Braised Duck Gizzards - Onolicious Hawaiʻi (2024)

Published: Jul 21, 2020 · Modified: Aug 20, 2020 by Kathy · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

Duck gizzards are slow cooked with ginger, garlic, soy sauce until they're tender and savory. Star anise and cloves makes it extra delicious. We eat this with rice ^_^

Braised Duck Gizzards

We love duck. We love braised meats. So yes, we love braised duck gizzards!

Growing up, we ate all sorts of braised and slow cooked meats. Everything from shoyu chicken to local beef stew, and Teochew braised duck made frequent appearances in the kitchen.

Gizzards, livers, tendon and tripe (all the offal parts!) made less frequent appearances but were far from rare. They just required more work to prep and clean and not everyone was up for that ^_^

So we ordered them all the time at restaurants. The textures, the slippery, the snappy, the chewy, and how they soaked up all the braising liquids. So ono! Offal is highly underrated.

I didn't learn to cook offal until I lived alone post-college. Buying an entire duck to cook dinner for "just one person" felt daunting at 22. But committing to a pound of gizzards? Can do! Braising a small one pound serving of gizzards felt far more approachable than trying to braise an entire duck for myself.

That's how we have this dish! It's just gizzards, cleaned and cooked over low heat in a braising liquid made primarily of soy sauce and chicken broth (or water). It's seasoned with star anise and cloves. Don't forget fresh ginger and garlic. Serve it over rice, as we do nearly all the recipes on Onolicious ^_^

What is Duck Gizzard?

Duck gizzards is a small organ found in the digestive tract of the duck. This organ exists specifically to help the duck grind up and digest hard foods. Each gizzard is about the size of two marbles. They are firm, muscular, and bouncy. They have very little fat.

Bonus: duck gizzards also have a ton of protein and potassium! (For the longest time, bananas were the only potassium-rich food item I could think of...and then I discovered duck gizzards.)

You can find duck gizzards at most butcher shops. It's commonly available in Chinatown. If you visit a regular supermarket or a non-Asian butcher, they might not have gizzards visible in the case, but you should still ask because they likely have some in the back.

How to Clean Duck Gizzards

The recipe is easy, but before you start cooking you must clean the gizzards. Cleaning the gizzards is a very important step. Do not skip it. Here's how:

Soak
Place the duck gizzards in a bowl (I use a small metal mixing bowl), and rinse the gizzards a few times with water. Fill the bowl with water until the gizzards are covered. Let it sit for an hour. This sitting period will help loosen the outer membrane layer of the gizzards.

Peel
After the hour is up, drain the water and gently pull off and discard the membrane from each gizzard. The membrane is a very thin white/clear outer layer that should pull off fairly easily. It won't slide off itself, but you shouldn't have to struggle to pull it off.

Salt
Sprinkle salt over the gizzards and use your hands to mix it well. Let it sit for 15 minutes. This step helps remove impurities and offal-y notes from the gizzards. Rinse the gizzards a few more times with water, until the water runs clear. Set aside until ready to use.

The Braising Liquid

All the flavor in this recipe comes from the braising liquid. You make it by first sautéing together:

• Sliced ginger
• Smashed garlic

Once the ginger and garlic is slightly golden and very fragrant, add:

• Star anise
• Cloves

Then add the duck gizzards. Cook for a minute, then add the liquid. The two liquid ingredients are:

• Soy sauce
• Water or chicken broth

And that's it! The gizzards are cooked over low heat in this aromatic liquid for an hour. We cook until they're super tender and have absorbed all the flavor and spices. The liquid is cooked down until it becomes saucy and glazes the gizzards. So so so good over rice.

Tips and Questions

Duck Gizzard Recipe

See below and enjoy ^_^

Braised Duck Gizzards

Yield: Lunch for two

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Duck gizzards are slowly cooked with ginger, garlic, soy sauce until they become super tender and savory. Star anise and five spice makes it extra delicious. Gizzards are meaty with a snap and excellent with rice.

Ingredients

• 1 pound duck gizzards
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 slices of ginger (each about ¼” thick)
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 pieces star anise
• 2 whole cloves
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup water or chicken broth

Instructions

1. First, clean the duck gizzards. Place the gizzards in a bowl, and rinse a few times with water. Then cover the gizzards with water and let sit for 1 hour. Drain the water and gently pull off the membranes (it’s a very thin white/clear layer). Sprinkle salt and cornstarch on the gizzards and mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the gizzards a few more times with water (until the water runs clear). Set aside.
2. Now we cook the duck gizzards! Heat oil in a small pot, add the ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes over medium heat, just until fragrant.
3. Add the star anise and cloves. Stir and cook for another minute.
4. Add the duck gizzards and cook for another minute.
5. Add the soy sauce and the water (or chicken broth). Bring to a boil.
6. Then turn the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour until the braising liquid reduces to a thick sauce and glazes the gizzards. Remove from and spoon into a serving bowl.
7. Top gizzards with green onions and white pepper (optional). Eat with rice ^_^