This chicken hearts recipe with sautéed mushrooms and onions might just turn you into a chicken hearts fan! This dish is incredibly easy to make in under 30 minutes with just 5 main ingredients and has loads of flavor. It's naturally gluten-free and nutritious.
These chicken hearts can be served with potatoes, rice, or any favorite side dish—super versatile! I'll show you how to prepare chicken hearts for cooking and make the process of cooking with chicken hearts not intimidating!
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If you're looking at this chicken hearts recipe, then you probably don't need convincing that chicken hearts can be absolutely delicious! But if you're not sure whether you're committed to trying chicken hearts, then let me explain why I cook with chicken hearts:
- They're healthy, inexpensive, a great source of protein and nutrients (see below for their health benefits).
- They're incredibly easy to cook.
- I love the idea of using every part of the chicken and eating chicken offal so there is no waste.
- And of course—they're delicious and need only a few other ingredients and seasonings to make a complete dish!
Related recipe: Fried Chicken Hearts
What do chicken hearts taste like?
Chicken hearts are a dark meat, and they have a gamey flavor. They're definitely tougher than chicken, but the great part about them is they're not dry. You know how chicken breast can get really dry and tough?? Well chicken hearts are a very different texture, they're delightfully chew.
If you've never eaten chicken hearts, it's definitely worth giving this recipe a try because chicken hearts are healthy, easy to cook, and a great source of protein.
Chicken hearts pair well with earthy mushrooms and onions. This might not be the prettiest dish to serve up, but they have their place in our menu rotation. And you can always hit them with a generous amount of fresh green herbs to brighten things up a bit!
Related recipe: Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops with Spinach
Are chicken hearts healthy?
Yes! Chicken hearts are a great source of protein, and a lot of nutrients. They're really high in vitamin B12, zinc, riboflavin, copper, and iron. They also contain a good amount of folate, vitamin B6, niacin, phosphorus, and selenium. (Source) Not bad, right??
Related recipe: Sautéed Potatoes with Mushrooms
Where to buy chicken hearts
Chicken hearts are actually pretty easy to find! Of course, you can get them at a butcher. But how many of us really do our regular shopping at a butcher?? Luckily, they're usually available in all large grocery stores, they might just be on the high shelf in the chicken section because they're not as popular.
If your go-to grocery store doesn't have them, I can almost guarantee that you'll be able to find them at a local ethnic stores—I've seen them in Latin American food stores, Asian markets, and Russian/Polish grocery stores.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons
- 1 lb chicken hearts, cleaned and sliced in half (see below for pictures and tips for how to prepare chicken hearts for cooking)
- 8 oz cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 2 tablespoons ghee (or butter or vegetable oil, but I love ghee for it's health benefits and rich buttery flavor)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme (or try dried basil or Italian seasoning - just double check that there's no sodium added before adding salt)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste - I used almost ¾ teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, finely minced
You'll also need:
- A large skillet (12 inches) - a smaller skillet doesn't allow the ingredients to brown nicely
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat a large skillet and melt the ghee (or cooking fat of choice). Add the thinly sliced onions and saute for 10-15 minutes over low heat, allowing the onions to caramelize slightly. Do not let them burn.
Step 2: Move the onions to the side of the skillet, and add the halved chicken hearts and sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and thyme around the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow for the chicken hearts and mushrooms on the bottom to cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to let them brown a little. They might release juices, and that's OK.
Step 3: Stir everything around in the skillet and allow to cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the chicken hearts and fully cooked, stirring frequently. The mushrooms will release some juices—those are delicious over mashed potatoes!!
Step 4: Sprinkle with fresh herbs, stir, and serve hot with your favorite sides!
Recipe variations
- Add some minced garlic in with the chicken hearts and mushrooms, if you like.
- You can add a small splash or dry white wine to deglaze the onions before adding the chicken hearts.
- Add a small amount of chicken broth to the skillet after the chicken hearts had a chance to brown a little, and continue cooking in the chicken broth. Extra sauce is never a bad thing!
- Try dried basil or Italian seasoning instead of dried thyme, if you like.
How to prepare chicken hearts for cooking
Chicken hearts are really easy to cook with! All you need to do is trim off any fat or veins from the end (I know, I know... don't think about it too much) and then slice them in half.
Slicing them in half is actually optional, but they cook quicker that way and I find their texture to be better that way. Halved chicken hearts flatten out while cooking and are much more enjoyable to eat!
What to serve with chicken hearts
I love serving these over mashed potatoes, spooning the extra juices over the potatoes instead of gravy. Chicken hearts are also great with baked potatoes, with rice, or any grain side dish.
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Chicken Hearts with Mushrooms and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 large onion - cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons
- 1 lb chicken hearts - ends trimmed and sliced in half (see notes)
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms - (cremini mushrooms), cleaned and sliced
- 2 tablespoons ghee - (or butter or vegetable oil)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt - (or more to taste - I used almost ¾ teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves - finely minced
Special equipment
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet and melt the ghee (or cooking fat of choice). Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté for 10-15 minutes over low heat, allowing the onions to caramelize slightly. Do not let them burn.
- Move the onions to one side of the skillet, and add the halved chicken hearts and sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and thyme around the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow for the chicken hearts and mushrooms on the bottom to cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to let them brown a little. They might release juices, and that's OK.
- Stir everything around in the skillet and allow to cook for 5-8 more minutes, or until the chicken hearts and fully cooked and no longer pinkish inside, stirring frequently. The mushrooms will release some juices—those are delicious over mashed potatoes or rice!!
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs, stir, and serve hot with your favorite sides.
Notes
- To see how to prepare chicken hearts for cooking, read the blog post.
- You can add some minced garlic in with the chicken hearts and mushrooms, if you like.
- You can add a small splash or dry white wine to deglaze the onions before adding the chicken hearts.
- You can add a small amount of chicken broth to the skillet after the chicken hearts had a chance to brown a little, and continue cooking in the chicken broth. Extra sauce is never a bad thing!
- Try dried basil or Italian seasoning instead of dried thyme, if you like.
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
followed it exactly
Tuesday 2nd of August 2022
Recipe was ok but really bland added garlic but didn't make a difference loved chicken hearts as a kid I was excited to try this recipe followed it exactly except for the garlic that was added would not make it again
Kate
Thursday 4th of August 2022
Sorry to hear that! Did you use enough salt? The recipe says ½ teaspoon, or more to taste, and I actually used about ¾ teaspoon. Garlic sounds great here though!