I know that not everybody likes chicken livers. Have you ever tried them, or is just the thought of eating livers turning you off? Oh, I wish I could change your mind. Chicken livers are absolutely delicious. Easy and quick to cook and when done right a very tender meat.
A few things you need to know about chicken livers:
- Fresh chicken livers have a deep dark pink color and are shiny. Old chicken livers may look grey and brown.
- Chicken livers are NOT smelly – They ‘smell’ the same as any fresh meat. Kidneys may be one of the organ meats that is the exception.
- Chicken livers are NOT bad for you. Chicken livers are high in protein, iron, vitamin A, folate, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and B12. They are high in fat and cholesterol, so they should be eaten in limited amount and it is best for people at risk for heart disease to avoid eating liver.
- Chicken livers are NOT expensive. On the contrary, chicken livers are relatively cheap.
- Chicken livers do NOT taste horrible (that what some people say), but they don’t. When cooked well, they are moist and delicate.
Key Ingredient in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Chicken livers
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Onion
- English cucumber
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Basil
This Chicken Livers with Cucumber Ribbons recipe is a basic one. From here you can start diversifying. In the future I will make one of more recipes with chicken livers that will involve more ingredients.
How to Cook The Chicken Livers
- Step 1. Rinse and trim the livers
Place the chicken livers in a bowl and fill it with cold water. Leave them in the cold water for about 15 minutes, then drain. The soaking allows any blood or other fluids to be cleaned off the liver.
Trim all the membranes and connective tissue off the chicken livers. You may also find some coagulated blood or blood vessels; cut those away as well. I always use a pair of kitchen scissors. Then dry the chicken livers with a paper towel.
You can see on the left hand side the chicken livers with connective tissue and some blood vessels and on the right hand side the cleaned ones.
Step 2 – Season and coat the chicken livers.
As said earlier, this is a basic recipe, so only season with salt and pepper. Then lightly coat the chicken livers with flour. You can also use cornmeal or breadcrumbs or you can even do without a coating. I prefer flour because it keeps the moisture inside the liver, without adding a heavy coat.
Step 3 – Saute onions and chicken livers. Start with sauteing the onions, by heating butter in a skillet on medium high heat and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute the onions and cook them until crispy.
In a separate skillet cook the chicken livers on medium high heat. Turn the livers after about 2-3 minutes and cook another 2-3 minutes. They should be brown and crisp on the outside and still slightly pink on the inside. Keep an eye on the onions, you don’t want to burn them. Remove the livers and the onions from pan.
- If you want to cook the onions and chicken livers in one skillet, start sweating the onions until they start to color. Move the onions to one side of the skillet, add another tablespoon of butter and transfer the chicken livers into the empty part of the skillet.
- You can serve the chicken livers with almost anything. Like mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, vegetables, a salad or cucumber ribbons
How to Make the Cucumber Ribbons
- All you need is a vegetable peeler. Peel the cucumber, but leave some of the green skin on. This will give a nice color effect. Then cut ribbons with the same vegetable peeler, a cheese slicer or a mandolin. I like to keep the seeds in the cucumber as it gives some extra ‘freshness’ to the salad.
- Soak the ribbons in a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and and basil. Serve these ribbons as well as the caramelized onion with the chicken livers.
Chicken Livers with Cucumber Ribbons
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 4 ounces chicken livers
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- basil, finely chopped
Instructions
- Start by making the cucumber ribbons. Peel the cucumber, but leave some of the skin on the cucumber. This will have a nice effect in the salad. Use a vegetable peeler, a cheese slicer or a mandolin to cut thin slices lengthwise of the cucumber (the ribbons). Transfer these ribbons to a bowl with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and basil.
- Place the chicken livers in a bowl and fill it with cold water. Soak them in the cold water for about 15 minutes, then drain. The soaking allows any blood or other fluids to be cleaned off the livers.
- Clean the onion and slice it thinly.
- Trim all the membranes and connective tissue off the chicken livers. You may also find some coagulated blood or blood vessels; cut that away as well. I always us a pair of kitchen scissors. Then dry the chicken livers with a paper towel.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet on medium heat and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Sweat the onions and cook them until they start to color.
- Season the livers with salt and pepper and sprinkle them with flour, so they are evenly and thinly coated.
- Move the onions to one side of the skillet, add another tablespoon of butter and transfer the chicken livers into the empty part of the skillet. (NOTE 1)
- Increase the heat a little and cook the chicken livers quickly, turning them until brown and crisp on both sides but still pink on inside, about 4-5 minutes total. Keep an eye on the onions, you don’t want to burn them. Remove the livers and the onions from pan.
- Serve the chicken livers with the onions and the cucumber ribbons. Sprinkle basil over the cucumber.
Notes
- If you want to cook the onion and chicken liver in separate skillets, you may cut a few minutes of the cooking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do I NEED to use the flour?
I eat a low carbohydrate diet and need to omit flour…
Hi Monika;
No you don’t have to use flour, you can bake them without, or you could try coconut flour. If you bake them without any ‘coating’, just keep an eye on them while you bake, you don’t want to burn them before they are done.