Chicken gizzard

Gallus gallus domesticus

What chicken gizzard has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

1 Limited
1 Insufficient

Iron statusWomen's Health · 3 sourcesLimited— jump to the detail and sources
Muscle protein synthesisMuscle & Physical Performance · no source yetInsufficient— jump to the detail and sources

3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About chicken gizzard

The muscular grinding stomach of the chicken, a dense sheet of smooth muscle that the bird uses with swallowed grit to break down food. It needs long, slow cooking or is otherwise very tough, and is sold with the horny lining already peeled away.

Also known as Gizzards, Molleja, Sunagimo

Women's Health Muscle & Physical Performance

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Iron status

Women's Health

Limited evidence

Has been studied as a source of heme iron. Gizzard is more iron-dense than chicken breast though far less so than liver, and the supporting evidence concerns heme iron generally rather than this organ.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Dietary Adaptation of Non-Heme Iron Absorption in Vegans: A Controlled Trial.(opens in a new tab)
Unclassified · Molecular nutrition & food research · 2025 · PMID 40320969
Iron and cancer risk--a systematic review and meta-analysis of the epidemiological evidence.(opens in a new tab)
Meta-analysis · Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2014 · PMID 24243555
A comparative analysis of heme vs non-heme iron administration: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.(opens in a new tab)
Meta-analysis · European journal of nutrition · 2024 · PMID 39708071

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance

Insufficient evidence

May support muscle protein synthesis as a lean complete protein. Smooth muscle is high in collagen, so the amino acid profile is a little less favourable than skeletal muscle, and no trial has used it.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Chicken gizzard

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
Nutrient	Amount	% DV
Macronutrients
Calories	94 kcal	5%
Protein	17.7 g	35%
Total fat	2.06 g	3%
Carbohydrate	0 g	0%
Fibre	0 g	0%
Total sugars	0 g	—
Water	79.3 g	—
Fats
Saturated fat	0.529 g	3%
Monounsaturated fat	0.512 g	—
Polyunsaturated fat	0.357 g	—
Cholesterol	240 mg	80%
ALA (omega-3)	0.0090 g	—
EPA (omega-3)	0 g	—
DHA (omega-3)	0 g	—
DPA (omega-3)	0 g	—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)	0.246 g	—
Vitamins
Vitamin A	19 µg	2%
Vitamin C	3.7 mg	4%
Vitamin E	0.33 mg	2%
Vitamin K	0 µg	0%
Thiamin (B1)	0.028 mg	2%
Riboflavin (B2)	0.231 mg	18%
Niacin (B3)	3.68 mg	23%
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.631 mg	13%
Vitamin B6	0.112 mg	7%
Folate	5 µg	1%
Vitamin B12	1.21 µg	50%
Minerals
Calcium	11 mg	1%
Iron	2.49 mg	14%
Magnesium	15 mg	4%
Phosphorus	148 mg	12%
Potassium	237 mg	5%
Sodium	69 mg	3%
Zinc	2.72 mg	25%
Copper	0.116 mg	13%
Manganese	0.055 mg	2%
Selenium	25.5 µg	46%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene	0 µg	—
Alpha-carotene	0 µg	—
Lycopene	0 µg	—
Lutein + zeaxanthin	0 µg	—
Caffeine	0 mg	—
Ash	0.95 g	—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Chicken, gizzard, all classes, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171456).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

Too much
Purines and gout
Giblets sit in the organ meat group that gout dietary guidance advises limiting or avoiding, because organ meats are the most purine-dense foods commonly eaten.
Worth knowing
Raw poultry pathogens
Giblets are raw poultry and carry Campylobacter and Salmonella. Because they are often cooked separately or in a stock, they can be missed when the rest of the bird is handled carefully.
Too much
Cholesterol
Like most offal, gizzard is higher in dietary cholesterol than skeletal muscle, although its effect on blood cholesterol is smaller and more variable between people than once assumed.