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Learn how to cook beef liver with onions perfectly every time with my tried and true recipe. The liver is always soft, tender, and packed with flavor.
Love unique beef recipes as much as we do? Try my beef shanks, garlic butter steak bites, and New York steak next.
Table of Contents
Organ meat often gets a bad rap for being too intense and metallic. But it tastes fantastic when cooked with the right combination of flavors.
Inspired by my chicken livers recipe, this beef version is just as delicious and so simple. It’s one of my favorite ways to get my family to enjoy this protein superfood.
Why I love this recipe
- Mild flavors. Some beef liver recipes can be a little bit bland, but this recipe is delicious, subtle, and mildly earthy.
- Quick and easy. My dish is very quick to cook. Once the liver is soaked in the flavor boosters, it typically takes me less than a minute to cook.
- It is super healthy. Owing to its nutrient-dense and low-calorie nature, beef liver is packed with health benefits. It is rich in iron, minerals, copper, vitamin A and B vitamins, making it an extremely healthy addition to your diet (source).
- Easy to customize. I like to keep it classic with just onions, but you can add other veggies too. Mushrooms, bell peppers, or tomatoes are all fabulous flavor boosters.
Key Ingredients
- Grass-fed beef liver. I have used fresh slices of beef liver, but you can also use frozen liver. Thaw the meat entirely before soaking it in buttermilk if needed. I prefer to get my livers from butcher shops, but most grocery stores stock them, too.
- Buttermilk. Buttermilk helps to dial down the intense liver flavor. Feel free to substitute buttermilk with regular or dairy-free milk. If you struggle to find buttermilk in a store, DIY at home by adding a teaspoon or two to a cup of 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 and natural smokey flavor.
- 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 to keep the meaty juices intact.
- Butter. Butter helps to mask the beef liver flavor by adding richness to this recipe.
How to cook beef liver
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tenderize the liver. Soak beef liver in buttermilk and refrigerate for 10 minutes or up to an hour.
Season. Drain the beef liver, pat dry, and season with pepper, paprika, and salt on both sides.
Pan fry. Coat the liver in flour, shake off the excess, and pan-fry them in a large skillet with in melted butter for 3 minutes per side, until they change color.
Cook the onions. Remove the cooked liver pieces from the pan, throw sliced onions and minced garlic, and sauté in oil until tender.
Assemble. 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!
What to serve with this
As the livers can be a protein source for your lunch or dinner, build your sides around i. Some healthy ideas include a cauliflower potato salad, sauteed potatoes, cauliflower mashed potatoes, and air fryer frozen green beans.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Usr 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.
- You’ll know the beef livers are fully cooked once they reach an internal temperature of 145F. Use a meat thermometer to double check.
- Add bacon. Since the liver is a leaner cut of meat, you can add bacon to infuse a rich, savory flavor while cooking it.
- Add flavor boosters. 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.
Frequently asked questions
No, I wouldn’t recommend skipping this step. Soaking beef liver in milk or buttermilk draws out the metallic-tasting blood impurities, tenderizes the meat, and neutralizes the acidity and bitterness of the liver.
How To Cook Beef Liver
Video
Ingredients
- 21 ounces beef liver
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion sliced into strips
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Soak the beef liver in the buttermilk and let it rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or up to an hour.
- Discard the buttermilk and pat dry the beef livers with paper towels.
- Season on both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika, and dredge in flour. Shake off any excess.
- In a frying pan, melt the butter and cook the livers for 3 minutes on each side until they change color. Remove them from the pan once cooked.
- Add oil to the pan, along with the onions. Cook until they become tender with occasional stirring.
- Bring back the liver to the pan and cook together for another minute.
First time cooking and eating beef liver for dinner. I was pleasantly surprised that my husband and three young sons liked it. I added bacon and bell pepper as mentioned in the recipe. I’ll use this recipe again if I make it. Thank you!
I enjoy this recipe because it very simple and nutritious
Thanks, Candace!
Worked great. I didn’t follow the steps perfectly but it still turned out great. Next time I’m going to try it with bacon.
Beef liver is one of my favourite meats really. I want to make it soon.
Excellent recipe My husband I ate Arby’s liver within 24 hours that how good this recipe was
Add a little nutmeg. Nutmeg works so well with nearly all red meat recipe
Would Goat Milk work as a substitute for soaking? I dont do well with cows milk.
Absolutely!
I’d like to try this again. It was my bad, I overcooked the beef liver. The recipe was easy to understand, well written, and I simply had it on the pan too long. Even overcooked, the flavor was delicious and I went for seconds. Was really excited about velvety texture and ended up having to cut into the pieces. Luckily, I live near a good farm that I can easily get more and try again next time. Thanks for the recipe and all others on your site I’ve had success with over the years. Looking back the only thing I noticed off was the recipe ingredients call for garlic but then it’s nowhere in the directions. I usually use quadruple garlic called for, but with all the other steps I got lazy and didn’t mince garlic. I think everything is better with garlic, but this wasn’t lacking in flavor for missing it.
My sister would marinate the liver in red wine and BBQ. Delish!
Oh great idea!
I can’t wait to try this. My dad made the best liver. But he blanched it before flouring and frying. (All the scum that comes on top of water is the impurities that give it the metallic taste, like your buttermilk.) He also said to have the butcher cut the slices no more than 1/4” thick. And always cooked it in bacon grease…liver, onions and bacon with buttery mash potatoes. Great dish!
I’m sure this one is easier, but still putting bacon in it I think.