Gizdodo is a Nigerian delicacy of peppered gizzards and plantains tossed in a delicious sauce of tomatoes, onions, hot peppers and bell peppers. This recipe can be served as a main dish, an appetizer or as a perfect side for your rice dishes. Like the popular Asun recipe, Dodo gizzard is commonly served at parties as a starter. It’s so easy to make and I will show you exactly how I make it.
Table of Contents
- 1 What is Gizdodo?
- 2 Gizdodo Recipe
- 3 Ingredients & Tools
- 4 Best plantain for Gizdodo
- 5 How to make Gizzard dodo (Gizdodo) with step by step pictures
- 6 What is the Best Sauce for this recipe.
- 7 Variations of Peppered Gizzard & Dodo (Gizdodo)
- 8 Serving Suggestions (How to serve)
- 9 Make ahead and How to store.
- 10 Quick Recipe Notes and Tips
- 11 Plantain Recipes other readers are loving!
- 12 Gizdodo (Peppered Gizzards and Plantains)
What is Gizdodo?
Gizidodo or Gizdodo is a play on words coined from Gizzard and dodo. It is stewed fried gizzards and fried plantains (dodo). These ingredients are lightly sautéed in a delicious peppered sauce.
It is a common feature in Nigerian parties where it is served as an appetizer or as aside dish. This recipe requires just a few ingredients which I would be listing in a few minutes.
Gizdodo Recipe
I am super excited to share this easy recipe with you. But let me share a little back story to this recipe. I was totally oblivious of this awesome deliciousness that is Gizdodo until the Christmas of 2016.
At a family lunch at some friends place, This peppered Gizzard and plantains was the starter. It was so good that I decided to ask for the recipe. Our host obliged. She didn’t have an actual recipe, but sharing the ingredients with me was enough to getting me working.
I decided to take it up a notch by adding my all time favorite spice blend Yaji aka Suya spice to it and oh my it was delicious.
Ingredients & Tools
- Gizzards (Chicken Gizzards)
- Ripe but firm plantains
- Onions
- Garlic
- Fresh habanero pepper
- Tomatoes + Tomato paste (substitute with tomato sauce)
- Suya spice* which you can make at home or buy online.
- Green and red bell peppers
* Very important: If you have peanut allergies, please skip the Yaji (Suya spice) because it contains peanuts. You can still enjoy Gizdodo without it.
Recommended Tools:
- Chopping board & Knife
- Slotted spoon
- Stainless steel pot
- Frying pan
- Enameled Cast-iron Braiser or skillet
- Blender or Food processor
Best plantain for Gizdodo
The type of plantain used to make peppered gizzards and plantains is important to how the recipe turns out. Very ripe mushy plantains are for plantain bread, plantain cakes, plantain puff puff, fritters and the like.
When making gizdodo, you need sweet plantains that are ripe but firm. It can be slightly softer than firm but not too soft that it’s mushy.
That is the same kind of plantains I like to use for my Plantain frittata, Ghanaian Kelewele, Roasted plantains (Boli) and fried sweet plantains.
How to make Gizzard dodo (Gizdodo) with step by step pictures
Pic 1-3; Season and Cook gizzards till tender. Blend tomatoes, red bell pepper, habanero peppers and onions.
Pic 4-6; Fry plantains till golden brown, then fry cooked gizzards.
Pic 7-9; Sauté onions, add tomato paste, blended ingredients, gizzards stock/broth, seasoning and Suya spice.
Pic 10-12; Add the fried gizzards, sliced bell peppers and plantains. Mix to combine.
What is the Best Sauce for this recipe.
A peppered sauce made with a blend of tomatoes, hot peppers (scotch bonnet or habanero) Red bell pepper and green bell peppers.
Note that the tomatoes should be in a smaller amount than the red bell peppers. It can also be substituted with tomato paste or sauce.
My Easy spicy peanut sauce is another yummy sauce to use in this recipe if you are not allergic to nuts.
Variations of Peppered Gizzard & Dodo (Gizdodo)
There are a variety of ways to enjoy gizdodo including a vegan option for my vegan friends. Check them out below.
Vegan Gizdodo:
Yes you can have gizdodo as a vegan, it only requires a very minute change in one of the main ingredients. Since plantains and other ingredients in this recipe are basically plant based, the gizzards are the major swap you need to make.
What would you swap it out with? Any plant based ‘meat’ substitutes that can absorb flavors should work here. Mushrooms, Jack fruits, tofu etc
Beefdodo:
You guessed right! Beefdodo is made with beef instead of gizzards. If you are not a fan of gizzards or would rather not have it, this is a great alternative and tastes absolutely yummy. You can use ground beef instead of beef for a different feel.
Chickendodo:
Making gizdodo with chicken breasts instead of gizzards is another variation of this recipe. In fact chicken dodo is very similar to Poulet DG a popular Cameroonian Recipe made with chicken, ripe plantains, carrots, green beans and bell peppers. So delicious. To make chicken dodo and not Poulet DG, use chicken breads or boneless chicken thighs cut into bite sizes, then skip the carrots and green beans. You can use turkey breast instead of chicken to make Turkeydodo.
Potatoes or yam gizdodo:
Fried Potatoes or yam are added to the mix to make a main dish.
Serving Suggestions (How to serve)
Gizdodo can be eaten as a meal, an appetizer or a side dish. It is usually served with white rice, Jollof rice, Vegetable rice and more.
To serve it with white rice or plain spaghetti, it is best to make it more saucy than when serving as a main dish or appetizer.
To achieve the saucy texture, add more liquid while cooking the sauce or double the sauce ingredients. This way it’s serves as a stew.
Make ahead and How to store.
This recipe can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. I have found that packing the cooked ingredients separately helps the dodo gizzard taste better.
By this I mean, store the fried gizzards and fried plantains without mixing with the sauce. On the day you are ready to serve, warm up the pepper sauce the warm the fried gizzards and plantains in the sauce till warmed through.
Alternatively you can reheat in the microwave.
Freezing:
It can be frozen for up to a month, However I personally don’t like to freeze my gizidodo because I really don’t like the feel of frozen and thawed fried sweet plantains.
If you must, use plantains that are almost fully ripe so they are not mushy when making the gizdodo. Alternatively, freeze the food components individually in portioned containers so you can reheat as needed.
Quick Recipe Notes and Tips
- If you are allergic to peanuts please do not use the Suya spice in this recipe. It will still taste awesome.
- The type of plantains used usually determines the outcome of the dish. Stick with ripe and firm plantains.
- Play around with spice blends that you like. For instance you can use creole seasoning for a southern twist, Taco seasoning or Garam masala if you want to add some Indian flavors to this dish.
- Using tomatoes and tomato paste is optional you can use either or skip it all together. Only Red bell peppers will work just fine.
- Cooking gizzards till it’s tender can take up to 40 mins. You might want to use your instant pot if you have one.
Plantain Recipes other readers are loving!
- Plantain Frittata: This is the perfect meal of eggs and plantains made in one pan. If you haven’t tried it yet, this is the time to do so. If you are vegan or can’t eat eggs, just
- Beans porridge and fried sweet Plantains: A recommended staple for beans & dodo lovers. Please don’t give up on beans before trying my recipe. It’s the magic sauce that gets you eating beans like a pro.
- The only Plantain puff puff recipe you need. An irresistible snack that keeps you munching and munching.
- Plantain boats: Stuff these beauties with any filling you love and you are a happy fellow.
- Green Plantain chips: An easy snack to take care of your munch cravings. Like my Nigerian Chin chin, it’s so addictive.
Did you enjoy this recipe or found it helpful, please leave me a comment and share the link to this recipe with family and friends and in your favorite facebook group.
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*This Recipe was first published in March 2017. It has been updated to include a recipe card, better images, more tips, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Gizdodo (Peppered Gizzards and Plantains)
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs (1 kg) Chicken Gizzards (cleaned, washed and cut into bite sizes see note 1)
- 4 large Ripe but firm plantains
- 3 medium Onions (divided please see note 2 on how to use)
- 2 habenero or scotch bonnet peppers
- 1 medium Green bell pepper (chopped)
- 3 medium Red bell peppers (see note 3)
- 1 medium Plum Tomato (optional)
- ½ Tablespoon Tomato paste (optional)
- ½ Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp bouillon powder (adjust to your taste)
- ¼ tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 Tbsp Thyme.
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp Dry Oregano (optional)
- 2 Tbsp Suya Spice
- 2½ cups Cooking oil of choice 2 ¼cup for frying and ¼ cup of oil for the pepper sauce
Instructions
- Add washed Gizzard to sauce pan, add spice blend and onion and begin to cook. Do not add water yet for about 5 mins. Let the gizzards release some of its liquid before adding more water. Keep an eye on it though so it doesn’t burn. Cook till desired tenderness is reached.
- While the gizzards are cooking, coarsely blend an onion, 2 habenero peppers, the tomato (if using) and 2 red bell peppers. Slice the remainder of the peppers for garnishing.
- Cut the plantains into cubes and fry till golden brown. I like to flavor my oil by adding some onion slices to it which is totally optional. Transfer fried plantains to a paper towel lined plate then fry the cooked gizzards.
- Saute onions in oil, add the tomato paste let it cook for a minute, then pour in the coarsely blended bell pepper mix, gizzard stock and suya spice. Fry till sauce thickens, you may notice some oil float on top. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
- Add fried gizzards, chopped red bell peppersand let simmer on low heat for about a minute then add the fried plantains. Mix to combine then turn off heat
- Serve with rings of onions and sprinkle on some more suya spice as needed.
Notes
- Depending on the size of the gizzards you may need to cut into 2 or 3. Do not cut them too small as they shrink while cooking.
- Blend one onion with the tomato, peppers and bell peppers, the second will be use when making the sauce. Divide the third one into 2, use half to cook the gizzards and the other half for garnishing.
- Blend 2 Red bell peppers with the tomato, chop the third and use with the green bell pepper.
- The amount of serving in this recipe will depend on if it’s being served as a main dish, appetizer or as a side dish.
Nutrition
For Your Viewing Pleasure, I have included below, the image from when this recipe was first published in 2017.
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