Rich, savory chopped liver is a traditional Jewish dish that brings back fond food memories for many families. My recipe for chopped chicken livers is made the old-fashioned way with lots of love and lots of schmaltz. It’s the perfect deli-style treat for Passover, Rosh Hashanah, or just because.
The history of chopped liver goes back to Medieval Germany, where Ashkenazi Jews bred and raised geese as the poultry of choice. The first Jewish chopped liver recipes were actually made from goose liver. Eventually Eastern European Jews began using chicken and beef livers; these recipes came across the ocean with immigrants to Ellis Island in the late 1800′s.
Delis on the East Coast of the U.S. have a heritage that is closely tied to those early Eastern European Jewish immigrants. To this day, you can still order chopped liver in any New York Jewish deli (any deli worth visiting, that is!).
Today, chopped liver is often served as an appetizer for Jewish holiday gatherings. I first learned to make it during Passover about a decade ago. Since that time, I have adopted lots of “tricks of the trade” from various families who have shared their recipes with me.
My chopped liver recipe uses schmaltz and gribenes in the mix. Schmaltz, aka rendered chicken fat, is the most traditional oil for chopped liver. You can use another cooking oil if you prefer, but in my (humble) opinion schmaltz is the only way to go.
Gribenes are the crispy cracklings created when you render schmaltz. They’re often referred to as “Jewish bacon.” I add gribenes to my chopped liver for extra flavor, a tip I picked up from a family friend. Gribenes are optional. The schmaltz, however, is a must if you want a truly authentic flavor.
Schmaltz and Gribenes
If you keep kosher, you will need to kosher the chicken livers prior to preparing them. For instructions on how to kosher liver, consult your Rabbi, or check with one of the leading kosher authorities. Star-K provides instructions here: How to Kosher Liver
I’m not gonna lie—this recipe is full of fat and cholesterol. You might want to have your cardiologist on speed dial before enjoying.
Seriously, though– chopped liver actually contains some vital nutrients including iron, Vitamins A and B12, Folate, and others. Also, there is a changing view of dietary cholesterol in the scientific community. It is now becoming more clear that cholesterol in food has little affect on the cholesterol level in our bodies.
Bottom line – whenever I make chopped liver, I do it with schmaltz, and I make no apologies. Some Jewish dishes are meant to be enjoyed the old fashioned way, if sparingly. Everything in moderation, including moderation!
Note: For those who have been using this recipe for years (I know there are quite a few of you!), if you’re wondering why things look different, it’s because I have recently updated the post with new pictures and clearer step-by-step photos.
I have also refined the technique a bit by adding a second sliced onion, and taking the time to ensure that both of the onions are fully caramelized – a long process, but worth it for the end result. You can use even more onions if you prefer a sweeter flavor.
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Chopped Liver
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken livers
- 1/4 cup schmaltz, divided (see note below)
- 2 large onions, sliced (for a sweeter chopped liver, use up to 4 onions)
- 5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced (divided)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup gribenes (optional - see note below)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare schmaltz and gribenes ahead of time, or purchase schmaltz from your local kosher market. Goose fat or duck fat can be used in place of schmaltz if desired. Prepare the livers by cutting off any tough pieces or stringy tendons. You should also cut away any pieces of liver that look discolored, yellow or strange. This is pretty much the worst prep job ever, as uncooked liver has a soft and slimy texture, so make sure this step is done by someone with a strong stomach.
- Add 2 tbsp schmaltz or oil into a large cast iron or nonstick skillet and melt over medium heat. Put half of the chicken livers into the skillet and fry them for 3 minutes on each side (about 6 minutes total). Season the livers generously with salt and pepper as they are cooking. *Note: If you plan to kosher your chicken livers by broiling them prior to making chopped liver, you will only need to sauté them in the skillet for about 1 minute on each side. Koshering the livers cooks them, so there is no need to sauté them for a long period of time. Be careful not to overcook or burn the livers, or they will become dry.
- After cooking, livers should be firm and browned on the outside while slightly pink on the inside. They will continue to cook internally after you remove them from the skillet; don’t overcook them, or they will turn dry. When the livers are brown and firm, pour them into a medium-size mixing bowl along with the leftover schmaltz/oil from the pan. Add another 2 tbsp of schmaltz/oil to the skillet, melt it, and fry the remaining livers repeating the same process as above. Add the livers and leftover schmaltz/oil from the pan to the mixing bowl.
- The skillet should now be seasoned with schmaltz or oil, so you don't need to grease the pan again. Add the onion slices to the skillet and reduce heat to medium low.Cover the skillet and let the onion cook undisturbed over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Check once or twice during cooking just to make sure they are not over-browning or starting to burn. The onions should be softening, but not darkening at this point. This "steaming" process kick-starts the caramelization needed for sweetness in the chopped livers.
- Uncover the skillet, stir the onions, and continue to sauté them for another 30-40 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to keep the onions from burning. Ideally the onions should be deeply caramelized, tender and sweet - this is what gives Jewish chopped liver its trademark savory-sweetness.Don't try to speed up the caramelization process, it takes time-- and that's ok. Good things are worth waiting for. When the onions have reduced to about 1/3 of their original size and are soft, sweet, and golden, they're ready.
- Add the cooked onions to the mixing bowl along with 4 of the diced hard boiled eggs and the ½ cup of gribenes (optional). Season all ingredients generously with salt and pepper.
- Now it's time to chop all of the ingredients together into a blended mix. There are various schools of thought on the "right" way to chop liver. The old fashioned way is to chop it by hand with a knife, mincing and mincing until it resembles a rough pâté.
- Another popular method is using a meat grinder. I use a meat grinding attachment on my Kitchen Aid mixer on the fine hole setting. Works like a charm.If you want to take a more modern approach, fit your food processor with a metal blade. Place all ingredients into the processor and pulse for about 30 seconds, stirring once halfway through processing, until a roughly textured paste forms.
- Whatever method you choose, it's important to taste the chopped liver once it is ground. Add salt or pepper to taste, if desired. Be a bit generous with the seasoning, as the liver is best served chilled and the seasoning won't taste as strong after chilling.
- Chill the chopped liver in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with remaining diced hardboiled egg and minced parsley.
NOTES
Nutrition
As a widower I have reentered the social scene. I place a high value on ladies who do chopped liver like my bubbe used to make. Your recipe is right on! Zeit gezundt!
Thanks Dave! 🙂
Hello, i add csat (a little) ground cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg to my chopped liver. You may want to try this also. Thanks and ciao, Taylor
P.S. i also chop my liver by hand
this chopped chicken liver recipe is banging, seriously, the best I’ve had, maybe that’s because I made it, but I just followed this recipe (and the one for schmaltz and gribenes) and I am golden, I wanna share this chopped liver with everyone. I made brioche to put this on, not kosher, I know, but so good. Thanks Shiksa.
Oh yeah, Tori…this is the real thing…thanks for sharing…my grandmothers are both “kvelling” from above!!!
And now for the best part of this story: according to the latest nutritional experts (MD/PhDs), this wonderful food actually IS healthy for you. If you must replace the chicken fat with oil, use extra virgin olive oil- do not use canola or corn or any other kind as the omega-3/omega-6 ratios in them are very unhealthy. The high incidence of heart disease found today is due to the use of vegetable oils, white sugar, and white flour. Think about it- since the government and margarine companies have been telling us to switch to a low fat diet, the incidence of heart disease has continued to climb! Why? Because the vegetable oils they have brainwashed us into using are actually worse for us. Organic, free-range chickens (and their livers) are healthy sources of complete proteins. Make a batch, invite family or friends over, and enjoy this wonderful food that your grandmothers used to make. (and for what it’s worth, my mother and grandmother hand-chopped!)
This recipe is very similar to the recipe my in husband’s family. Bubbe used to make chopped liver for every possible occasion, and while my husband was not raised Jewish, much of his maternal side is. Prior to marrying, I had little to no exposure to Jewish cooking and yet I now prepare the chopped liver for the holidays! I was told Bubbe never wrote down any recipes/measurements, so with the help of my husband’s aunt (since Bubbe is no longer with us), I finally arrived at the “right” mix. We use a combination of both beef and chicken livers (broiled) with schmaltz, onion & hard-boiled eggs. I grind the ingredients in my KitchenAid with the grinder attachment to get the perfect consistency that Bubbe achieved using a handheld grinder. I love your website and love reading about your culinary adventures!
Chicken livers need to be broiled to kosher them. After cleaning the livers (excess fat, etc…), I then put them into a colander and sprinkle with salt and let them drain for about 1/2 hour. I then put them under the broiler for a few minutes on each side, until slightly pink in the middle.
My mom always insisted on chopping by hand her chopped liver. (After all, it is called chopped liver, not food processor liver.) It makes for an entirely different texture and I think changes the taste. Of course, she was still making gefilte fish when she was in her 80s and insisted that it also be chopped by hand. By then I was the chopper and it took literally hours of chopping. But liver is much less chopping time. Give it a try….
My mom[may she rest in peace] did this same way and it was the best gefilte fish and chopped liver,i still remember the taste.Thank you for the memories!
i agree. texture is everything. blended liver has a texture like the filling that goes into commercial wieners. hand chopped is much different and, in my opinion, transfers the love that goes into the process.
I wouldn’t go to the trouble of making this without the schmaltz and gribenes. I’m not Jewish but I believe in authenticity. I don’t believe it would taste nearly as good with substitutes, and I only make it for a holiday. It’s always for a group, and no one eats very much of it. I don’t seldom eat ice cream for the same reason, but I feel it’s part of living.
You’re too funny! “Have your cardiologist on speed dial” – LOL!
I live in South Carolina, I want to know where I can find Schmaltz and gribenes or what would be a good substitute. Being here is living without alot of everyday ingredients. I hope to ask enough times that the stores will start having a more diverse supply of foods. I love to cook and enjoy cooking many different ways. Thank you for being on Facebook where I found you. What a wonderful time I have had reading.
Bee Jay, you make schmaltz and gribenes by tearing the skin off a raw chicken and pulling off the fat. Then cook the fat and skin in a skillet with salt and pepper until the fat renders off the chicken (schmaltz) and the skin gets golden brown (gribenes). Take the gribenes out of the pan and let them blot on paper towels.
Voilà! You have Jewish chicharrones. Sorry this is a couple of years late.
Buy a roasted chicken from the supermarket. There will be a bunch of great chicken fat at the bottom of the container. You can peel off some of the chicken skin and fry it up and make delish gribnes.
i too am in south carolina and render my own chickens for the schmaltz and the gribness (my grandkids call them chicken crispies)… if you are near charleston, you can get schmalz at Trader joe s
Chicken fat is extremely unhealthy, besides, real Schmaltz and gribenes is really made from goose fat which surprisingly (to those who follow uninformed doctors), is actually quite healthy and makes the so called “French Paradox” redundant.
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how appropriate that i was just pointed towards your site, and i find you posted about chopped liver on my birthday! its “beshert”!
You’re making me hungry! Liver is an acquired taste. I personally love it, always loved it since I was a kid. Our aunt used to make it on Passover. Spread some on matzo, what memories.
I add Mayo to my chopped liver and it gives it a creamy texture. Anytime I’m asked to bring something it’s always my chopped liver. I made 8 lbs. for my friends sons Bar Mitzvah and there was none left.
Elaine- I also add the waspy-addition of mayo. Not to the chopped liver but slathered on bread under the CL. Yummy!
Eating CL right at this moment 😀
ooh the best on little toasty rye pieces, mom serves itw ith matzo ball soup its my favorite
It’s like you read my mind! My BF has been asking me to make chopped liver for him. I can’t say liver is really my thing, but I’ve tried a few of your recipes and my BF loves them, so I’ll give this a shot! Wish me luck.
Yum! Thank you for posting the RIGHT way to make chop liver. My wife tried it a few times with vegetable oil but it’s not nearly as good without the schmaltz. Bubbe knows best! Our family serves it as a treat a few times a year, why compromise?
Schmaltz and gribenes are unbelievably unhealthy. Most Jewish cooks stopped using them years ago — including my grandmother! Making the chopped liver with canola oil and lots of fried onion yields a DELICIOUS and healthy result!
Everything is good in moderation.Their is no away you can change the old taste of jewish food with all this americanized new recipes.I love my mom[let her rest in peace] and her old world recipes and i will not change them.Schmaltz is good for you,its better than than other foods that the most of american jews eat it restaurants like pork.
Canola oil is actually less healthy than Schmaltz, especially if the Canola is GM and the only way to guarantee that is if it is organic. Canola oil hydrogenates much more readily (which is carcinogenic) than Schmalz, which is more suitable to frying. I think you should trust traditional wisdom rather than corporate marketing. Plus it tastes better!!
Victoria is correct. Saturated fat is much healthier than canola oil.
I agree with Victoria and Eric. Neither the liver, nor the eggs, nor the schmaltz is unhealthful. It’s the carbohydrates in the bread/crackers on which you spread the chopped liver that is the unhealthful bit. I think I’ll use celery.
The whole saturated-fat-causes-heart-disease hypothesis has been largely discredited. According to the World Health Organization in 2010, Intake of SFA [saturated fatty acids] was not significantly associated with CHD (coronary heart disease) mortality… SFA intake was not significantly associated with CHD events (e.g., heart attacks). In the same year, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a meta-analysis of 21 studies that looked at the effects of saturated fat consumption on coronary artery disease. The conclusion? A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD (coronary vascular disease).
So enjoy your chopped liver the way grandma made it. It’s full of healthy fat, vitamins, and nutrients. Just avoid having it with bread.
Canola oil(rapeseed oil) is absolutely terrible for you. It is processed and refined, and creates inflammation. Schmaltz is the way to go.
i would not eat the fat (or the meat) of a chicken raised industrially, but i would eat a chicken raised as free ranging, on organic feed. same goes for eggs.
there is no point in being choosy over the non GMO canola, and not being choosy with the chicken!
its never healthy even with good oil except if you believe in Paleo
Judy, canola oil is genetically modified rapeseed oil. Schmaltz is so much better for you. This recipe is making me hungry! Don’t be afraid of healthy fats.
I like Joel’s idea of serving it with celery.
So… You vant to live forever?
MY MOUTH IS WATERING. Thank you Shiksa!
I miss my Ima’s chopped liver! Thanks for bringing back happy memories. =)