Beef Liver Recipe – thebigmansworld.com

This simple recipe features perfectly cooked beef liver with soft, caramelized onions. Pan-seared with butter, the beef liver is soft, tender, and flavorful.

Why you’ll love this beef liver recipe

Beef is a versatile protein and tastes incredible in all shapes, sizes, cuts, and organs! I love some beef shank and short ribs as much as I love pretty much any cut of steak.

Livers often get a bad rap for being too intense and metallic. But they taste fantastic when cooked with love, care, and complementary flavors. 

If you like my chicken liver recipe, I am confident this recipe will convert you into a liver lover!

• Mild flavors. Some beef liver recipes can be a little bit bland, but this recipe is delicious, subtle, and mildly earthy.
• Quick and easy. This recipe is very quick to cook. Once you finish soaking the liver, you’ll need only minutes to pan-sear it.
• It is super healthy. Owing to its nutrient-dense and low-calorie nature, beef liver is considered a superfood. It is rich in iron, vitamins A and B complex, and proteins, making it an extremely healthy addition to your diet.
• Easy to customize. I like how easy it is to customize this dish. Keep it classic with just onions, or cook it with as many veggies as you like. Mushrooms, bell peppers, or tomatoes go well with the old-fashioned garlic and onions combination. 

Ingredients Needed

• Beef liver. I have used freshly sliced beef liver for this recipe, but you can also use frozen beef. Thaw the meat entirely before soaking it in buttermilk if using frozen beef.  
• Buttermilk. Buttermilk helps to dial down the intense liver flavor. Feel free to substitute buttermilk with regular or dairy-free milk.

• Olive oil. I like using olive oil for pan frying, but you can use any neutral oil for this recipe.
• Salt and ground black pepper. To season.
• Paprika. It adds a lovely hint of heat.
• Garlic and onion. We’ll use powerful aromatics like minced garlic and sliced onion to complement the intense beef liver flavor.
• Flour. To lightly bread the beef liver.
• Butter. Butter helps to mask the beef liver flavor by adding richness to this recipe.

How to cook beef liver

1. Tenderize the liver. Soak beef liver in buttermilk and refrigerate for 10 minutes or up to an hour.

2. Season the beef. Drain the beef liver, pat dry, and season with pepper, paprika, and salt on both sides.

3. Pan fry the beef liver. Coat the liver in flour, shake off the excess, and pan-fry them in melted butter, 3 minutes per side, until they change color.

4. Cook the onions. Remove the cooked liver pieces from the pan, throw sliced onions and minced garlic, and sauté in oil until tender.

5. Serve hot. Place the liver back in the pan and cook with the aromatics for a few minutes. Remove from the heat, garnish with freshly chopped parsley, and serve warm!

Flavor and recipe variations

• Make it gluten-free. Substitute wheat flour with a gluten-free substitute like gram, rice, or cornflour.
• Add bacon. Since the liver is a leaner cut of meat, you can add bacon to infuse a rich, savory flavor while cooking it.
• Change the flavor profile. Use herbs like thyme and rosemary with garlic, pepper, and olive oil to make it more fragrant. You could also complement beef’s strong flavor with Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and balsamico.    
• Use a different cooking method. While pan searing works the best, you can also grill, broil, or fry the liver for a texture and flavor variation.

What to serve with beef livers?

Finding the right partners for your dishes is as important as cooking them right! Here are a few serving ideas.

• Potatoes. Nothing is more satisfying than pairing this hearty dish with potatoes in all forms- mashed, fried, steamed, or sauteed.
• Roasted vegetables. Grab a sheet pan and add a bunch of root vegetables (try pumpkin, carrots, and beets!) and bake them as you fry up the liver.
• Carbs. When craving starchy food, my go-to accompaniments are some simple steamed rice or couscous or a thick slice of crusty sourdough bread.

• Non-stick pan. Sauté, pan-fry or shallow-fry like a pro using this versatile pan.
• Spatula. I prefer using a spatula to turn the beef livers as they can be fragile, but tongs also work.

Storage instructions

To store. Refrigerate the leftover beef liver in a sealed container and consume it within 2-3 days.   

To freeze. Although I don’t prefer freezing beef, you can freeze the beef liver in a ziplock bag and use it within 2-3 months.

To reheat. I recommend reheating beef liver in the oven until it’s warmed up. Sprinkle broth or brush with water to lock in the moisture. Avoid heating beef livers in the microwave. 

Recipe tips and tricks

• Do not overcook the meat. Like any other beef recipe, overcooking will make your beef liver chewy and tough. It cooks quickly, so don’t leave it unattended. 
• Select a fresh beef liver. Look for a deep red, brownish, or purplish-colored liver with a firm texture. Do not buy it if it has a foul odor or appears discolored.
• Use calf liver. Ease into the liver diet by starting with calf liver instead of mature cow. The calf’s liver is way tender and mild compared to an adult cow.

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