Those small bags tucked inside a whole chicken contain some of the most flavorful, versatile parts of the bird. The neck, heart, liver, and gizzard can be turned into rich stock, savory gravy, crispy fried bites, or hearty pasta sauce. Throwing them away means tossing out free ingredients that professional cooks prize. Here’s how to use every piece.
What’s Actually in the Bag
Most whole chickens (and turkeys) come with a small paper or plastic bag stuffed inside the cavity. It typically contains four parts: the neck, heart, liver, and gizzard. Together, the heart, liver, and gizzard are called “giblets.” Each has a different texture and flavor, so they work best when you treat them as separate ingredients rather than one interchangeable lump.
If you’re not ready to use them right away, raw giblets can be frozen for three to four months at 0°F without losing quality. Cooked giblets keep about four months frozen. In the refrigerator, treat them like any raw poultry and use them within one to two days.
The Neck: Your Free Stockpot Ingredient
Chicken necks are packed with collagen, particularly Type II collagen, which is the same protein that supports cartilage and joint health. When simmered low and slow, that collagen breaks down into gelatin, giving your stock a silky body that water alone can’t achieve. The tiny pockets of meat on the neck add deep, savory flavor to the broth.
To make a quick stock, drop the neck into a saucepan with a quart of water, half an onion, a stalk of celery, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 40 to 50 minutes. You’ll end up with a flavorful base for soups, risotto, or gravy. Slow cooking at lower temperatures helps preserve the collagen’s integrity and lets it release gradually into the liquid, which is why a gentle simmer beats a rolling boil.
Once the neck is spent, you can pull it out, sprinkle a little salt on it, and pick the meat off bit by bit. It’s a cook’s snack, not a main course, but the flavor is excellent. For something more substantial, try red-braising the necks: blanch them first, then simmer for 30 minutes in a pot with soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, and green onions. The result is tender, deeply seasoned meat you can eat straight or toss into noodle bowls.
Chicken Liver: Rich, Creamy, and Worth the Effort
Liver has the strongest flavor of the giblets, which is exactly why some people love it and others hesitate. If you’re in the second camp, soaking the liver in milk for about an hour and a half draws out much of that mineral, iron-heavy taste and leaves it milder and more approachable.
From there, you have options. Pan-frying liver with butter and onions is a classic for a reason. Chicken liver mousse, blended smooth with cream and herbs, makes an elegant spread for crackers or toast. You can also chop the liver finely and fold it into dishes where it melts into the background, adding richness without announcing itself. In Cajun dirty rice, minced liver is one of the two key ingredients that give the dish its name. The liver gets cooked in fat over medium-high heat until it develops a crust, then gets stirred into seasoned rice with vegetables and green onions.
Because liver cooks much faster than gizzards or necks, add it to any braise or stew only in the last 15 minutes. Overcooking turns it chalky and bitter.
The Heart: A Tiny, Mild Muscle
Chicken hearts are small, dense muscles with a clean, meaty flavor that’s far less intense than liver. They’re an easy entry point if you’ve never cooked offal before. Halve them, thread them onto skewers, and grill or broil them until charred on the outside. A marinade of rice wine and ginger works well, finished with a dusting of cumin and chile powder.
Hearts also take well to simple pan-frying in olive oil until caramelized, then braising briefly with onion, garlic, rosemary, and a splash of wine and chicken stock. That 20-minute braise produces a quick ragù you can toss with fettuccine, lemon zest, and Parmesan for a surprisingly elegant weeknight meal.
Gizzards: Tough but Rewarding
The gizzard is a thick muscle the bird uses to grind food, which makes it inherently tough and chewy. It needs either long, slow cooking or high-heat frying to become enjoyable. One cup of cooked gizzard delivers about 44 grams of protein and a solid dose of iron, making it one of the more nutritious cuts on the bird.
Braising is the most reliable method. Caramelize the gizzards in butter with onions and garlic, then pour in enough liquid to cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. The connective tissue softens into something tender with a satisfying, slight chew. One creative approach: braise them in pickle brine, then finish with sour cream, dill, and chopped pickles. Serve over potatoes, barley, or spooned onto rye toast.
Deep-fried gizzards are beloved across the American South and in many other food cultures around the world. Slice them thin, bread or batter them, and fry until golden. The long frying time at moderate heat helps break down the toughness while creating a crispy exterior.
Gizzards also star in dirty rice alongside liver. Grind them in a meat grinder or chop them as finely as you can, then brown them hard in the pan to develop a deep crust before combining with the other ingredients.
Cleaning Gizzards
Store-bought gizzards are usually pre-cleaned, but if you’re working with a whole bird from a farm or butcher, you may need to clean them yourself. Cut away the digestive tracts connected to the gizzard, then carefully slice open the tough white outer membrane to expose the wrinkled inner pouch, which is usually grey or yellowish. Peel the gizzard back to remove this inner pouch and discard it along with any grit inside. Spray with vinegar, rub clean, trim excess fat, and soak in an ice bath until you’re ready to cook.
Classic Giblet Gravy
This is the most traditional American use for the whole bag, especially at Thanksgiving. Simmer the neck and giblets in water with onion, celery, salt, pepper, and a bouillon cube for 40 to 50 minutes. Pull out the neck and liver, chop the meat, and discard the bones. Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with half a cup of milk to make a slurry, then stir it into the simmering broth along with canned chicken broth to reach your desired volume. Add the chopped giblet meat and, if you like, chopped hard-boiled eggs. The result is a rich, chunky gravy that pairs perfectly with turkey, mashed potatoes, or biscuits.
Cooking Safety and Handling
All poultry giblets need to reach an internal temperature of 165°F, the same as any other chicken or turkey product. This applies whether you’re braising, frying, grilling, or simmering them into stock. Use a meat thermometer for larger pieces like the neck, and cook smaller pieces like hearts and livers until no pink remains in the center.
If you’re thinking about sharing giblets with your dog, cook them first. The CDC recommends against feeding raw animal protein to pets because of the risk of bacterial contamination. Cooked giblets without added seasoning, onion, or garlic are generally a protein-rich treat, but check with your vet on appropriate portions for your dog’s size.
Saving Giblets When You’re Not Ready
You don’t have to use giblets the same day you buy a chicken. Toss the bag into a zip-top freezer bag and store it at 0°F. Many home cooks keep a running collection in the freezer, adding giblets and necks each time they buy a whole bird, until they have enough to make a big batch of stock or a full pan of dirty rice. Four or five necks will produce a noticeably richer stock than a single one, and a handful of accumulated hearts makes enough for a proper skewer dinner.