Beef Liver and Onions
Beef Liver and Onions – easy, tender and flavorful nutrient-packed dish that is brimming with seasonings and aromatics. A great alternative to the usual chicken or fish weeknight meal.
Eating internal organs even from grass-fed animals doesn’t seem to turn on a lot of people. But for a few of us, these often-neglected organs are treasures – protein-rich meat.
In fact, beef liver is nutritious too! Aside from protein, it’s packed with nutrients like iron and zinc (essential for a healthy immune system), Vitamin A, B6 (regulates mood and sleep cycles) and B12 (essential for a healthy nerves and red blood cells).
I just want you to take a second look at his humble protein. Let’s talk about this, shall we.
This version below is made with onions and topped with bacon – optional.
And here is the one I grew up eating. Liver with onions and tomatoes.
I know you’ve heard that beef liver is slightly bitter and tough. But with a few tips and a handful of seasonings, this Beef Liver and Onions will become one of your family’s favorite.
What’s the trick?
Don’t over cook the liver. The longer you cooker, the tougher it gets. Also, soak the beef liver in buttermilk and refrigerate at least 2 hours before cooking it. This trick will remove much of the bitter taste from the meat. It’s just optional, you don’t have to soak in buttermilk. Personally, I like the gamey flavor of the liver. I guess you could say it’s an acquired taste.
The next time you shop for meat, add a pound or two of beef liver and whip up this easy, tasty, healthy Beef Liver and Onions.
For a perfect meal experience, serve it with rice or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Tips and Notes:
- Soak the liver in buttermilk and refrigerating it at least 2 hours before cooking tenderizes the liver and eliminate the gamey and bitter taste.
- The acidity from the buttermilk improves the liver’s texture and taste. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you may place the liver cuts in a medium bowl, barely covered with water and add the juice of a lemon or a tablespoon or two of vinegar. Drain and pat dry after soaking for at least 2 hours.
- You may also sub oil with melted butter when frying it for a buttery touch on the meat or go with bacon fat.
- Do not overcook the liver or it’ll toughen up like a shoe leather. Cook it until it has a hint of pink left on the inside.
Beef Liver and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 1/2 pounds (450-700grams) liver
- 2-4 cups Buttermilk (enough to cover the liver)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Creole salt-free seasoning
Seasoned Flour
- ¾ cup (96grams) flour (96grams)
- 1 teaspoon powdered onion
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Caramelized Onions
- 1-2 large onions ,sliced
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme
- 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1-2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 1-2 tomatoes ,diced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- oil for browning
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
Beef Liver and Onions
- Mix together flour paprika, onion and garlic powder, onions and pepper. Set aside
- Add beef liver in a medium bowl, followed by buttermilk – add enough to cover liver. Let it sit in the fridge for about 2 hours or more. This helps tenderize liver and also eliminates gamey taste and bitterness. (Optional: Remove from bowl and proceed with following steps.)
- Season liver with salt and creole seasoning. Then dredge liver in flour. Shake off any excess flour. Set aside.
- Add oil to skillet or cast iron. Then pan-fry liver until brown – about 3 -minutes each side. Do not overcook or it will toughen the liver. Remove and set aside. Remove any burns before adding oil /and or butter.
- Add more oil (about 3 Tablespoons), followed by onions and thyme - saute for about 10 -15 minutes. Throw in garlic, and creole seasoning stir for about 5 minutes. Remove and serve with liver.
Beef Liver with Onions and Tomatoes
- Season liver with salt and creole seasoning. Then dredge liver in flour. Shake off any excess flour. Set aside.
- Add oil to a fry pan or cast iron. Then pan-fry liver until brown – about 3 -minutes each side. Do not over cook or it will toughen the liver. Remove and set aside.
- Add more oil (about 3 Tablespoons), followed by onions and thyme- saute for about 3-5 minutes. Throw in garlic, stir for about a minute. Then add tomatoes. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, add about ½ cup chicken broth if necessary. Return Liver to pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes .
- Adjust for seasoning and salt. Serve with rice.
Nutrition Information:
How to Cook Beef Liver
Beef Liver and Onions
Mix together flour, paprika, onion and garlic powder, onions and pepper. Set aside. Next, add beef liver in a medium bowl followed by buttermilk – add enough to cover liver. Let it sit in the fridge for about 2 hours or more.
Note: This helps tenderize liver and also eliminates gamey taste and bitterness. (Optional: Remove from bowl and proceed with the following steps.)
Season liver with salt and creole seasoning. (Check the link for the recipe.)
Then dredge liver in seasoned flour. Shake off any excess flour. Set aside.
Add oil to skillet or cast iron. Then pan-fry liver until brown – about 3 -minutes each side. Remove and set aside . Remove any burns before adding oil /and or butter
Note: Do not overcook or it will toughen the liver.
Add more oil (about 3 Tablespoons).
Followed by onions and thyme- saute for about 10 -15 minutes. Throw in garlic, and creole seasoning and stir for about 5 minutes. Remove and serve with liver.
Beef Liver with Onions and Tomatoes
Season liver with salt and creole seasoning and then dredge liver in flour. Shake off any excess flour. Set aside.
Add oil to skillet or cast iron. Then pan-fry liver until brown – about 3 -minutes each side. Remove and set aside . Remove any burns before adding oil /and or butter.
Note: Do not overcook or it will toughen the liver.
Add more oil (about 3 Tablespoons), followed by onions and thyme- saute for about 3-5 minutes. Throw in garlic, stir for about a minute. Then add tomatoes.
Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, add about ½ cup chicken broth, if necessary. Return liver to pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Adjust for seasoning and salt. Serve with rice
I love everything spicy and African food is in my top 5 essentials of life, so when I ran across this recipe it was a must for the hubs and I. Let me tell you that we were not disappointed, in fact it was even better than I imagined. Thank you so much for this recipe and I look forward to trying more of your meals.
Awesome!! Thanks for stopping by, Tonya!
Had a try at this recipe today, it was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making it again!
Awesome! So happy it turned out well for you, Mallory. And thanks for letting me know.
Soaking in buttermilk is a good tip, I’ll see if I can get some this weekend and I’ll give it a try
It sure is . Do let me know how it works out for you.
Thank you for this recipe .
I tried it and it was very delicious . I soaked the liver in buttermilk ( it was a great idea)!
So happy it did turn out well for you, Justine. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Liver, Bacon and Onions, OH YES ! With a great dollop of mashed potatoes with peas and gravy MMMMMMM..We had this loads of times when I was a kid in England, no fancy cut veg or piled up looking like a piece of sculpture, just straight up wonderful dinner.The same goes for other “innards”, Heart and Kidney..
Great Goddess, does this bring back the memories…
There was a saying when I was growing up and learning to cook – ‘Save all bacon grease – you will be instructed in its use later’.
My Mom’s liver and onions were the fruit of that philosophy… she’d take calves liver sliced to a quarter or three eighths of an inch thick, dip it in buttermilk, dredge it in flour seasoned with garlic, pepper and salt, and then fry it in that bacon grease until it was melt in your mouth tender. The onions she’d fry in more bacon grease and the drippings from the liver.
We never had tomatoes with ours, but I could eat that liver by the kilogram – it was SOOOO GOOD. I can feel my arteries hardening just at the memory.
This looks lovely, Imma – thank you for that blast from the past. I shall have to try that trick of actually soaking the liver this week.
My mom used to serve bacon, liver n onions. She crisped the bacon n used the fat to cook the liver n onions YUM
Yes it is.