Chicken, Hearts Recipe

Trim and clean

Rinse 1 lb chicken hearts under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Using a small sharp knife, trim away any excess fat, visible connective tissue, and any blood vessels. If hearts are very large, halve them lengthwise to ensure even cooking.

Place trimmed hearts in a medium bowl and season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.

In a small bowl combine 2 Tbs olive oil, 1 Tbs soy sauce, 1 Tbs lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Whisk until blended.

Pour the marinade over the seasoned hearts and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours — 30 minutes will impart flavor, 2 hours will deepen it. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking to take the chill off.

Heat a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2–3 minutes. Add 1 Tbs butter or additional 1 Tbs olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.

Drain hearts from excess marinade (reserve any remaining marinade to deglaze if desired). Add hearts in a single layer to the hot pan — do not overcrowd. You may need to cook in two batches. Let the hearts sear undisturbed for 1.5–2 minutes to develop a browned crust.

Stir or flip hearts and continue cooking 1.5–2 more minutes until the exterior is nicely browned and the interior is just cooked through. Total cooking time should be 3–4 minutes for medium doneness; cook a bit longer if you prefer firmer texture. Chicken hearts should remain slightly springy and not dry.

If you reserved marinade, pour it into the hot pan after removing hearts and bring to a simmer, scraping up browned bits for 30–45 seconds to make a quick pan sauce. Return hearts to pan and toss to coat briefly.

Remove hearts to a warm plate. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley and squeeze lemon wedges over top to taste.

Serve immediately as an appetizer with toothpicks, or as part of a main course with rice, salad, or grilled vegetables.