If you are a fan of Indian food and chicken livers, you will LOVE this spicy chicken liver fry. And honestly, even if you’re not a huge fan of chicken livers, you’re still going to really like this dish. It’s spicy and flavorful and a great way to enjoy eating chicken livers!
A lot of people love the taste of chicken livers. I will be super honest with you guys and say that I am normally not a fan, BUT when prepared bhuna-style with lots of spices, it becomes a dish that will please any meat-eater. If I actually really enjoy eating this dish, then you will too.
If I’m going to eat chicken liver, THIS is what I want it to taste like. It’s coated with masala and has just the right amount of heat. You can make it milder, of course, but if you can handle the spice – then I suggest trying it as written.
All you need to prepare this (besides the obvious: chicken livers) is my pre-made onion masala and spices!
You can serve this dish with rice and any veg side dish, OR you can even put the meat in-between two slices of bread and eat it like a sandwich. The second way might be a good option for those who don’t love the idea of eating chicken livers. It’s so tasty that after a sandwich or two, you can move on to eating this on a plate 😉
Why eat chicken liver?
I know that organ meat is not for everyone but in my opinion, eating this type of meat is a good way to be a conscientious omnivore because you are eating all parts of the animal and not just the popular parts.
I recently found out that I’m currently anemic – meaning, my iron levels are low. I’m following my doc’s recommendations, but I also want to do what I can to increase those levels naturally. Chicken livers just so happen to be very high in iron. They are also high in protein, rich in folate, and basically just really vitamin-rich, including vitamin B12.
That said IF you plan to eat chicken liver for some health reason or are pregnant or nursing – please talk to your doctor before you do. This type of meat is very high in certain vitamins, and you will want to make sure that it won’t cause any issues for you. I’m just a blogger and don’t advise treating yourself with food without first talking to a doctor.
How to prepare chicken livers? Where to buy them?
I suggest buying organic chicken livers (I get them from Whole Foods). They come packaged in a sealed container in the meat department and are easy to find. I suggest soaking the livers in cold water for 10 minutes, then rinsing and letting them dry a bit in a strainer. This will get them nice and clean to use for cooking.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! I think you’ll find it very easy to make – especially if you already have onion masala ready to use. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken livers
- 3 tablespoons oil
Whole Spices:
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 green cardamom
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 serrano pepper minced
- ½ cup thawed onion masala
Spices:
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste
- Juice from ½ lemon
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Soak the chicken livers in cold water for 10 minutes. Rinse and strain to dry.
- Add oil to pan on the stovetop over medium heat, once hot, add the whole spices. When the cumin seeds start to brown, add the serrano pepper, stir, then add the onion masala and remaining spices.
- Add the chicken livers and stir-fry for 10-12 minutes, or until any liquid has evaporated from the pan.
- Pour the lemon juice into the pan, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Andy Hargreaves says
Wow, just made it and up to any restaurant dish I’ve tried. First class, well done.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that, thanks Andy!
Erika says
I like chicken livers, so I was eager to try this recipe. It was quite fast and easy and very tasty! I forgot to use the serrano pepper, but it was still spicy, due to the cayenne pepper.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Erika, I’m so glad to hear that 🙂
Priya says
Hi, have you tried this with mutton liver. Do you think i need to change the cooking time for mutton liver?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Priya, I haven’t tried this with mutton liver – hopefully another reader can chime in and help! You can also try asking this in my Facebook group (Instant Pot for Indian Food) – someone there may be able to help.
Beccs says
Is there a way to make the onion Marsala without a pressure cooker? It’s one thing I don’t have in my kitchen tools and it’s a big item!
Wanna try to make this for my boyfriend he loves livers and he loves your butter chicken recipe
Thanks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Beccs, yes! I made it on the stovetop last night and will be updating that post with stovetop directions later today (once my little guy naps!). Stay tuned 🙂
Hart says
I too would like to make this on the stove top (where my dutch oven has more control over caramelizing onions, than my instant pot. Where can I look to find the updated post, once you write it? Many thanks!!! it looks delicious!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Sorry for the delay in sharing the stovetop masala recipe – it turns out I need to test this version a bit more! I do hope to share it soon though!
Aeiman Siddiqui says
Okay, I really hate liver normally, but this was really REALLY good and so easy to make. Thank you for helping me find a solution to eating liver so that I can finally address my iron deficiency 😛
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Aeiman, that’s great to hear! I’m glad you tried and liked this recipe 🙂
Haley Henderson says
The best dish I’ve made from the onion masala series!
The lemon is absolutely such an amazing touch – next time I’ll serve with fresh lemon wedges
My Heart Beets says
Haley, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Madhu says
This tastes like how my mum makes it, maybe a little better
My Heart Beets says
Madhu, that’s awesome to hear 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how you liked this!
Manoj Showri Reddy Sagili says
I have just printed this recipe and asked my mom to cook chicken liver in a spicy format. Normally we cook chicken liver along with chicken curry. But my mom had done the exact process and it resulted in the perfect taste that was mouth watering looking in to the spiciness. From next week i would ask her to only cook spicy chicken liver.
Thanks for the great recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Manoj, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how this turned out for you!
Nida says
okay the masala mix for this is amazing and i cant wait to try it with a different protein! i did not enjoy the livers though but thats not the recipe’s fault, just something about the texture has always been off putting but i thought id try it with your recipe. if this recipe does not make it amazing to me, nothing will. haha. will try the same masala mix though for something else though. loved the masala left behind, delicious!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Nida, thanks for sharing how this turned out for you – totally get that organ meat is hard to get used to (I’ve been there lol). I can’t wait to hear what else you make with this masala!