Sauteed Chicken Livers

Quickly cooked in olive oil and topped with caramelized onions, sauteed chicken livers are a surprising delicacy.

Since they have a fairly mild flavor compared to other organs, they are a good choice for those who venture into eating offal for the first time.

People tell me that eating organ meats is "an acquired taste" and "a cultural thing." As someone who was raised in Israel and enjoyed the cooking of two wonderful grandmothers - one of them an Israeli of Eastern European descent and the other Dutch - I was served offal from an early age, and I really liked it - as long as it was not overcooked.

It never occurred to me that livers were something to avoid until I arrived in the United States.

A cultural thing

I'm not sure what happened in the United States to render organ meats as unfit for human consumption. According to this Wikipedia page, the classic dish of liver and onions (which is usually made with beef liver) was actually very popular here in the 20th century (I'm guessing mostly in the first half), but organ meats are rarely consumed today in the US.

During my first few years here in the US, whenever I purchased chicken livers at Whole Foods, I was asked: "Is this for your dog?" Um, no. This is for my very human family.

I do credit the paleo movement for raising awareness and making more people realize that internal organs are worth considering and that eating them is the ethical choice for meat-eaters.

Eating just muscle meat is wasteful. As long as we raise animals for our food, we should treat them well while they are alive, slaughter them humanely, and utilize their whole body.

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this chicken liver recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Onion: I like to top the livers with caramelized onions. The onions are wonderfully flavorful and they really 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 much prefer them to beef liver. They are milder in taste, they have a nice soft texture, and they don't have the strong metallic taste typical to beef liver. I usually buy them at Whole Foods.

Olive oil: I use it for frying the onions as well as the livers. It's delicious, but it does have a fairly low smoke point. Since I cook the onions and the livers over medium heat I believe it's OK, but if you're not convinced, you can use butter or ghee instead.

Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.

Instructions

So how do you cook chicken livers? Some recipes use a coating (such as flour or breadcrumbs), but I don't. I simply fry them in olive oil. The detailed instructions for making this recipe are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:

Cook the onions. You start by peeling and slicing an onion, separating the slices into rings, then frying the onion rings in olive oil until golden. Remove the onions to a plate and cover them to keep them warm (or place them in the oven on the "keep warm" setting).

Prepare the livers. Pat them dry with paper towels, cut them in half, and trim and discard any visible fat or green parts.

Cook the livers. In the same skillet, add the livers. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cook them over medium heat until browned but still pink in the middle, 2-3 minutes per side.

Note that 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.

Serve. Divide the cooked livers between plates, top with the onions, and serve.

Expert tip

As I mentioned above, I actually liked livers as a kid, as long as they were not overcooked. Chicken 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 pretty much inedible - dry and grainy.

But when properly cooked, they have a wonderfully tender mouthfeel and they are also quite mild in terms of their flavor.

Though I should probably mention that the USDA recommends cooking poultry internal organs to an internal temperature of 165 °F. 

Frequently asked questions

Variations

You can add more spices if you wish, such as garlic powder, paprika, or a little cumin. But since I top the livers with fried onions, which are VERY flavorful, I typically only use salt and pepper to season them.

Serving suggestions

Aside from topping them with onions, I like to serve these livers with a green vegetable side to add some color to the plate. So I often serve them with steamed broccoli, roasted asparagus, or roasted Brussels sprouts.

Storing leftovers

According to StillTasty.com, cooked beef liver will last for 3-4 days in the fridge, in an airtight container. I couldn't find info about chicken livers.

But personally, since they are still pink in the middle after I cook them, I don't keep them for longer than a day. So if I don't finish up the leftovers the day after I made them, I toss them.

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Recipe Card

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Sauteed Chicken Livers with Onions

Quickly cooked in olive oil and topped with sauteed onions, sauteed chicken livers are a surprising delicacy for those willing to venture into eating offal.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 194kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 large onion
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided
• ▢ 1 lb. 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, sprinkle them with ½ teaspoon kosher salt, then fry them, stirring often, until golden-brown, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the onions to a plate and cover to keep warm, or place them in the oven on the "keep warm" setting.
• In the same skillet, add the cleaned chicken livers. Sprinkle them with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
• Cook the livers over medium heat until browned but still pink in the middle, 2-3 minutes per side.
• Divide the cooked livers between plates, top with the fried onions, and serve.

Video

Notes

1. Nutrition info is based on CalorieKing.com and adjusted for sodium. 

2. If added to a too-hot pan, chicken livers will splatter and even burst. So make sure to use medium heat and don't wait too long before adding the livers to the pan.

3. The USDA recommends cooking poultry internal organs to an internal temperature of 165 °F. 

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Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 0.25recipe | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 384mg

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