How to Cook Turkey Giblets

Cook up some turkey giblets.

You may not be sure what turkey giblets are, other than some slippery bits of meat inside a raw turkey. Turkey giblets are the heart, liver and gizzard (part of the bird stomach) of a turkey. Some people include the turkey neck when they are referring to turkey giblets. Now that you know what giblets are, the next question to be answered is how to cook them.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Paper towels
• Cooking oil or butter, if needed
• Pot, frying pan or broiler pan

Cook Turkey Giblets

1. Remove the turkey giblets from the cavity of your raw turkey and dispose of any paper or plastic wrapping in which the giblets were stored.

2. Rinse the turkey giblets with cool water and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Remove the liver, and put the rest of the turkey giblets in a large pot. Cover with water, and simmer for about two hours. Remove the giblets and use the remaining broth to make your gravy.

4. Heat a heavy fry pan over medium-high heat, add cooking oil or butter, and fry the turkey giblets on each side for a few minutes. Fry the neck twice as long as the giblets. Season the giblets with salt and pepper.

5. Put the turkey giblets on a broiler pan and place them under a preheated broiler for 20 to 30 minutes. Lower the oven rack if they start to burn. Let them cool until you can handle them, remove the meat from the turkey neck, and finely chop the turkey giblets.

Tips & Warnings

• Cooked turkey giblets are great snacks for cats and dogs. Remove any bones and finely chop the meat before giving it to your pet.

• Wash your hands before and after handling raw turkey giblets to prevent spreading bacteria.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• USDA: Giblets and Food Safety