Quickly cooked in olive oil and topped with onions, sautéed chicken livers are a surprising delicacy. They have a mild flavor compared to other internal organs, so they are a good choice for those who venture into eating offal for the first time.
If, like me, you grew up eating chicken livers (both my grandmothers cooked them often), you know that as long as they're not overcooked, they are delicious. In this easy recipe, the sautéed livers are topped with onions. The sweetness of the onions greatly elevates this dish, so I highly recommend using them.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Onion: I like to top the livers with sautéed onions. The onions are wonderfully flavorful and greatly enhance the livers. I would go as far as saying that if you don't have onions on hand, it's best not to make this dish at all.
- Fresh chicken livers: I prefer them to beef liver. They are milder in taste, have a soft texture, and don't have the metallic taste typical of beef liver. I usually buy them at Whole Foods.
- Olive oil: I use it to cook the onions and liver. You can substitute butter or ghee for the oil.
- To season: I usually season the livers with just salt and pepper, but in the photo below, I added ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of paprika, and ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin. It was delicious!
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Saute the onions in olive oil until golden. Remove them to a plate and cover them to keep them warm.
Pat the livers dry with paper towels, cut them in half, and trim and discard any visible fat or green parts. Add the livers to the same skillet in which you cooked the onions. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cook them over medium heat until browned but still pink in the middle, 2-3 minutes per side.
Divide the cooked livers between plates, top them with the onions, and serve.
I was rearranging my freezer and found a container of chicken livers. I'm 72 years old and have never cooked livers before. With your recipe, this will become one of our favorite meals. Had no idea it was so easy. Thank you so much.
Becky
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I was rearranging my freezer and found a container of chicken livers. I'm 72 years old and have never cooked livers before. With your recipe, this will become one of our favorite meals. Had no idea it was so easy. Thank you so much.Recipe Tips
- The livers should still be pink in the middle when you're done cooking them. If you cook them until they're well done, they'll be dry and grainy. But when properly cooked, they have a wonderfully tender mouthfeel and a mild flavor. Having said that, the USDA recommends cooking poultry internal organs to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- If added to a too-hot pan, the livers will splatter and even burst. So make sure to use medium heat and don't wait too long before adding them to the pan.
- You can top the livers with sautéed onions or caramelized onions. Caramelized onions require more time and effort, so I typically use them only when I have leftovers that I can quickly reheat in the microwave. The photo below shows livers topped with leftover caramelized onions.
Recipe FAQs
That's unnecessary. It might be a good idea when cooking beef liver, which has a strong metallic taste. However, chicken livers are mild and do not require soaking before cooking.
No. These livers have a mild taste, so they don't require any special preparation except for trimming visible fat, sinew, and any green areas.
Not for this recipe. I simply season the livers and cook them in olive oil.
(1) Don't overcook it. When overcooked, it becomes dry and bitter.
(2) Cook it in plenty of tasty fat such as olive oil, butter, or ghee.
(3) Top it with caramelized onions.
(4) Consider turning it into chopped liver or liver pate.
Yes. You can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Since they are still pink in the middle after I cook them, I don't like to keep them for longer than a day. I either reheat them covered in the microwave or mash them cold with softened butter to make a quick chicken liver pate.
I don't recommend freezing the leftovers. Their flavor and texture will be off after freezing and thawing.
Serving Suggestions
Aside from topping them with onions, I like to serve these livers with a vegetable side to add color to the plate. So, I often serve them with steamed broccoli (as shown in the photo below), roasted asparagus, or roasted Brussels sprouts.
In the photo below, I had some veggies that I roasted on a sheet pan the day before (roasted mushrooms, roasted peppers, and roasted zucchini). I reheated them and served them with the livers.
Recipe Card
Sauteed Chicken Livers
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - divided; or ½ teaspoon (divided) of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- 1 pound fresh chicken livers
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and slice the onion. Separate the slices into rings.
- Pat the livers dry with paper towels, cut them in half, then trim and discard any visible fat or green parts. Wash your hands well after handling the raw livers.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and sprinkle them with half the kosher salt. Saute the onions, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the onions to a plate and cover them to keep them warm, or place them in the oven on the "keep warm" setting.
- Add the cleaned livers to the same skillet. Sprinkle them with the remaining kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Cook the livers over medium heat until browned but slightly pink in the middle, about 3 minutes per side. (See notes).
- Divide the cooked livers between plates, top them with the onions, and serve.
Notes
- If added to a too-hot pan, the livers will splatter and even burst. So make sure to use medium heat and don't wait too long before adding them to the pan.
- There's no need to rinse the livers, soak them, or coat them in flour.
- The USDA recommends cooking poultry internal organs to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- You can add more spices if you wish, such as ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of paprika, and ¼ teaspoon of cumin.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Since they are still pink in the middle after I cook them, I don't like to keep them for longer than a day. I either reheat them covered in the microwave or mash them cold with softened butter to make a pâté.
- I don't recommend freezing the leftovers. Their flavor and texture will be off after freezing and thawing.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Dennis Everheart says
Following the recipe pretty much and it was great. Did it on a flat top grill instead of skillet
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked it, Dennis! Thank you very much for the review.
Rose says
Yummy
Sandra Kopiczak says
Excellent simple recipe!! We loved it.
Maha thomas says
Thank you very much , it was simple , saved time , it was perfect for supper. I was hooping we can freeze them for at least a week.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked it! You can try freezing, but the texture could be grainy when thawed.
CAROLL says
Was simple to make and very satisfying. It will be on my menu regularly.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Caroll! I'm glad you enjoyed this recipe.