Locrio de molleja de pollo (rice and chicken gizzards) is a surprisingly flavorful dish, and one of our cuisine's best-kept secrets. From a forlorn chicken cut to juicy and tender meat with colorful and succulent rice. You may find yourself surprised by how much you enjoy it.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Dec 26, 2008
Why we ❤️ it
Gizzards are not the most popular or common part of the chicken, but they are one of my favorites. Cooked well, they are flavorful and tender, and in this mollejas de pollo recipe, they are quite a spectacle of flavors.
This is one of my favorite locrios, and I really like the combination of the texture of the gizzards, the vegetables, herbs, and spices.
What are chicken gizzards?
The gizzard is the muscular stomach of poultry, which, instead of teeth, is used to grind grain and other foods. This results in a tough, lean muscle that requires long cooking.
Gizzards have a distinct flavor and texture that I enjoy a lot, but may not appeal to those who are not accustomed to eating them. The only way to know if you'll like it is by trying it.
Locrio de molleja (rice and chicken gizzards).
Serving suggestions
You can serve this dish with a Dominican salad, with fried ripe plantains or tostones, and/or stewed beans. If you want something more special, yuca fritters are great as a side dish as well.
Top tips
- Boiling the gizzards: In this recipe, chicken gizzards are cooked by boiling them in seasoned water first. Once tenderized by boiling, we proceed to sauté them with vegetables and seasonings, before adding the rice.
Boiling them beforehand is made necessary by the toughness of this meat, which takes much longer to cook than any other chicken parts. - Other ingredients: You can also add green peas, or diced Auyama (Kabocha squash), both of which I have added on occasion.
Sobre esta receta
Unlike many places, where gizzards, along with other viscera, are considered an inedible byproduct, in the Dominican Republic, it is a delicacy.
There is not much difference between this and other locrios, except the use of mollejas, which requires a different cooking method and time than other locrios.
Unless you are a skilled chewer, I suggest taking your time to prepare this recipe. The sweetbreads take some time to boil and become tender enough to eat.
You can also make Mollejas guisadas (stewed gizzards) using a similar process.
Video
Recipe
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Rice and Chicken Gizzards [Video+Recipe] Locrio de Molleja de Pollo
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken gizzards, [0.9 kg] (cleaned, see tips above the recipe)
- 1½ tablespoons salt, (or to taste, divided)
- 1½ teaspoon pepper, freshly-cracked (or to taste, divided)
- 1½ teaspoon oregano, dry, ground, divided
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 bell peppers, or cubanela (cubanelle) peppers
- 1 small red onion, cut into slices
- ½ teaspoon mashed garlic
- 4 plum tomato, cut into quarters
- ¼ cup pitted green olives, (optional)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 4 sprigs parsley, minced
- 1 cilantro ancho, (culantro leaf, sawtooth coriander lef), optional
- 4 cups long-grain rice
Instructions
1. Boiling gizzards
Add the chicken gizzards to a large pot and 1 quart [1 liter] of water. Add a tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of oregano, and the bay leaf. Boil until the gizzards become very tender, which can be 60 90 minutes, add water if it becomes necessary to prevent it from drying out. A pressure cooker or Instant pot speeds up this step to about 20 - 30 minutes.Separate the gizzards from the liquid (set both aside).
2. Browning the gizzards
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 2 gallon [8 liter] capacity heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven.Add the gizzards and cook stirring (beware of oil splatter) until they're lightly browned.
3. Sautéing vegetables
- Stir in bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in tomatoes, olives, a teaspoon of oregano, and the tomato sauce.
4. Heating liquids
- Add 4 cups of the liquid from boiling the gizzards; if there isn't enough liquid, complete with fresh water. Add parsley and cilantro ancho. Taste and season the liquid with salt and pepper to taste.⚠️ In the end, the rice will have the same saltiness as the liquid in the rice at this point.Simmer until it breaks the boil.
5. Cooking rice
- Once the liquid is boiling, add the rice and simmer. Stir frequently to prevent it from sticking.When almost all the liquid has evaporated, cover with an airtight lid and cook over low heat. After 15 minutes, uncover and stir, so that the rice at the bottom is redistributed to the top.Cover again and cook for 5 more minutes. Taste the rice, it should be firm, but cooked through. If necessary, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Serving
- Once the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and immediately place it in a serving bowl. Discard the bay leaf.Remove the concon, and serve on the side.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More chicken recipes
Our chicken recipes are some of the most popular meat recipes in our collection. Our Pollo guisado is the frontrunner for most popular, and Locrio de pollo is one of my favorites. Don't miss the succulent Pica pollo, and for something lighter, Pechuga a la plancha and Pinchos de pollo are always a hit.
And don't forget to try Molleja guisada, our other chicken gizzard recipe.
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