This recipe pairs bacon, onions, and fresh sage with sautéed chicken livers to make an easy entrée to serve with sides like orzo or rice.
Chicken livers are a delicious and nutritious alternative to chicken and other proteins and we enjoy serving them from time to time. Many people claim they don’t like liver, but if you employ a few of the tips for cooking chicken livers we shared here, you might just win them over.
Tips for Making Great Tasting Chicken Livers
- Always trim the livers: Use a pair of cooking shears to trim the livers of all visible bits of fat, sinew, and veins, then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Soak them in milk: Place the livers in a shallow bowl, pour milk over them to cover by 1/2 inch. Stir, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12. Soaking chicken livers in milk mellows their flavor, prevents them from developing any bitterness during cooking, and gives them a smooth, rich texture.
- Pat dry before sautéing: After soaking, transfer the chicken livers to a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry.
- Preheat the pan: Coat your frying pan (you may want to use non-stick) with a small amount of oil and preheat over medium high heat.
- Brown over medium-high heat: Add the livers to the hot pan in a single layer, season with a little salt and pepper, and brown them on all sides.
- Finish over lower heat and don’t overcook: Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the livers are rosy pink on the inside. Be careful not to overcook. Note: This recipe calls for adding a little chicken broth during the last minutes of cooking. These pan juices can be spooned over the livers and a side dish of rice, orzo, or even mashed potatoes.
Shopping Tip: For the best flavor and nutrition, we recommend looking for an organic brand of chicken livers from a source that raises chickens humanely.
More Ways to Cook Chicken Livers
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Sauteed Chicken Livers Bacon and Sage
This recipe pairs bacon, onions, and fresh sage with sautéed chicken livers to make an easy entrée to serve with sides like orzo or rice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken livers
- 1 cup milk
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 4 to 5 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Instructions
- Trim the chicken livers of any visible fat and sinew and cut the larger pieces in half. Place in a bowl and add the milk to cover. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, up to 12 hours.
- Drain the livers well, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate and pat dry.
- In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp, remove and blot the excess fat with paper towels. Discard all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sage and sauté until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the mixture to a plate and set aside.
- Return the pan to the stove over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken livers, season lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté until they're lightly browned on the outside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, return the bacon mixture to the pan, combine well and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth and continue cooking until the livers are rosy pink on the inside, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Take care not to overcook.
- Serve immediately, spooning the pan juices over each serving.
Notes
- Always trim the livers: Use a pair of cooking shears to trim the livers of all visible bits of fat, sinew, and veins, then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Soak them in milk: Place the livers in a shallow bowl, pour milk over them to cover by 1/2 inch. Stir, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12. Soaking chicken livers in milk mellows their flavor, prevents them from developing any bitterness during cooking, and gives them a smooth, rich texture.
- Pat dry before sautéing: After soaking, transfer the chicken livers to a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry.
- Preheat the pan: Coat your frying pan (you may want to use non-stick) with a small amount of oil and preheat over medium-high heat.
- Brown over medium-high heat: Add the livers to the hot pan in a single layer, season with a little salt and pepper, and brown them on all sides.
- Finish over lower heat and don’t overcook: Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the livers are rosy pink on the inside. Be careful not to overcook. Note: This recipe calls for adding a little chicken broth along with fresh sage in the last minutes of cooking. These pan juices can be spooned over the livers and a side dish of rice, orzo, or even mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
Calories: 279kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 403mg, Sodium: 205mg, Potassium: 332mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 12569IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 15mg, Iron: 10mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
My boys, who don’t love chicken liver, like this recipe, and the other three of us love it. I double the bacon and sautee the sage for a minute before adding the broth. I also add about 50 percent more broth because my sons prefer the chicken liver served over mashed potatoes and more broth means more sauce to go over the potatoes.
Thanks for a great meal!
Amy
Hi Amy,
I’m so glad to hear that your sons liked this recipe. Doubling the bacon must have done the trick! Thank you so much for letting us know.
We love this recipe. I’ve made it a few times each winter over the past several years. It introduced me to orzo, which I’ve also gone on to love in other recipes.