Izakaya At Home! Quirky Japanese Delicacy Guide: Chicken Gizzards “SUNAGIMO” Nibble Recipes

My top 3 chicken gizzards finger food recipes for Home Izakaya.

Whether you’re throwing a party or planning ahead for an Izakaya date at home, these nibbles will win by authentic Japanese SUNAGIMO recipes that you can’t get anywhere else.

“Home Izakaya” refers to the drinking party at home in my blog, and the idea comes from the Japanese new drinking culture term, “UCHINOMI” (ウチ呑み).

“Sunagimo” literally means chicken gizzards in Japanese, and Japanese drink lovers love chicken gizzards with crunchy textures.

We love its texture, so we even don’t try to tenderize it.

Chicken gizzards are so reasonable and have addictive textures.

These recipes are also super-easy to make.

How To Prepare Chicken Gizzards

Do You Need To Wash Chicken Gizzards?

Most gizzards are sold partially cleaned, so you normally only need to rinse off excess blood and debris.

Trim Silverskin?

Silverskin has a charming crunchy texture, so it’s really unnecessary to remove it. It will tenderize when cooked for a long time like making confit.

If you desire to remove it, slide a sharp knife between the meat and silverskin and cut it off.

How To Cut Chicken Gizzards?

1. Cut the gizzard in half, slicing all the way through until you have two separate pieces.
2. Cut the gizzard in half and slice the meat nugget up into small pieces for sauteed/ pan-fried, which is the easiest way and saves lots of time to cook it though.
3. Cut the gizzard in half and make 4-5 slits on the meat nugget on the silver skin side.

How To Prepare Chicken gizzards

Rico McConnell

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Ingredients  

• Chicken Gizaards

Instructions 

• Rinse out gizzards really well under cold water in order to clean out all of the debris and blood.
• Cut them in half, and cut off any fatty parts or debris, if any.
• <* Optional Remove gamy taste> You can soak gizzards in water for a while or parboil them for a few minutes if you desire to remove the gamy flavor.

  It's not necessary if you like the flavor.
• <* Optional Trim silver skin>
• Slice gizzards up into small pieces/ make 4-5 slits on the meat nugget deeply, but not cut the meat off.

Notes

©Japanmcconnell/Rico McConnell- Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Keyword Chicken, meat, Tips & Hack

Sauteed Chicken Gizzards

Having sauteed chicken gizzards on the menu is really normal in Japan, and I believe you’re not turning your head since you’re reading this post.

Actually, the chicken gizzard is an excellent weight-loss menu/saving-budget menu.

The gizzard is actually the nutritious part of a chicken. It is high in protein. In fact, it is also low in fat and high in vitamins.

I guarantee that these recipes are really delicious.

I am still with you, by the way, my hubby who is from the US and has been living in the US has never touched my chicken gizzards.

(But he cooks chicken gizzard confit for me. It’s really good. )

Lemon Pepper Sauteed Chicken Gizzards

Rico McConnell

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Course Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 2 people

Ingredients  

• 7-8 oz Chicken Gizzards
• 1 tbsp White wine
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 lemon wedge
• oil for cooking

Instructions 

• Prepare chicken gizzards.

  *Read the post.
• Preheat oil in a frying pan/ a skillet, and add the chicken gizzard.
• Saute for a few minutes, just when they start to turn brownish over medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle a tablespoon of white wine over the gizzards, immediately, and cover them with a lid.
• Turn down the heat to medium-low, and cook the gizzards for 8 minutes.
• Be sure the gizzards will not be burnt, add another white wine if needed. Cover it again.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Squeeze the lemon wedge and cook gizzards until become brownish and the juice evaporated.

Notes

©Japanmcconnell/Rico McConnell- Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Keyword Chicken, Easy, frying pan, meat, Nibbles

Garlic Lemon Butter Sauteed Chicken Gizzards With Basil

Rico McConnell

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Course Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 2 people

Ingredients  

• 8 oz Chicken gizzard
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 wedge lemon
• 1 tbsp white wine
• Salt&pepper to taste
• a handfull fresh basils, minced/ sliced

Instructions 

• Prepare chicken gizzards.

  *Read the post.
• Preheat butter in a frying pan/ a skillet, and add minced garlic.
• When the garlic starts releasing the aroma, add the gizzards.
• Saute for a few minutes, just when they start to turn brownish over medium-high heat.
• Sprinkle a tablespoon of white wine over the gizzards, immediately, and cover them with a lid.
• Turn down the heat to medium-low, and cook the gizzards for 8 minutes.
• Be sure the gizzards will not be burnt, add another white wine if needed. Cover it again.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Squeeze the lemon wedge and cook gizzards until become brownish and the juice evaporated.
• Turn off the heat, and top it with fresh basils.

Notes

©Japanmcconnell/Rico McConnell- Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Keyword Chicken, Easy, frying pan, Izakaya, meat, Nibbles

Karaage Chicken Gizzards

Karaage Sunagimo- Japanese-Style Fried Chicken Gizzards

Rico McConnell

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Course Snack

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 2 people

Ingredients  

• 8 oz Chicken gizzards
• ¼ cup BBQ sauce/ Asian Dressing *1)
• Cake flour/ Corn starch/ Rice flour
• Oil for deep-frying

Instructions 

• Prepare chicken gizzards.

  *Read the post.
• Marinate the gizzards with my BBQ sauce/ Asian sesame dreeing for 30 minutes.

  *BBQ sauce recipe

  *Asian Sesame dressing recipe
• Drain the sauce and tap dry well.
• Coat the gizzards with cake flour/ corn (potato) starch/ rice flour.

  *These kinds of flour can make crispy fried gizzards.
• In a frying pan/ a skillet, pour the oil until getting 1-1.5 inches high from the bottom.
• Preheat the oil to 350 F.
• Pan-fry the gizzards for 5 minutes on each side.

Keyword Chicken, Deep-fry, Easy, frying pan, Izakaya, marinade, meat, Nibbles, Traditional

EASY SUNAGIMO AMAKARANI

SUNAGIMO AMAKARANI: SIMMERED CHICKEN GIZZARD IN SOY SAUCE

AMAKARANI (甘辛煮) is a traditional cooking method in Japanese cuisine that simmers ingredients in the sauce mainly based on sugar and soy sauce. Chicken gizzards in Japanese are “SUNAGIMO” so this dish is called “SUNAGIMO NO AMAKARANI” and also a popular dish as a nibble for beer, sake, and whiskey highball! Sweet, tangy, and sharp soy sauce flavor with a fresh ginge hint. It can be served right away, yet, the next day is much more delicious.

*JUMP TO THE RECIPE

GIZZARDS OR CARTILAGE?

Chicken cartilage aka soft bone is also popular OTSUMAMI ITEM in Japan.

Needless to say, I like cartilage so I collect bones after chicken wings dinner and chew soft bones as a snack with my drink! (My hubby gives me a dirty look…)

It’s hard to get (/collect) chicken cartilage compared with chicken gizzards, but, read this post if you are curious about Japanese delicacy.

SUNAGIMO NIBBLES with Japanese Izakaya Drinks

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