An easy recipe for chicken liver mousse that you make in your food processor. Delicious and nutritious, this delicate mousse is a great way to add offal to your diet.
Chicken liver mousse is a delicacy. It is also surprisingly easy to make. It’s one of those seemingly sophisticated dishes that you can impress your guests with, all the while knowing that you did not invest much effort in it! Chocolate covered strawberries is another good example.
I also like that you can – and should – make this recipe in advance. It’s always easier to serve dishes that can be served chilled.
The ingredients needed for this recipe
There are the ingredients you’ll need to make this tasty appetizer. The exact amounts are listed in the recipe card below:
- Duck fat or ghee
- Fresh chicken livers
- Onions
- Brandy – adds lots of flavor!
- Heavy cream
- Salt and pepper – I use Kosher salt
- Spices: allspice and dried thyme
How to make chicken liver mousse
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions. This recipe is loosely based on Julia Child’s classic recipe. But I did make several changes to her recipe over the years, to accommodate my family’s preferences.
Instead of melted butter, I use room temperature duck fat or ghee. Both are delicious, and both do not get as hard when refrigerated. This results in a softer, fluffier mousse consistency.
I also use half the amount of fat listed in the original recipe, which saves calories but makes for a stronger liver taste. The more fat you add to the chicken liver mousse, the milder it will taste.
Is chicken liver mousse healthy?
I believe it is very healthy. Liver is a nutrient-dense superfood. And although duck fat and ghee are high in saturated fats, current research says that this is actually not a cause for concern. Saturated fat does not clog the arteries. Take a look at how nutritionally dense a single serving of this recipe is (nutrition info via fitday.com):
How to serve chicken liver mousse?
It’s photographed here with gluten-free toast. But it’s just as good on toasted keto bread or almond flour bread, on almond flour crackers, or on cucumber slices.
More tasty offal recipes
If you’d like to try a rustic version of chicken liver mousse, try this very tasty recipe for traditional Jewish chopped liver. And if you’re willing to venture beyond livers, these pan-fried chicken hearts are a delicacy.
Chicken Liver Mousse
INGREDIENTS
- 5 tablespoons duck fat or ghee, room temperature, divided
- 1 lb. chicken livers, cleaned from sinew
- 1/4 cup minced onions
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
INSTRUCTIONS
- Melt 1 tablespoon duck fat over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the livers and the onions. Cook the livers 2-3 minutes on each side, just until no longer raw – center should be pink. Transfer the cooked livers and onions to your food processor’s bowl, leaving any liquids in the skillet.
- Add the brandy to the skillet. Cook on high until it’s reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the skillet contents to the food processor.
- Add the heavy cream, kosher salt, allspice, black pepper and dried thyme to the food processor bowl. Cover and process on high about 1 minute, until the liver turns into a smooth paste.
- Add the remaining duck fat and process again, until well-incorporated. Continue to process 1 more minute, until light and fluffy.
- Divide the mixture evenly among four individual containers (such as small jars or ramekins). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. If refrigerating overnight, remove from fridge 1 hour before serving.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
