Pan-fried chicken livers and onions with a sweet and tangy balsamic wine glaze. A simple, nutritious, and surprisingly delicious dinner worth trying.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Healthy Chicken Recipes
If you’ve never been big on liver, this is the recipe that might change your mind. This is probably my favorite way to cook chicken livers, and they always come out creamy in the center with a little crispy edge — exactly how they should be.
The sweet, sautéed onions and the balsamic wine glaze balance the savory, lightly gamey flavor so perfectly that even my partner — who’s definitely not a liver fan — said this dish was delicious.
Chicken liver is budget-friendly and nutrient-packed (hello, iron and B vitamins!), and this dish comes together in about 30 minutes. Serve it over buttery mash or crunchy toast, and you’ve got yourself an old-school comfort meal that feels a little fancy.
👩🍳 You might also want to check out these liver recipes: Asian-style chicken livers, chicken liver skewers, or beef liver recipes. Learn more about the liver benefits here.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this chicken livers and onions recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Chicken Livers — the star of the dish, rich in nutrients; I used fresh, but you can thaw out frozen livers. Newbie tip: While chicken livers might look slimy due to their shiny appearance, they are actually quite firm and easy to work with. They feel better than they look.
- Milk or lemon water — for soaking chicken livers to mellow flavor and tenderize.
- Plain flour — for a light, crispy crust, can be swapped with gluten-free flour, cornstarch, or tapioca flour.
- Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika — for savory depth, and salt and pepper for seasoning.
- Onions — yellow or white onion—sliced thin for caramelized sweetness.
- Olive oil — for sautéing and frying.
- For the Glaze: Red wine—adds acidity and richness, garlic for aromatic kick, butter (makes the glaze velvety), aged or regular balsamic vinegar for that tangy-sweet finish, and a little honey to balance out acidity. Red wine can be swapped with chicken broth.
How To Cook Chicken Livers & Onions
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make pan-fried chicken livers and onions.
- Rinse and trim chicken livers; remove some of the visible connective tissue. I like to cut them into 1-inch pieces. Soak in milk 10 minutes, then pat dry. Soaking helps to mellow out the flavor and tenderize the livers.
- Slice onions and onions until golden, set aside.
- Season chicken livers with salt, spices, and coat with flour.
- Heat oil in another pan; cook livers in batches over high heat — about 3 minutes per side, until crispy and golden. Don’t overcook as they can get gritty and rubbery.
- Remove livers; deglaze the pan with red wine and add butter, garlic, balsamic, and honey. Stir and bring to a simmer, allowing to bubble and caramelize slightly.
- When it starts to look glossy and thick, return livers and onions, or serve them topped with the glaze.
- Eat while hot, although I’ve enjoyed snacking on them cold out of the fridge.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcrowd: Cook livers in batches so they brown, not steam. Leave enough space between livers.
- Use high to medium-high heat: For that lovely crust outside.
- Soak in milk: It really helps mellow the strong flavor.
- Try variations: Add crispy bacon, mushrooms, or a splash of cream to the glaze.
- Test doneness: Cut into the thickest piece—it should be a little pink and creamy.
- Storage tips: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet. I don’t recommend freezing—they’ll turn grainy.
- Make-ahead tips: You can soak and prep the livers (trimmed and coated) a few hours ahead. Keep them in the fridge until ready to cook. Onions can be sautéed in advance and reheated.
Serving Suggestions
I love these with my sour cream mashed potatoes or thick slices of crusty bread to mop up all that glaze. They’re also great alongside creamy green beans or a simple cheesy leafy green salad for freshness.
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Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken livers, halved, trimmed 500 grams
- ½ cup milk or water with lemon juice, for soaking
- ⅔ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying
For the onions:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium-large onion halved and thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the glaze:
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 garlic clove sliced
- 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Optional: 1-2 tablespoons water to thin
Instructions
- Rinse chicken livers if you like. Trim off fat or any green bits. Cut larger pieces in half.
- Soak in milk for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry well.
- While soaking, cook onions: heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet, sauté onions with salt for 5–8 minutes until golden. Set aside.
- Season livers with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat evenly.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Add livers in batches — don’t crowd the pan. Cook about 3 minutes, flip, and cook 2–3 minutes more until browned outside and creamy inside. Transfer to a plate.
- Deglaze pan with red wine, scraping up browned bits. Add butter, garlic, balsamic, and honey. Simmer 30 seconds until slightly thickened.
- Serve livers with onions and drizzle glaze over the top (or toss everything in the pan to coat).
- Enjoy hot (or cold).
Notes
- Newbie tip: While chicken livers might look slimy due to their shiny appearance, they are actually quite firm and easy to work with. They feel better than they look.
- How do I know when chicken livers are cooked? They should be browned on the outside and a little pink and creamy inside. Overcooked livers turn grainy and dry.
- Can I skip the milk soak? Technically, yes—but soaking helps mellow the stronger flavor and tenderize them.
- What if I don’t want to use wine? Use chicken or beef broth instead. The glaze will still be delicious.
- Are chicken livers good for you? Definitely! They’re one of the most nutrient-dense foods — high in iron, vitamin A, and B vitamins. Check out these 50 nutrient-dense foods.
- Can I freeze cooked chicken livers? I don’t recommend it; the texture suffers. It’s best eaten fresh or reheated within a day or two.
- Don’t Overcrowd: Cook livers in batches so they brown, not steam. Leave enough space between livers.
- Use High to Medium-High Heat: For that lovely crust outside.
- Try Variations: Add crispy bacon, mushrooms, or a splash of cream to the glaze.
- Test Doneness: Cut into the thickest piece—it should be a little pink and creamy.
- Storage tips: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet. I don’t recommend freezing—they’ll turn grainy.
- Make-ahead Tips: You can soak and prep the livers (trimmed and coated) a few hours ahead. Keep them in the fridge until ready to cook. Onions can be sautéed in advance and reheated.
Nutrition
Okay…
I’m using 1/8 C Port wine + 1/8 C Chicken Broth for my glaze…
I left 5 stars even though I’m still cooking!!! 🤗
I’ll post a follow-up…
Oooh, I would love to know how it goes 🙂
I made this tonight and it is really good, the livers are tender and tasty. The glaze was a little too sweet for me, I would skip the honey next time though.
I liked the idea of soaking the chicken livers in milk. I sauteed the onions and some orange bell peppers in olive oil and added mushrooms and butter removed from the pan. I sauteed the chicken livers that I had dredged in flour and garlic and onion powder didn’t use too much paprika. I added some butter the sauteed vegetables and deglazed with the with red wine with a tablespoon of sauce and gravy flour to deglaze and a bit of water from the potatoes l boiled as a side. The balsamic vinegar added just the right sweetness. It was so yummy.
Thank you for sharing this recipe
We never eat liver but when my dr said I am anemic and needed iron I looked for a tasty recipe. This recipe is the best. I am making it every week and feel better already. Thank you Irena!
That’s so great to hear! Chicken livers are magical and very nourishing indeed.
I just made this, and it was pretty easy!! I am making a rice pilaf to have with it
We love chicken livers and will give this a try. My hubby does chicken liver peri peri which we have on homemade baguette