This is how to cook chicken liver on the stove with onions or in air fryer to delicious. Sauteed in a pan, like our pork liver recipe, this is high in protein and a great way of how to cook organ meat to tender well.
This cooking chicken livers recipe has never been easier. We first shared with you how to cook chicken gizzards and that was such a hit we decided to use the other pieces inside that cavity. Not sure what seasonings to add to make them delicious? We’ll explain that step by step here.
If you only know how to cook beef liver and have done that in the past but want to know how to do the same thing with poultry, we have it here. NO more wasting parts and pieces y’all. That is right, add some sliced onions with some seasonings and wow do these turn out great. Serve as a side dish or high protein nutrient rich meal.
Do you need to soak chicken livers?
There is a trick on how to cook organ meat properly. It isn’t hard but will help tone down the strong flavor it would have if you skip it entirely. It is not a must but highly suggested. The purpose of it is to not mask the natural flavors but settle them down a bit.
Ingredient Notes
We are going to how you how to cook 1 pound of chicken liver sliced in a pan and other methods. If you wanted to double this you would want to increase the rest of the ingredients and have enough room in your pan so they aren’t overlapping.
Whole or 2% milk is suggested to soak first like we do with how to cook tripe. You could use buttermilk like we do with how to cook deer liver if you wanted a really thick choice that tends to tame the flavor a bit more.
In this case I like to add a bit of All purpose flour for a coating. This allows a light crust to form when you cook which we like, but optional. I would add salt and pepper and/or other desired seasonings for flavor.
Make caramelized onions in skillet with butter and garlic powder for 5-6 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and stir, fry for another 3-4 minutes. Lay the onion on top of the liver and serve. Jump to recipe and get started on it now.
Variations
So the cook time for these and prep beforehand for the breading is basically the same as we do with air fryer chicken gizzards. You don’t need to boil them ahead of time like you have to do with this those so it is faster. You’ll get that same crispy crunch to the outsides though which is OMG delicious. Bite-size pieces are the best for this method.
You can leave these whole, sliced or chop them into small bite size pieces. That part is up to you of course but the smaller they are the more you can coat the outsides with a bit of a crisp and seasonings. Really depends on how crispy you want them to become, and how it is served. If I’m making this as a main dish it is left as is.
We will go over how to make this pan seared because honestly that is the best of the best. Using butter, after making some sauteed onions, the flavors are just amazing. You just need a bit of oil so both sides get golden brown and is cooked all the way thru to the middle.
How to Cook Chicken Liver for Dogs
Skip the salt, pepper and onions – those are not good for them so we are going to leave those out. With any other Crockpot dog food recipes you want to leave the seasonings out, they are fine with just the natural flavors of the foods friends. The best way to cook these for your pooch is to;
Leave out all the other things and just boil livers in a few inches of water for about 15 minutes or until they reach the internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Then you need to remove, set on paper towels and cool completely. Do not give it to them hot, they will burn their mouths.
Then you can dice it up and let them enjoy some, they will love it. Store the rest in the fridge in a freezer bag, great treats here and there too.
Chicken Liver Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pan
- 1 Bowl if you choose to soak first
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken liver
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Caramelized Onions
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp butter, salted
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Instructions
- If you want to tone down the strong flavor I would suggest soaking pieces in a bowl of milk for an hour before beginning the next steps. This is optional but suggested. Pat outsides dry if you do, then continue.
- In a bowl, mix all-purpose flour with salt and pepper. Rinse and dry the liver with paper towels on the outside. Roll each piece in flour on all sides.
- Heat the frying oil and fry the chicken liver on low heat for 5 minutes on one side. Turn the liver over to the other side, cover the pan with a lid, and fry for another 4 minutes on low heat. Then transfer to a plate.
- Fry the chopped onion in butter for 5-6 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and stir, fry for another 3-4 minutes. Lay the onion on top of the liver and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pressure Cooker Method
You could use the timing in our pressure cooker liver and onions with this meat if you wanted to use an Instant Pot instead. You can make it all in one pot which is handy, I think in a pan is better so you can monitor the tenderness and not overcook.
Nutrition
Vitamins and mineral facts will vary slightly of course, not every bird is the same. For the most part you can expect this for about 2 ounces;
- Calories: 130
- Protein: 19 grams
- Fat: 5 grams
FAQ
This isn’t ideal as you really need to use a skillet anyway first but you could season flour with salt and pepper and toss bite size piece in it until coated. Heat pan with olive oil and fry pieces until lightly browned with some diced bacon and onions together. In slow cooker whisk together 1 cup broth with 1 can cream of mushroom soup. Transfer meat, onions and bacon to your Crock. Stir to coat and cook on low for 2-3 hours.
1. Place diced liver pieces in a bowl with 2 beaten eggs and thoroughly coat the outsides.
2. Transfer to a shallow bowl filled with seasoned breadcrumbs with salt and black pepper, toss to coat.
3. Repeat until all are well coated.
4. Preheat air fryer to high heat at 400 F for 5 minutes.
5. Spray inside of basket with non stick spray.
6. Place coated pieces in a single layer in the air fryer.
7. Cook at 400 for 6-8 minutes, gently flip pieces over halfway thru
8. Air fry until crispy as desired on the outside but still tender in the middle. For extra crispy spray with olive oil the last minute or two
Can you freeze leftovers?
Want to do some batch cooking and make a bunch all at once? Great idea, this is a great one to do just that. Follow these instructions, cool, lay on a baking sheet separated and freeze until solid. Then transfer to a freezer bag marked with the date and freeze for months. Thaw a few on the countertop for the day and let them enjoy a couple year round this way.
Game changer! Liver is not my thing but this is great!
This is total comfort food for me! I followed the air fryer variation and I love how crisp they got in the airfryer!
My Dad would eat chicken liver when I was a kid and I wasn’t a fan. I wanted to try them again now that I’m older. Your recipe delivered! I know now why he loved it so much. Thank you for this awesome recipe that brought back awesome childhood memories.