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)
NOTES
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.
Nutrition
Excellent recipe: great for chopped liver first-timers and pros alike. Easy to follow and very informative. I like my chopped liver to be creamy but also have some texture, so I make mine in several batches in the processor and chop to different consistencies. This gives it a more “hand-made” texture. I also fold in the chopped eggs afterwards, for the same reason, but also so it won’t be too dense. I definitely like mine to be on the ‘sweeter’ side so the tips about the onions were very helpful. Thank you!
Hi Tori,
I am going to make this tomorrow. The only problem I have found is not being able to buy schmaltz here. I live on the west coast of Florida (on the east coast, Jewish delis abound!) I’m going to use oil and see how that works. I have my grandmother’s wooden chopping bowl and mezzaluna that she used when making her chopped liver. G-d willing, it will come out as good as hers was.
Hi Marcie! Good luck, enjoy. For future reference, you can make your own schmaltz using this tutorial: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/schmaltz-and-gribenes/
This is the way my grandmother made her chopped liver. Neither she nor my mother ever measured anything so thank you for that. The chopping was done in a shallow large wooden bowl using what looks like a single bladed mezzaluna that they called a ‘Hock Messer’. I was always given some salted gribenes as a treat. Saving and freezing the fat you take off of chickens that you prepare should ensure schmaltz and gribenes for authentic chopped liver.
Well Bless You for mentioning the food grinder attachment for the kitchen center. That was much easier than chopping by hand and the results are much better, too.
So glad it was helpful!
When my bubbie chopped the mixture, she did it in a wooden bowl with a mezzaluna. But the food processor is okay with me. However, at the moment I’m buying chopped liver from my local Publix grocery store, and it’s pretty decent. I add plenty of raw chopped red onions and moisten it with lemon-infused EVOO. I toast a sliced ciabatta bun in that same lemon-infused EVOO on my stovetop cast-iron griddle, under a panini press. It makes the crispest, thinnest toast. Once the toast is cool, I spread the chopped liver on each half and I’m transported immediately to heaven!
I am happy to have found this recipe. It is clear how to
go about preparing it. Thank you for publishing it.
Can’t wait to try. Do you leave the livers out while the onions cook or refrigerate?
If you’re cooking the onions right away as the recipe describes, you can leave the livers out – they’ll be cooling down during this time. If you’re taking a break between cooking livers and cooking the onions, you can refrigerate the livers.
I just read your recipe for chopped liver. My I make a suggestion. For a lighter chopped liver use additional eggs and do not chop in advance but grind eggs alternately with onions liver and eggs.
Also I use an item called onion flavored Nyafat found at Kosher supermarkets and used in place of shamultz for heart health reasons. Unfortunately there will be no gribenes. I did make my chopped liver with both in the past but not now as we age and our heart ages too.
Delicious recipe! I never made Chopped Liver before but our local deli closed and I wanted to surprise the family and they loved it. However, I wasn’t expecting the recipe to be so time consuming: I made my own schmaltz, cleaned the livers (ugh!) which was tedious plus I caramelized 4 large onions for 50 minutes. Just want others to know that this is not a quick recipe at all (more than 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking time) but it was sure yummy.
Deli style chicken liver pate is impossible to find. Chicken livers and chicken fat are in many grocery stores. I like finely chopped celery in my chicken liver pate. Seems to mellow the flavors. The Pate is nice on celery sticks. Tori should recommend choice of crackers and wines. Finally, there is that all time deli favorite, the CHICKEN LIVER PATE SANDWICH on rye bread, with thin slices of onion, maybe a pickle, with a bowl of chicken soup, and fountain vanilla soda.
Hello Tori,
I was going to make your chopped liver recipe, but the supermarket didn’t have chicken livers and substituted them with calf livers. Could the calf livers be used instead of the chicken livers?
Thank you,
Lois
Hi Lois! Sorry I have never made this with anything but chicken livers, though in theory it should probably work.
I’ve read that sometimes it is made with a combination of chicken and beef livers, so personally, I can’t see why not.
Timing of cooking the onions is way off. Don’t leave your onions on medium heat undisturbed. They will burn.
Hi Tanya, sorry your onions burned. If your stove runs hotter than most, this can be a problem, but generally when you’re cooking the onions in a covered skillet this way they shouldn’t burn – the steam is trapped and they sort of “poach” in their own moisture. I’ll adjust the instruction to “medium low” and make a note to check them – but for the first part of the process, I do recommend letting them cook undisturbed. That is part of what helps to kick-start the caramelization.
I’ve found it best to prepare liver or kidneys when they’re partly frozen, easier to handle. Scissors snip off the nasty bits very well in a part frozen state.
Enjoyed this post… especially your sense of humor with having your cardiologist on speed-dial! Lol! Why does food that tastes soooo good… have to be unhealthy!
Best Regards, Risa Caldwell
Excellent recipe, reminded me of the chopped liver at Weiss Deli in Henderson, Nevada, a compliment for sure. This may be sacrilege, but I used an old-school potato masher to chop/blend the ingredients – it worked well!
Whatever works! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Someone gave me their homemade chopped chicken livers, however they don’t have caramelized in them, can I tweak them by adding them now?
You can caramelize the onions separately and then blend or chop them in, yes.
The recipe is great. But your remark about a strong stomach is odd. Let’s stop giving livers a bad rap, they are so easy to clean and much less offensive then cleaning a chicken or taking the stomach out of fish.
I think that your recipes are wonderful. But for this one it is time for another recipe update.
Your readers should soak the chicken livers overnight in milk or buttermilk to ensure that the metallic or bitter flavors are removed from the liver. I first made this recipe without soaking the livers and the metallic taste was disgusting! Soaking the livers is a very important step that should be clear in this recipe. As a bonus, soaking also makes trimming the livers a much nicer task.
Thanks
Hi Mark, this is a Jewish-style kosher chicken liver recipe… in kosher law, milk and meat is not mixed. Also, I have never experienced an overly metallic taste from this recipe, and I think you’re the first reader to ever comment on it– I totally believe you! Just letting you know it’s not a common concern. I researched the issue more, and it seems to be something that only certain people are more sensitive to. If any readers are worried about this, soaking in water will also help to remove any metallic taste that may be present in the livers.
I’ve been wanting to work more organ meats into our diet at home for a long time, but I’ve always disliked liver and hated pate (I’m working up to the others). I made this recipe with fingers crossed and the schmaltz and gribenes recipe on your site. It is fantastic! I couldn’t believe I’d ever like liver. Thank you so much for sharing this outstanding recipe! I can’t wait to make it again!
This recipe was great! I was looking for a liver pate similar to liverwurst (which our whole family loves to eat!), and although this isn’t exactly the same, everybody said it was a delicious liver spread! I also had a question on how you would suggest decreasing to 1 lb of chicken livers (which is the usual size package we have here). Would I use 1 large onion and 3 eggs? I’m just not sure since its right between cutting the recipe in half, but will be slightly more! Thank you!
I made this recipe using about 1 pound of chicken livers, 2 onions, carmelized all the way (you can use up to 4) and 5 eggs, and lots of schmaltz. It was perfect!
Hello! This recipe was delicious! I was just wondering if it could be frozen? I only have four people in my family, so this batch came out to be more than we can finish within the week.
Yes, no problem freezing!