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Chicken Gizzard Recipe – Yummy Korean Stir Fry

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Craving for something a little different? Something that will have your taste buds wanting more? Well, now is your chance to cook my personal favorite Korean Chicken Gizzard Recipe. This tough, chewy organ is one of the most underrated and underappreciated meats to have and after making my recipe you’ll see why.

Last updated: March 16, 2020

Chicken Gizzard Stir Fry Featured Image

This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you as it helps support my page which is much appreciated!

All it takes is a memorable dish at a Korean Restaurant for me to be inspired to make my own copy cat version. It was a night out with friends therefore drinking was involved. After a few shots of soju, we were getting hungry and ordered the Dak-dong-jib (닭똥집볶음). I had no idea what I was in for and when it came out I had to take a bite immediately. Little did I know, the chicken gizzard and soju is a legendary pairing in Korea and ever since then, I aspired to make my own.

I’ve been cooking this recipe for over 3 years now and it never gets old. I really enjoy this recipe and giving credit where it’s due I wouldn’t have been able to make it without finding it first from Korean Cuisine. I made some adjustments but the majority of the recipe has stayed the same. If you’re really into Korean dishes, check out the website as there are many along with useful tips.

Why Chicken Gizzard and Hearts?

My Chicken Gizzard Korean recipe may be one introduced recently to my life, but my days of chicken gizzard stir fry’s are not. It dates back to when I was a child, I remember my parents would stir fry the combination of chicken gizzard and hearts together with green beans. Yeah it may not be Dak-dong-jib but it is close to home for me. As a matter of fact, I actually prefer to have them together as it adds another texture to the stir fry where the chewiness of the gizzard compliments the tenderness of the hearts. If you’re not a fan of chicken hearts feel free to omit that part and make 1 cup of chicken gizzard instead.

Where to buy chicken gizzard and hearts?

Most American markets should sell them but if you’re really having trouble, you can always find them at your local Asian markets for sure. I got mine at Nijiya Market, a local Japanese chain, but they will carry these at H Mart, 99 Ranch, and any other Asian Grocer. Just make sure to clean them up as I found some places do a better job than others.

How to cook chicken gizzard and hearts

The first thing you need to know is you should try to remove any sediment, debris, membrane, and impurities before cooking it. For me, I run a quick visual inspection. Usually at the Japanese market it’s already cleaned but you want to remove the yellow membrane and anything that doesn’t look normal. For more a step by step instructions, check out wikiHow’s article on how to clean chicken gizzards.

You want to clean the chicken gizzard and hearts before cooking.

In order to clean, you should cut them in bite size pieces first, then add the gizzards in cold water. You can use baking soda or flour to scrub the gizzards and hearts clean. Rinse a few times or until the water is clear is when you know they’re ready for stir frying, deep fried, air frying, baking, braising, barbecuing, slow cooking, etc. In our case, we will be stir frying.

Optional: If you want to be even more careful, boil the gizzard and hearts to remove any impurities. Fill a pot with water, throw in a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Then add in the chicken gizzard and let it boil between 5-7 minutes. Rinse it out with cold water and now they’re ready to be stir fried to a golden brown color. This whole process should take about 20 minutes or less.

What You’ll Need

9 Korean Chicken Gizzard Ingredients Spread out on off white background
  1. Garlic
  2. Chicken Gizzard
  3. Onion
  4. Chicken Heart
  5. Jalapeno
  6. Sesame Oil
  7. Minced Garlic (Garlic Powder can be substituted)
  8. Scallions
  9. Everything Bagel Seasoning Blend

Looking for other dishes to pair with your Chicken Gizzard Stir Fry? Check out my Cauliflower Fried Rice.

Gizzard Sauces: Choose Wisely

2 Korean sauces spread on white background and a bottle of wasabi

Just kidding. You can do both if you like. It really depends on your personal preference. For me, I tend to side with the wasabi mix. It adds a little extra kick but the good old, sesame oil mix isn’t bad either. You can even eat it with your favorite hot sauce such as Sriracha, Tabasco, or Frank’s Hot Sauce.

Korean Chicken Gizzard Stir Fry (Dak Ddong Jjip)

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Korean Chicken Gizzard Stir Fry (Dak Ddong Jjip)

Dare to be different? This recipe uses chicken gizzard and hearts. Even better is that they're keto and low in carbs.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Korean
Keyword chicken, chicken gizzard, chicken heart, Korean, low carb, stir fry
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 341.3kcal
Author Rich

Equipment

  • Soup Pot (for boiling)
  • Frying Pan or Wok

Ingredients

Protein & Veggies

  • 5 oz Chicken Gizzard
  • 5 oz Chicken Heart
  • ½ whole Onion
  • 10 whole Garlic Cloves
  • 1 whole Jalapeno

Chicken Marinate

  • 1 tbsp Garlic, minced Garlic Powder can be substituted
  • 1 tbsp Sesame Oil

Toppings

Instructions

Cleaning the Chicken

  • Cut the gizzard and hearts into bite sized pieces. Remove any membrane.
  • Add gizzards and hearts to a bowl. Fill it up with cold water. Mix with 2 tablespoons of baking soda or flour and scrub any sediments and dirt off. Rinse a few times or until water is clear.
  • In a pot, fill it up with water. Add a pinch of salt and turn heat high. Bring to a boil. Once water comes to a rolling boil, add the chicken gizzard and hearts. Boil between 5-7 minutes. Then strain chicken and run in cold for a few minutes to cool it down.
    Removing Gizzard Impurities

Marinate the Chicken

  • Now that the chicken gizzard and hearts are cleaned and partly cooked, we will marinate them. Move the gizzard and hearts to a bowl, pour 1 tbsp of sesame oil and minced garlic over the gizzard and hearts. Add in a pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix together. Let it set to absorb the flavors.
    Marinating chicken gizzard

It's Stir Frying Time!

  • In a frying pan or wok, heat it to medium. Let it warm up (about 2 minutes). Pour in 1 tbsp of cooking oil, add in the veggies: Minced Garlic, Garlic Cloves, Jalapenos, and Onions. Let it cook for about 3 minutes or when onion begins to brown. Stir occasionally.
  • Add the marinated chicken gizzard and hearts. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in with the veggies and cook for another 2-3 minutes or when chicken becomes golden brown and crispy. Then your stir fry is ready.
    Note: If you like your meats and veggies a little charred, then you can increase the heat to high. If you dislike burnt parts, then you can reduce heat.

Toppings

  • Transfer the stir fry to a plate. Distribute chopped scallions and Everything Bagel Seasoning evenly over stir fry.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition info is approximate using the sparkpeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count does not count sugar alcohols. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy of all nutritional facts posted here, especially if you have a medical condition, in which case you should consult with your doctor before using any of the recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 341.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.3g | Protein: 24.2g | Fat: 20.6g | Saturated Fat: 4.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.7g | Cholesterol: 189.3mg | Sodium: 447.8mg | Potassium: 327.4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1.6g
MADE THIS RECIPE?Let’s see it! Tag @chowyoulater and #chowyoulater
Nutrition Facts
Korean Chicken Gizzard Stir Fry (Dak Ddong Jjip)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 341.3 Calories from Fat 185
% Daily Value*
Fat 20.6g32%
Saturated Fat 4.2g26%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6.2g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.7g
Cholesterol 189.3mg63%
Sodium 447.8mg19%
Potassium 327.4mg9%
Carbohydrates 9.3g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1.6g2%
Protein 24.2g48%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Delicious Keto Sardine Pasta Recipe

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When you’ve run out of keto recipes or meals has become boring, here’s a keto sardine recipe that will instantly change up the routine. The best part is, a lot of these items are already lying around the pantry. It’s quick, easy, and under 5 gram of net carbs!!! This one’s perfect for dinner on any hot day.

Last updated: June 29, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you as it helps support my page which is much appreciated!

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Why Canned Sardines?

Sardines carry a distinct flavor I’ve found to compliment pasta very well. How often do you see sardines served in tomato sauce? Quite often actually. Tuna is another common fish most use but my only concern with it is its lack of fat. If you’re on a more conventional diet, then Tuna would be the fish of choice but here we’re trying to get in our fat and carbs. Sardines, have those nutrients we’re looking for. The ones I’ve used, Wild Planet Sardines in Marinara Sauce, has 12 grams of fat and 21 grams of protein.

Are Sardines Keto Friendly?

With that said, sardines are very much keto friendly. Much more friendlier than tuna and any other variety. If you check out my Keto Diet Grocery List, you’ll find canned Sardines are one of the better options for going on keto since it boasts a high level of fat.

Want to see other keto friendly ingredients? Check out my Keto Grocery Shopping Guide.

Can Canned Sardines be cooked?

In actuality, the sardines in the cans are already cooked. You can eat these as they are but most would prefer to have them heated. However, always make sure you read the labels as there are always exceptions. Because they’ve been cooked, my recipe does not need them to stay in the frying pan for a long period of time. Just a few minutes will do.

Keto Sardines in oil or water?

Since canned sardines are all just about the same in price range. If you’re on a budget, you might as well get the sardines in oil since, again, there are higher levels of fat. It also saves you some change and more in the long run. This way, you won’t have to supplement the oil in other ways. Case and point, when we compare:

Fat (g)Protein (g)Carbs (g)
Wild Planet Sardines in Water8180
Wild Planet Sardines in EVO Oil11180

In this event, you will see that having the sardines in oil adds an extra 3 grams of fat!

Why Shirataki Noodles?

The objective of keto is having a low carb diet. Since that is the name of the game, the recipe was created in mind to keep carbs as low as possible. I’ve had my fair share of these konjac noodles and these are the closest I’ve found to spaghetti. I can’t imagine using any other low carb substitute (such as zucchini noodles) as they do not carry the same texture and consistency. The closest I’ve found to actual spaghetti has been shirataki noodles and the best part is they carry no carbs!

Want to get rid of the smell of Shirataki Noodles? Check out how to cook Shirataki Noodles.

How to make Keto Sardine Pasta

Things you’ll need

Ingredient pictures for Keto Sardines Pasta
All you need are these items, that’s it!
Keto Sardine Pasta Finished
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Keto Sardine Pasta

This keto sardine recipe is great for when you need something quick and easy with ingredients lying around the house.
Course dinner, Keto, Lunch, Main Course, Pescatarian
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword keto, low carb, marinara, sardine, shirataki, tomato
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 253.7kcal

Equipment

  • Frying Pan

Ingredients

Meat

Veggies

  • 2 cloves Garlic Minced
  • 2 whole Crimini Mushrooms Sliced
  • 1 tspn Capers
  • 75 grams Cherry Tomatoes

Other

Garnish/Toppings

  • 1 tbsp MCT Oil
  • Basil
  • Chili Flakes (optional for a extra kick)
  • 1/2 whole Avocado
  • 1 whole Lemon

Instructions

Cook Shirataki Noodles

  • Follow the package instructions. If not, I can show you how to cook shirataki noodles.
    Note: I found that one package may not be enough for noodle lovers. If you love noodles I suggest getting two packages or 4 servings of shirataki noodles for 2 people.

Gather all the Ingredients

  • Slice the Crimini Mushrooms. Mince the Garlic. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Chop the basils. Drain the capers.
    Keto Sardine Pasta Ingredients prepped

Prep the Sauce

  • In medium heat, warm the frying pan. After a minute, drizzle about a teaspoon of oil. Add minced garlic and cherry tomatoes. Cook tomatoes for about 2 minutes or until the skin softens and wrinkles.
  • Move veggies to the side. Add in Sardines, mushrooms, and capers. Let it heat up and break apart. Mix with veggies.
    sardines mushrooms and capers being cooked on frying pan
  • Add Shirataki Noodles. Stir for about a minute. Keto Sardines Pasta is now ready.
    Noodles stirred in frying pan
  • Pour MCT oil for additional fat. Garnish with Basil and/or chili pepper flakes as desired. Place avocado slices on side of plate. Squeeze lemon wedges as desired
    Keto Sardine Pasta Finished

Notes

Nutrition info is approximate using the sparkpeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count does not count sugar alcohols. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy of all nutritional facts posted here, especially if you have a medical condition, in which case you should consult with your doctor before using any of the recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 253.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.4g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 19.8g | Saturated Fat: 9.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.2g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 377.5mg | Potassium: 335.2mg | Fiber: 5.6g | Sugar: 1.3g
MADE THIS RECIPE?Let’s see it! Tag @chowyoulater and #chowyoulater
Nutrition Facts
Keto Sardine Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 253.7 Calories from Fat 178
% Daily Value*
Fat 19.8g30%
Saturated Fat 9.7g61%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.2g
Cholesterol 30mg10%
Sodium 377.5mg16%
Potassium 335.2mg10%
Carbohydrates 9.4g3%
Fiber 5.6g23%
Sugar 1.3g1%
Protein 13g26%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

MADE THIS RECIPE?
Lets see it! Tag @chowyoulater on Instagram or Twitter and hashtag it #chowyoulater

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Easy Spicy Keto Pad Thai Recipe

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I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t enjoy Pad Thai. Now that I’m taking on a keto diet, my cravings have been stronger than ever. What’s the best way to fill the void? To make a keto version of Pad Thai, of course! My keto pad thai dish is for those who like to live on the spicy side. The best part is that it’s easy to make!

Last updated: June 29, 2020

This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you as it helps support my page which is much appreciated!

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Is Pad Thai Keto Friendly?

Generally, no. Traditional Pad Thai has a few main ingredients I’ll cover in my post:

  1. Rice Noodles
  2. Palm Sugar
  3. Fish Sauce
  4. Tamarind

There are a bunch of other variations that use seafood and many other ingredients but for simplicity purposes we’ll leave it to these 4 main ones.

1.) As long as rice noodles are being used then it cannot be keto friendly. Instead, I’ve substituted the noodles for shirataki noodles. They’re made out of the roots of Konjac Yam which are found throughout East Asia. They have close to zero carbs which makes it absolutely keto friendly!

Related: How to Cook Shirataki Noodles the Right Way

2.) Another common ingredient is palm sugar. Just as its name implies, there is sugar in this Thai favorite. With my recipe, I’m going to replace it with Monkfruit Sweetener to capture some of the sweetness found in Pad Thai. See: What is monk fruit sweetener?

3.) Traditional Fish Sauce is commonly made with sugar therefore, I suggest using a different kind of brand. See: Is Fish Sauce Keto?

4.) With tamarind, this one’s a major no-no as it contains net carbs of 23 grams. The form commonly used is the paste which is highly concentrated and we can’t have that to stay in ketosis. Instead, I’ll be using lime to capture it’s tanginess and monkfruit for its sweetness.

How about the Keto Pad Thai Sauce?

Traditionally Pad Thai uses a mix of tamarind, fish sauce, and palm sugar to make their addictive pad thai sauce. This mix is made prior to cooking and is poured over the veggies and meats while they’re stir-fried. For my recipe, I’ve keto-fied it by subbing them in for lime, fish sauce, coconut aminos, and monkfruit sweetener.

Is Fish Sauce Keto?

Here’s the thing about fish sauce. Some are preserved for a long time and blended with some fillers and sugar. I hate to recommend just one brand but I’ve only seen one that’s safest for keto-ers. This one’s called the Red Boat Premium Fish Sauce. They boast only having two ingredients: freshly caught wild anchovies and sea salt. I’ve heard Costco carries them so you may want to check for them there. I’ve also seen them at Wholes Food Market. If not, you can always order them at Amazon.

So maybe that’s a good business to get into is keto fish sauce. There’s barely any competition. Maybe one day you’ll see me strike a deal on Shark Tank.

Want to see other keto friendly ingredients? Check out my Keto Grocery Shopping Guide.

What is Monkfruit Sweetener?

For those who don’t know what Monkfruit is, it’s a natural sweetener extracted from monk fruit, native to Southeast Asia. I advise using monk fruit as an alternative to sugar because it has zero calories and 100-150 times sweeter than sugar especially if you want to stay in ketosis! The one I’m using in my recipe is made by Lakanto which is very popular in the Asian Keto community and praised by many keto leaders such as Thomas Delauer and Drew Manning. You can find this brand and many others at your local Wholes Food Market, Sprouts, and Trader Joes or you can get them at Amazon.

Why Chicken Thighs?

Chicken thighs are used here simply because of the fat content. The thighs are the fattiest part of a chicken at 10.9 grams of fat. Compare that to the chicken breast at almost 4 grams of total fat which more than doubles the fat count. For this reason, I recommend the boneless and skinless chicken thigh.

What other ingredients were substituted?

Before I go into other substitutions I wanted to go into my thought process a little bit. For my recipe, my number one purpose is to make it keto friendly. Second, the recipe should be easy and convenient using ingredients found at your nearest major grocery store. With that said, lets review. I’ve substituted the tamarind for lime and monkfruit sweetener. I know, not exactly a 1 to 1 substitution but you have to trust me on this. And as mentioned above, the only fish sauce keto friendly is the Red Boat one and Soy Sauce will have to be replaced with Coconut Aminos.

Now that we got that out of the way, the other ingredients are pecans. Traditionally crushed peanuts are used but I found pecan has more of a naturally sweet flavor with an amazing 2 net carbs per serving, 20 grams of fat compared to peanuts at 2.75 grams/17.75 grams of fat. Either way, you can use either, I personally prefer pecan due to the higher fat and lower carbs.

Instead of bean sprouts, which can be high in carbs if you’re purchasing soybean ones, I’ve subbed it for shredded cabbage. The one I’m using has a mix of shredded red and green cabbages with julienned carrots from Trader Joe’s. Please see the picture below. It made my life so much easier. That’s pretty much it! After trying out the recipe you will find it doesn’t taste too far from the traditional version.

How to make Spicy Keto Pad Thai

Things you’ll need

Keto Pad Thai Packaged Ingredients
Just made a Trader Joe’s run. Here’s one you need for packaged foods.
Keto Pad Thai Produce and Meats Needed
Produce and meats you’ll need.
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Easy Spicy Keto Pad Thai

This recipe was made for the spicy eater who doesn't have much time to cook and prepare.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Thai
Keyword keto, low carb, low carb noodles, pad thai, shirataki
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 552.6kcal
Author Rich

Equipment

  • Frying Pan or Wok

Ingredients

Meat

  • 1 piece Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh (or ¼ lb of chicken)

Veggies for cooking

  • ¾ cup Shredded Cabbage (substution for bean sprouts)
  • ¼ cup Julienned Carrots
  • 1 piece Brunoised Jalapeno
  • 2 Minced Garlic cloves

Garnish/Toppings

  • ½ cup Crushed Pecan
  • 1 tbsp MCT Oil
  • ¼ cup Cilantro coursely chopped You can also use Dried Cilantro
  • 1 stalk Chopped Scallion
  • 1 tbsp Crushed Peppers or Ground Cayenne for extra spice
  • 4 wedges Lime

Sauce for cooking

Other

Instructions

Shirataki Noodles

  • Follow the package instructions. If not, I can show you how to cook shirataki noodles.
    Note: I found that one package may not be enough for noodle lovers. If you love noodles I suggest getting two packages or 4 servings of shirataki noodles for 2 people.

Gather all the ingredients

  • Prep all the ingredients. Cut the chicken into small strips. Brunoise the jalapeno. Mince Garlic. Chop the scallions and cilantro. Cut the lime into wedges. Beat egg.
  • Bring together the ingredients.
    Pro tip: Separate the ingredients into two groups, one for cooking and the other for garnishing.

Let's Make the Sauce!

Time to cook!

  • In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoons of oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Then, remove and transfer to a plate. Let the pan cool down for about 1 minute before returning it to the burner.
    Keto Pad Thai Chicken
  • Now lower heat to medium. Add in another tablespoon of oil. Throw in jalapeno, and then garlic. Let it cook for about 30 seconds. Turn heat on medium high. Then throw in the chicken that was cooked earlier.
  • Turn heat on medium high. Add in shredded cabbage and carrots. Stir fry veggies and chicken for about 30 seconds.
    keto pad thai cabbage
  • Then move veggies and chicken to the side. Pour beated eggs to pan and scramble with spatula for about 30 seconds. Stir with chicken and veggies.
    Keto Pad Thai Egg
  • Pour in half of the pad thai sauce over the chicken and veggies, then throw noodles in. Stir fry for about 2 more minutes. Your Keto Pad Thai is ready for toppings!
    Protip: I reccomend using half the sauce but everyone has different taste preferences. If you find it too salty or not salty enough feel free to tweak it according to your tastes. If you have extra you can save it in a jar and use for next time.

Toppings

  • Transfer the Pad Thai to a plate served family style or to individual plates.
  • Add in the toppings (ie pecans, limes, MCT oil, scallions, cilantro, crushed peppers) based on my reccomended amont or by your personal tastes.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition info is approximate using the sparkpeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count does not count sugar alcohols. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy of all nutritional facts posted here, especially if you have a medical condition, in which case you should consult with your doctor before using any of the recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 552.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.4g | Protein: 15.5g | Fat: 48.6g | Saturated Fat: 12.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24.6g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 610mg | Potassium: 387.6mg | Fiber: 10.5g | Sugar: 4.3g
MADE THIS RECIPE?Let’s see it! Tag @chowyoulater and #chowyoulater
Nutrition Facts
Easy Spicy Keto Pad Thai
Amount Per Serving
Calories 552.6 Calories from Fat 437
% Daily Value*
Fat 48.6g75%
Saturated Fat 12.7g79%
Polyunsaturated Fat 9.8g
Monounsaturated Fat 24.6g
Cholesterol 138mg46%
Sodium 610mg27%
Potassium 387.6mg11%
Carbohydrates 21.4g7%
Fiber 10.5g44%
Sugar 4.3g5%
Protein 15.5g31%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

MADE THIS RECIPE?
Lets see it! Tag @chowyoulater on Instagram and hashtag it #chowyoulater

LOOKING FOR UPDATES? Subscribe to my email list and/or follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.