Directions

1. 1. Clean and Prepare the Chicken Hearts

   Start by thoroughly washing and cleaning your chicken hearts. Trim away any unwanted pieces, then cut each chicken heart in half. Cutting the hearts in half helps promote even cooking and allows all those delicious seasonings to coat every bite.

2. 2. Season and Marinate the Chicken Hearts

   In a large bowl, combine the sliced onions, cilantro, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, chicken bouillon, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, dried thyme, paprika, and vegetable oil. Add the halved chicken hearts to the seasoning mixture. Mix everything together thoroughly, making sure every piece is evenly coated with the seasoning and oil. Cover the bowl and place the chicken hearts in the refrigerator to marinate for approximately 20 minutes.

3. 3. Simmer the Chicken Hearts

   Once the chicken hearts have finished marinating, transfer the chicken hearts and all of the seasoning mixture into a saucepan or sauce pot. Add approximately 2 cups of water, or enough water to cover the chicken hearts. Give everything a good stir to make sure the chicken hearts are surrounded by the seasoned liquid. Add ½ cup (1 stick) of butter to the pot. Bring everything to a boil, then allow the chicken hearts to cook in the buttery seasoned broth for approximately 15–20 minutes.

4. 4. Prepare the Seasoned Rice

   While the chicken hearts are cooking, get your rice started. Add the thoroughly washed rice to your rice cooker. Season the rice with a dash of onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, dried thyme, paprika, and black pepper. Add approximately 2¼ cups of water and stir everything together to distribute the seasonings evenly. Cover and cook according to your rice cooker's instructions until the rice is tender and fluffy.

5. 5. Separate the Chicken Hearts from the Broth

   Once the chicken hearts have finished simmering, remove them from the heat. Carefully separate the chicken hearts from the broth, making sure to reserve the flavorful liquid. That seasoned buttery broth is going to become the base for your gravy, so don't throw it away! Transfer the chicken hearts to a separate pan while you prepare the gravy.

6. 6. Make the Southern-Style Gravy

   In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with some of the reserved chicken-heart broth. Whisk the mixture thoroughly until the cornstarch has completely dissolved and there are no lumps. This creates your cornstarch slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into the reserved broth while whisking continuously. Continue whisking as the gravy cooks. This helps the cornstarch incorporate smoothly into the buttery broth and creates a rich, cohesive gravy. Allow the gravy to cook until it thickens to your desired consistency.

7. 7. Bring the Chicken Hearts & Gravy Together

   Return the chicken hearts to the stove and sauté them for approximately 3 minutes. Once they've had a chance to heat through and develop a little additional flavor, pour the thickened gravy over the chicken hearts. Stir everything together, making sure the gravy coats the chicken hearts. Allow the chicken hearts and gravy to simmer together for approximately 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep a close eye on your gravy during this step. You don't want it to cook down too quickly or burn, so keep the heat controlled and stir occasionally.

8. 8. Plate & Serve

   Once your chicken hearts are tender, your gravy is rich and thick, and your seasoned rice is fluffy, it's time to plate! Start with a generous serving of seasoned rice. Spoon the Southern-style chicken hearts and gravy right over the top. Make sure you get plenty of that savory gravy over the rice because that's where the magic happens! Then grab your fork and dig in. 🤎