What Exactly Are Turkey Giblets?

Giblets, besides being a really entertaining word to say, are the heart, gizzard, and liver of a poultry bird. They usually come in a little package that's stuffed in a turkey or a chicken carcass, and though the neck is usually tossed in there too, the neck is technically not itself a giblet. Some people, such as myself, like to simply roast the giblets or cook them separately in a pan to snack on like a cook's treat. But others like to chop them up after cooking them and toss them into the gravy that's served with the bird.

The giblets not only add an extra dimension of flavor to the gravy, they also add another aspect that many don't think about: texture. Those little bits have some springy bounce and chew to them, especially the gizzards, which makes such a smooth sauce a little bit more interesting to eat. If you're not a fan of that sensation, you could simply pour the gravy in a blender to incorporate the flavor that way without necessarily tossing them. Waste not, want not, right?

If you don't feel like eating the giblets with the bird, you can still roast them and save them (freezing them works) for the base of a stock. We'll include the neck in this case, because while I love gnawing on a chicken neck, the meat on a neck is extremely difficult to access thanks to all those minute little vertebrae. Extracting flavor by simmering chicken or turkey necks is an efficient way to use them.

You can also use the chopped up giblets in things like stuffing or other side dishes like rice pilaf, as well. But I do have one personal word of advice to give you, and it's to always check the cavity of your roasting bird before you toss it in the oven. Since the giblets are frequently unceremoniously shoved in there (either loose or in a paper or plastic bag), you'll definitely want to remove them before you roast your chicken or turkey. I have accidentally roasted them inside the chicken before and you should have seen the look on my face when I discovered this fact later. Hopefully I can prevent this from happening to some of you. Otherwise, don't waste what's in that bag, because it's full of flavor no matter how you decide to use it.