Chicken Liver Recipes

By Food & Wine
Updated April 11, 2018
Greg DuPree
These tasty recipes include bacon-wrapped chicken breasts and mixed grill with chimichurri sauces and roasted peppers.
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Fried-Chicken-Liver and Sautéed-Onion Po' Boys

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"It used to be that our members didn't really want organ meats, tongue or oxtail," Kristin Kimball recalls. "But these days, I feel lucky if I can keep some for myself."

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Grilled Chicken Wings and Livers with Balsamic-Mustard Glaze

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Marcia Kiesel’s friend Heidi Wheeler’s ingenious way of trimming chicken wings to eliminate some of the fat inspired this dish. Since Kiesel added her own touch (chicken livers) to the recipe, she has started calling their collaboration Chicks Only. Kiesel has always adored chicken livers, but brushed with this hot and tangy glaze, even skeptics admit they like them, especially when spread on grilled garlic bread.

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Chicken-Liver Crostini

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This is a simple, classic Florentine chicken-liver pâté, which can be prepared in a coarse or smooth style. To make the rustic recipe here more elegant, Marco Canora suggests processing the cooked livers until very smooth, spreading the pâté in ramekins and topping it with a layer of chicken fat.

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Chicken Liver Pâté with Pistachios

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Marcia Kiesel's buttery, earthy pâté can be spread on crostini, stuffed into Cognac-poached prunes, or even shaped into small balls and deep-fried with sage leaves.

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Fried Chicken Liver, Bacon and Tomato Salad with Ranch Dressing

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This carnivore's salad is filled with bold ingredients like bacon and pickled onion, but the star ingredient is chicken livers. Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo soak the livers in buttermilk and coat them in flour, then repeat the process for extra-crispy results. "I'm into livers of all kinds now," says Dotolo, "especially duck and lamb."

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Fresh Fettuccine with Chicken-Liver Sauce

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Using chicken livers to make pasta sauce is a great idea. Adding a little sherry to the sauce deepens the rich flavor.

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Parmesan-Polenta-Coated Chicken Livers with Lentil Salad

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Lovers of chicken livers will find this dish a treat, and we think even those who are skeptical will fall for these morsels with their crisp coating and subtle cheese flavor.

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Mixed Grill with Chimichurri Sauces and Roasted Peppers

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In Argentina, a mixed grill is called a parrillada (parrilla means "grill" in Spanish). The dish is served in a rustic style, with whole pieces of meat like chicken hearts and sausage brought to the table. Michelle Bernstein prefers to grill skewers of meat for a more elegant presentation; here she uses chicken livers instead of hearts.

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Chicken Livers with Caramelized Onions and Madeira

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Rich-tasting caramelized onions combined with Madeira make a spectacular sauce for chicken livers. Serve with rice or over toast so you won't miss a single drop.

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Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breasts

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This hearty bacon-wrapped chicken would be delicious with a rich, minerally white; Gramercy Tavern beverage director Juliette Pope suggests an Austrian Grüner Veltliner.

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Chicken-Liver Mousse with Pickled Red Onion

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A good recipe for chicken-liver mousse is critical, says Shawn McClain, "because when a recipe's bad, it's really bad." His version is supremely silky and light, with a lovely hint of apple from Calvados. He serves the mousse with pickled red onion and toasted baguette slices alongside, so guests can assemble their own crostini.

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Sausage, Bread and Chicken Liver Spiedini

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Spiedini are pieces of meat and other foods grilled on skewers. "Sausages and chicken livers are staples of Tuscan cuisine," says Rolando Beramendi.

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Chicken Liver Paris-Brests 
with Black Honey Glaze


Credit: Greg DuPree
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This magnificent dish from chef Jamie Malone of Minneapolis’ Grand Cafe easily took the award for our Dish of the Year. Her brilliant interpretation of the classic Paris-Brest (a filled ring of choux pastry) uses a savory chicken-liver mousse instead of the traditional whipped cream. A burnt honey glaze and shower of flaky Maldon salt balances the richness and makes the dish outrageously delicious.

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