieces and stir them back into your gravy for extra texture and flavor. The neck meat can be pulled off the bone and added the same way.