This chicken liver pâté is made with olive oil and lots of tasty seasonings. Wonderfully rich and flavorful, and surprisingly easy to make, it's a great way to add offal to your diet.
Internal organs are not very popular in the United States. I do like them a lot, but I grew up eating them. It always amazes me when I buy livers at Whole Foods and the butcher asks me if I'm buying them for my dog. 😮
If you're curious about offal and would like to give it a try, chicken livers are a good place to start because their texture is pleasant and their flavor is fairly mild. Turning them into pâté makes them even more palatable, and is surprisingly easy. It's one of those restaurant-style dishes that you can totally replicate at home.
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Ingredients
These are the ingredients you'll need to make this chicken liver pâté. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below:
Fresh chicken livers: Not available in all U.S. supermarkets, unfortunately. I usually get them at Whole Foods.
Extra-virgin olive oil: This is definitely a departure from tradition, as most similar recipes are made with butter. But I love the flavor of extra-virgin olive oil and I find that it really enhances the flavor of the pâté.
Seasonings: I use kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, and allspice. You can use chopped onions or shallots instead of the onion powder and cook them with the livers.
Brandy: I really wouldn't skip it in this recipe. It greatly enhances the flavor of the pâté.
Heavy cream: Another important ingredient that adds creaminess and silkiness. I use just a little - ¼ cup.
Instructions
How to make chicken liver pâté? It's surprisingly easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Your first step is to clean the livers from the white connective tissue. Then you season them with lots of yummy spices and cook them in olive oil.
Next, you transfer the cooked livers to your food processor.
Now add the brandy to the skillet. Cook it on high to reduce it, then transfer to the food processor.
Add more olive oil and a little heavy cream to the food processor. Cover and process on high until the mixture is creamy and fluffy.
The last step is to divide the mixture evenly among four individual ramekins. Cover and refrigerate the pâté for at least 2 hours before serving.
Recipe tips
The most important thing when making this pâté, in my opinion, is to make sure you don't overcook the livers (I should note that the USDA would disagree). They should still be pink in the middle. Properly cooked chicken livers are tender and flavorful. Overcooked ones are tough and gummy.
The second tip is about when and how to enjoy the pâté. Definitely don't try to eat it as soon as it's ready! It's not good when it's still warm. It needs time to rest - at least 2 hours in the fridge. But it's actually best to make it a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. This helps firm up its texture and also ensures that all the tasty flavors are melded together. If refrigerating overnight, remove the pâté from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestions
This tasty pâté is very good when served with any of the following options:
- Toasted keto 90-second bread
- Toasted slices of almond flour bread
- Almond flour crackers
- Cucumber slices
- Plain pork rinds
Storing leftovers
You can keep the pâté in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to three days. Remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before serving so that it's not refrigerator-cold.
Frequently asked questions
It's usually made with cooked chicken livers, shallots or onions, brandy, heavy cream, butter, and some spices. My recipe uses olive oil instead of butter and onion powder instead of chopped onions.
Mousse should have a lighter, airier texture, achieved by adding more heavy cream and whipping the mixture for longer to aerate it. Pâté is richer and heavier. I would say that my recipe better resembles a rich pâté than a light mousse, though it does have a rather mousse-like texture.
I don't rinse them. I trim the connective tissue and pat them dry with paper towels.
More offal recipes
If you'd like to try a rustic version of chicken liver pâté, try this very tasty recipe for traditional Jewish chopped liver.
Liver and onions is a traditional dish that has lost its popularity in recent years, but I think it's wonderful, provided you use calf livers.
And if you're willing to venture beyond livers, these pan-fried chicken hearts are a surprising delicacy.
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Recipe card
Easy Chicken Liver Pâté
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. chicken livers
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ¼ cup brandy
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Use a sharp knife to remove the white connective tissue from the livers and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle the cleaned livers with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, and allspice.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the seasoned livers. Cook them, turning frequently, until browned on the outside and barely pink in the center, 5-7 minutes.*
- Transfer the cooked livers to your food processor’s bowl.
- Add the brandy to the skillet. Use it and a heat-resistant rubber spatula to scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Cook on high until it’s reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 1 minute. Turn the heat off. Use the spatula to transfer the skillet contents to the food processor.
- Add the heavy cream and 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the food processor. Cover and process on high until the mixture is smooth, light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, stopping once o scrape the sides and bottom with a spatula.
- Divide the mixture evenly among four individual containers (such as small jars or ramekins). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
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NOTES
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 