Liver and Onions Recipe (2024)

Published on . Updated on . By Tayo. This post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure. 15 Comments

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If you've never tried liver before, this classicbeef liver recipewill make you fall in love with this superfood. Beef liver is one of the most nutritionally dense foods available, and calf liver topped with caramelized onions is both nutritious and delicious with a mild taste of liver. This is absolutely the best way to serve it and will convert even staunch liver haters!

Liver and Onions Recipe (1)

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Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why you'll love it
  • Is Liver Considered Meat?
  • What Does Beef Liver Taste Like?
  • What Is The Difference Between Beef Liver And Calf Liver?
  • Health Benefits of Liver
  • 🥘 Equipment Used
  • 🧾 Ingredients Used
  • 🔪 How To Cook Beef Liver
  • 🥫 Storing and Reheating
  • 💭 Tips and Variations
  • 🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?
  • 👩‍🍳 Frequently asked questions
  • 📚 Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

Whether you already love liver or are trying to add this superfood to your diet, this is the recipe for you! I never liked it or its weird, rubbery, bitter taste and texture throughout my entire childhood.

Now that I'm older and know how amazing beef liver is for the body, I prepare it following this delicious recipe to reap all those nutritional benefits!

Is Liver Considered Meat?

Liver is known as organ meat and is also referred to as offal meat. Offal meat refers to internal organs and other parts of an animal that are deemed undesirable and discarded.

Other offal meats include kidney, heart, brain, tongue, chicken hearts, and chicken gizzard. Organ meats are usually nutrient-dense and are very healthy.

What Does Beef Liver Taste Like?

Beef liver might be a bit of an acquired taste, but it is tender and delicious when prepared properly. It has a sweet, naturally earthy flavor and a soft texture, unlike beef liver. It has a unique taste of its own and soaks up the flavors of what it's cooked in.

If you're trying to introduce beef liver into your diet, I highly recommend opting for young calves' liver over regular cow liver, as it doesn't have the same strong liver flavor you've probably tried in the past. This is one of my favorite recipes using liver as it gives any type of liver a lovely, tender texture.

What Is The Difference Between Beef Liver And Calf Liver?

Both beef and calf livers come from the same animal, a cow. However, one significant difference is that calf liver is from a young cow, while beef liver is from a mature cow. Therefore, the taste of beef liver is stronger and more intense than the taste of calf liver.

But no matter where the liver meat is from, it is still packed with essential nutrients, so it is good to include this beef liver recipe in your diet.

Health Benefits of Liver

In general, liver is very nutritious and packed with lots of vitamins and minerals. It is, without a doubt, one of the most nutritious-dense foods out there. A single portion of liver contains significant amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, folate, and iron.

Additionally, liver contains potassium, copper, magnesium, phosphorous, and selenium. Even a small amount of liver will produce more than the daily values of several nutrients the body needs. So, you only have to incorporate this sparingly into your diet.

Since liver does not contain any dietary fiber, so be sure to pair it with a high-fiber dish for a well-balanced meal.

🥘 Equipment Used

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To make this old fashioned liver and onions recipe, you'll just need a large bowl for soaking the liver and a large skillet, like a cast iron skillet, to sautee the liver.

🧾 Ingredients Used

Liver and Onions Recipe (2)
  • Raw beef liver: You can get fresh calves liver from your local butcher shop or meat market. Slice it into one-inch-thick slices if it's not already sliced. If that is not an option for you, you can often find frozen liver at grocery stores or butcher shops.
  • Spices:Garlic powder,onion powder,smoked paprika,black pepper, and salt.
  • Other ingredients:Olive oiland medium sliced onions.

🔪 How To Cook Beef Liver

How To Prepare Liver

Place the liver in a large bowl and add enough milk to cover it. Let the liver soak in the milk for an hour or two, then pour the milk away. Pat the liver dry, and it's ready to use.

How To Make Beef Liver And Onions

  1. Wash and pat the liver dry. Mix the spices together in a shallow dish and lightly rub the liver with the spices.
  2. Chop onions into rings. Heat oil in a cast iron pan. I like to use a cast iron skillet for this, but you can use any large skillet or shallow pan.
  3. When heated, add the onions and sprinkle a pinch of the mixed spices. Cook onions in olive oil for a few minutes until golden brown and caramelized. Take out the sauteed onions and add more olive oil to the pan.
  4. Add the liver pieces and cook liver for 3-5 mins on medium-high heat. Flip and cook the other side for a few minutes. Top with the onions and serve.
Liver and Onions Recipe (3)

🥫 Storing and Reheating

Of course, the liver can be frozen and stored even longer than that, but it might not taste as fresh.

💭 Tips and Variations

  • To reduce the strong metallic taste of the liver, you must prep it first by soaking it in milk.
  • Once you get comfortable cooking liver like this, try this recipe with lamb livers or chicken livers. They're both quite mild and full of flavor!
  • For a beautiful presentation, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top of your liver and onions.
Liver and Onions Recipe (4)

🍽️ What can I eat this recipe with?

This liver and onions recipe is usually eaten with white rice. I like to enjoy my liver and onions with mashed cauliflower orketo riceon a low-carb diet. This beef liver recipe also tastes great withgreen beanssauteed in a little bacon grease!

👩‍🍳 Frequently asked questions

Is liver keto friendly?

Yes, liver is keto-friendly. It contains very few carbs, is high in proteins, and has lots of vitamins and minerals.

Liver contains just 3.8g of net carbs and a whopping 26g of protein, making it incredibly nutritious, low carb, and keto-friendly. This beef liver recipe does include onions, which are higher in carbohydrates. You can either make the recipe without the onions or have a few to fit your macros.

Should liver be rinsed before cooking?

Rinse your liver to get rid of dirt and excess blood from it before cooking. Clean liver cooks and tastes much better than when it has excess blood in it.

Why do you soak liver in milk before cooking?

If using beef liver, I highly recommend soaking it in milk for an hour or two so you can get rid of the odor and improve the taste of the liver. In addition, liver that has been soaked in milk isn't as chewy as it would've been without the milk.

How do you know if calf liver is bad?

It's pretty easy to know when liver has gone bad. The liver would give off a slightly ammonic smell. It would also feel slimy to the touch. Also, because bacteria multiply fast on raw meat, liver left out at room temperature for hours might have gone bad and should not be eaten.

How do I know if my liver is cooked?

One way to ensure your liver slices have been appropriately cooked is to cook for at least 3-5 minutes on each side and slice a bit open to ensure it's no longer bloody. You can also use an internal thermometer to check that the temperature is at least 160F.

Check out these other delicious offal recipes!

Nigerian Pepper Stew with Offal Meat

Air Fryer Chicken Gizzards

Air Fryer Chicken Hearts

Peppered Gizzard

Liver and Onions Recipe (5)

Enjoy this beef liver recipe with these veggie side dishes!

Air Fryer Green Beans

Air Fryer Broccoli

Instant Pot Steamed Vegetables

Air Fryer Frozen Okra

Instant Pot Broccoli

Instant Pot Asparagus

📖 Recipe

Liver and Onions Recipe (6)

Beef Liver Recipe

If you've never tried liver before, this classicbeef liver recipewill make you fall in love with this superfood. Beef liver is one of the most nutritionally dense foods available, and calf liver topped with caramelized onions is both nutritious and delicious with a mild taste of liver.

5 from 12 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: African

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Tayo Oredola

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare the liver

  • If using beef liver, soak in milk for an hour or two, then pour the milk away.

  • If liver is not sliced, slice about one inch thick.

  • Wash and pat the liver dry.

Make the liver and onions

  • Mix spices together and liberally rub liver with spices.

  • Chop onions into ring shapes by slicing lengthwise.

  • Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a cast iron pan.

  • When heated, add the onions and sprinkle a pinch of the mixed spices.

  • Sauté the onions in olive oil for a few minutes till caramelized.

  • Take the onions out and add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.

  • Add the liver pieces and cook liver for 3-5 mins on medium-high heat.

  • Top with the onions and serve.

Notes

This recipe serves 4 and contains 5 net carbs per serving.

  • If you struggle with eating liver, soaking the liver in milk for a while will remove the bitterness from it and improve the taste of the liver.
  • Do not overcook the liver or the texture will become rubbery.
  • Make sure the liver is cooked in a single layer to make sure it's cooked through. Do it in batches if you need to.
  • You can substitute the olive oil with two tablespoons of butter or bacon grease for an infusion of flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 379mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 44290IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 7mg

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Liver and Onions Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you soak liver in milk before cooking? ›

Soak the liver in a dish or bowl of milk for 30-60 minutes. This is an important step in removing the bitter flavor from the liver. Salt and pepper the liver generously, and leave it out at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Pat the liver dry.

What is the secret of cooking liver? ›

It's very simple to make but the three things that will set your liver above all others are: 1) soak in milk, 2) turn the liver as little as possible when cooking, and 3) don't overcook.

What is the best cooking method for liver? ›

Liver is extremely nutritious and less expensive than most beef products. It's very lean, so it's most often pan-seared quickly to brown and keep it from drying out, although it can also be baked, braised, grilled or made into paté or liverwurst.

Should lamb's liver be soaked in milk before cooking? ›

Top tips when cooking lamb liver

You can soak the livers in milk for an hour or two before cooking, which will soften the flavour of the meat. Dusting the liver in a little seasoned flour before frying can make for a pleasing, golden crust.

Do you wash blood off the liver before cooking? ›

Soaking liver in milk or saltwater can pull out any leftover blood and improve the flavor.

Why does liver go mushy when cooked? ›

If liver is to be sauteed, it should be purchased fresh, not frozen, since freezing breaks down the tissue and can make the finished dish a bit mushy. However, frozen liver, calf or beef, is perfectly acceptable for recipes that involve grinding up the meat.

What makes liver taste better? ›

Soak liver in milk for 1-2 hours before cooking.

If you follow a strict paleo diet, you can use coconut milk instead of dairy milk; you'll get the same benefit of mellowing out the flavor. Buttermilk is also a great option!

Should I rinse liver before cooking? ›

Do not wash or rinse raw meat or poultry before you cook it. Washing can cause bacteria found on the surface of meat or poultry to be spread to ready-to-eat foods, kitchen utensils, and counter surfaces. This is called cross-contamination. Rinse fruits and vegetables before eating.

How do you remove toxins from your liver before cooking? ›

Soak in …

Yes, that's right: Milk! They claim that in addition to getting rid of toxins that usually are present in raw liver, milk helps tenderizing it. Try and soak your liver chunks in milk for 5 minutes before you cook them.

Should liver be cooked fast or slow? ›

Since a raw liver has high water content, you have to cook it rapidly with medium to high heat. If you try slow cooking a liver, the meat will become dehydrated, leading to tough fibers and dry, chewy meat. Cook liver and other organ meats until they reach a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do you know if your liver is cooked enough? ›

Livers should be cooked until they are no longer bloody in the core. Colour is not a reliable indicator of effective cooking. Studies have shown that liver tissue can remain pink after it has reached a safe temperature (see figure 2). Ensure juice from uncooked livers does not leak onto other foods.

What is the duration of cooking liver? ›

Cooking Instructions

Place the liver in the cooking pot and add 1 cup of water and salt then let it cook for 40 minutes until the colour turns brown or its tender. If some water are remaining you can drain and put aside. Then add oil and onions to the liver. As you heat the mixture stir it.

Should I rinse my liver after soaking in milk? ›

Remove your liver from the soaked milk. You can rinse it with cold water or cook it as it is to maintain the flavour. Slice your onions finely, then add cooking oil or butter to a sufuria. Saute until it starts to turn brown before adding in your garlic.

Why do chefs soak liver in milk? ›

Soaking liver in milk is said to be a common technique that supposedly helps to remove impurities, softens flavour, and tenderises the liver.

How often should you eat liver? ›

It's possible, and dangerous, to get too much vitamin A. Eating large amounts of liver can lead to symptoms of vitamin A toxicity, which happens when your own liver can't process the excess vitamin A quickly enough. Most doctors recommend that people without vitamin deficiencies eat just one serving of liver per week.

How do I tenderize my liver before cooking? ›

Pat the liver dry with a paper towel before submerging it in whole milk, buttermilk or red wine in a covered container or resealable, plastic bag. Let the liver marinate in the liquid for 30 to 60 minutes in your fridge. The liquid will tenderize the meat and help minimize the liver's mineral taste.

How does milk make liver taste better? ›

One popular method is to soak the liver in milk for a few hours before cooking. The milk helps to neutralize the strong taste and make the liver more palatable. Additionally, you can marinate the liver in a mixture of herbs, spices, and acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar to help balance out the flavor.

How can I make my liver taste better? ›

Soak Liver in Lemon Juice Or Milk

After it's done soaking, pat the liver dry with clean paper towels and cook it however you'd like. Soaking liver in an acid can help cut down on some of the metallic or “iron” taste common in beef and lamb liver.

Do you rinse the milk off chicken livers before cooking? ›

Soak chicken livers in milk for up to a couple of hours to help remove any strong flavors. Place livers in a colander and rinse under cold water; discard milk. Cut each liver in half. Pour ½ cup oil into large skillet and bring to 350°.

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