Before you run away screaming, hear me out. I know, it’s chicken livers. They are crispy and spiced but, still, liver. There are some people who genuinely enjoy them, but I think it’s fair to say the majority of us just are not instant fans.
I know for me, I grew up around liver-loving people. Fried liver and onions, chopped liver, pate – they ate all of it, frequently, and loved it. I tasted and tasted but could just never acquire a taste for liver in any shape or form. Truthfully, it just grossed me out.
As we have gotten more and more into a real foods lifestyle, I can’t keep from hearing how nutrient-dense and amazing pastured chicken liver is for you. After hearing this mantra over and over for a year, I decided I was going to find a way to eat these things occasionally.
I experimented and tried a lot of recipes. I pureed livers into burgers (um, yeah, I don’t advise doing that!), made Pates and even tried my mom’s famous Chopped Liver with a new attitude and open mind. None of it really worked for me.
One day a couple of months ago, I was making my Paleo Oven Fried Chicken for dinner and as I was breading the chicken, it crossed my mind that this crispy, spiced crust might not only work on the chicken livers but make them tasty enough that even I would eat them once a month or so.
After playing around with the spice ratios and trying oven-baking vs. pan-frying, I developed this Crispy Spiced Chicken Livers recipe. I like to serve them hot with a side of Lemon Garlic Two-Ingredient Aioli for dipping.
If you are already a liver lover and haven’t had a crispy, spiced liver, I think you will love them. If you are in my camp and looking for a way to not only eat more livers but also ENJOY them, I am hoping you will at least give them a try!
NOTES:
- I used a combination of almond meal (ground raw almonds with their skins on) and blanched almond flour (finely ground blanched and skinless almonds). You can make your own almond meal if you have raw almonds and a food processor.
- Bob’s Red Mill sells “Almond Meal/Flour“, which is actually blanched almond flour. They also just released a new product called “Natural Almond Meal/Flour“, which is almond meal. Confusing right?
- I have reheated these and do they OK but are best when first cooked. I don’t suggest a microwave (the crust will get soggy) but rather a non-stick frying pan or a frying pan over medium heat with a bit of oil or butter in it to heat through and crisp them back up.
- Some people swear by soaking chicken livers in buttermilk to clean them. I tried that but with coconut milk mixed with apple cider vinegar (aka vegan buttermilk) and I didn’t notice any difference for this dish. It just added an additional step and wasted ingredients.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Crispy Spiced Chicken Livers. Paleo. Gluten Free. Offal Recipe.
- 1 pound pastured chicken livers trimmed and patted dry
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil
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Begin by trimming the chicken livers (strings) and cutting them into evenly sized pieces (2 to 3" long). Pat dry with paper towels and set aside in a glass bowl. Beat egg and pour over chicken livers. Gently mix until well distributed.
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Combine almond flour, almond meal and spices in a shallow dish that will be used for dredging. use a fork to mix until all spices are incorporated and all lumps are gone from the flour.
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Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil (I used 3 Tablespoons total as I divided the 1 pound of chicken livers into 3 batches and used 1 Tablespoon of oil per batch.).
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Using your hands, dredge 1/3 of the chicken livers in the flour mixture until well coated and gently place one by one in the frying pan so that they are not crowded.[img src="http://www.everydaymaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/IMG_0486-533x400.jpg" alt="" width="533" height="400" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-11773"][img src="http://www.everydaymaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/IMG_0488-533x400.jpg" alt="" width="533" height="400" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-11774"]
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Cook, undisturbed, for 4 to 5 minutes. Gently flip and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes on the other side. Try not to keep moving them around so you don't disturb the crust. Remove to a wire rack to cool and continue repeat until all of the livers are cooked.
TIPS: These cooking times are for the size I mentioned (2 to 3" long). If your livers are much larger or very thick, adjust the cooking time accordingly. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Thelma says
I tried this wonderful recipe and baked them at 350 deg. for about 45 minutes. Loved the spices in the mix!!!
EverydayMaven says
Fantastic – so glad you loved them!
Shelly says
If you have a burner on your outdoor gas grill try that to avoid the pops. I did and it was perfect.
EverydayMaven says
That is such a GREAT idea!!
Sandra says
I LOVE chicken livers, our 11 yr old girl likes them (we both LOVE chicken hearts too), but hubby hates liver. I have made fried livers before with crispy outsides (various nonwheat breadings and no egg) but my question is this – how in the world do you deal with the spattering and popping from the hot-enough iron skillet? This might sound weird to ask, but I was splattered several times the last time I cooked them over a month ago (including on my face and upper chest) and a small burn on my forearm has only recently healed completely. 🙁 I have a mesh cooking screen with a handle, but I can’t figure out how to protect myself while putting the livers in the skillet and then when I turn them later.
EverydayMaven says
Oh my gosh Sandra! That sounds pretty horrible. I also use a splat screen. Like this one — Splatter Screen. Then you can turn the heat down to low just to flip them and return to the higher cooking heat once you put the screen back on. Hope that helps!
Julie Weems says
If you take a fork and poke holes in the chicken livers while raw they won’t pop and splatter. I learned this year’s ago from my mother in law. It really works. Poke lots of holes!
EverydayMaven says
Great tip!
Susan says
I just made these and was pleasantly surprised. I will admit that I was absolutely terrified to try these. I ate live once…beef liver…and it tastes like the devil himself. These however were like eating very rich chicken thighs. I am still working on the mind game of eating liver, but if someone served these to me and told me they were chicken thighs, I wouldn’t hesitate. I made this garlic lemon aioli. http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2012/11/rosemary-sweet-potato-wedges-with-skinny-garlic-aoli/
So basically if you are scared to eat liver, make these. They are not disgusting and are so healthy. Your body will thank you.
EverydayMaven says
Oh my gosh Susan – yes, beef liver is tough! So glad you liked this recipe and the aioli sounds awesome!
Peg says
I’m planing to make them. What sauce did you use with them?
EverydayMaven says
I like to serve them with this Lemon Garlic Aioli! http://www.everydaymaven.com/2014/how-to-make-aioli-with-tessemaes/
SF_Treat says
Seems like this has been a popular recipe this week! To anyone who thinks they will take too long to make and will be messy, neither of those assumptions are true. I knocked them out in about ten minutes (and ate them in about two). Also, for those on AIP, I dredged some in just the almond mixtures (no eggs) and you couldn’t tell one type from the other. Just make sure the really press the livers into the mixture. The aioli was excellent, but it does contain eggs.
EverydayMaven says
Great to know about omitting the eggs! Glad you liked it and thanks for commenting 🙂
Deborah Franklin says
Could I just use non-dairy milk instead of eggs?
EverydayMaven says
Sure Deborah but the coating may not stick as well to the livers.
Heather Longoria says
I made these today, and they are so awesome!! I couldn’t stop eating them. I subbed out 1/2 a cup of tapioca starch for the blanched almond meal, and I fried them in tallow. AMAZING! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
EverydayMaven says
So glad you loved them Heather! Seriously, pretty much the only way I can eat liver and enjoy it. Thanks for commenting to let me know 🙂
Bonnie says
Could these ever turn out without eggs? We can’t have eggs in our AIP diet, but this sounds wonderful!