How to Cook Beef Liver That You’ll Actually Eat

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You know the old saying “never say never?” I’ve realized the more I live, the more I eat those words, literally, in this situation. I don’t think you’ll ever catch me saying “I really want some beef liver to eat”. But someday I might eat those words too. Now that I’ve learned how to cook beef liver, it’s become a weekly dish for Bert and I simply because of the health benefits attached to it.

What Benefits?

Beef liver has certainly become a trendy food recently. This superfood is classified as a low calorie food that is packed with nutrients and vitamins. Obviously, by eating beef liver on a regular basis, you’re going to be increasing your iron and protein in your body.

However, you’re also going to be improving your B-vitamin count. Folate, an important vitamin especially stressed for pregnant mamas, is found in beef liver and your body can more readily absorb it in this form. Additionally, by eating beef liver on a somewhat regular basis, you’re going to be improving your energy levels due to its Vitamin B12 content.

Where Do I Get Beef Liver?

Obviously, you can skip this whole post and just take the supplements. I did this for about 7 months before I found the opportunity to get raw beef liver on my own. Just in case you’re curious, these are the capsules I recommend.

You Have Options

The easiest way to get it for most ordinary people is simply to take a walk through the meat department of the grocery store. You can typically find it on the shelves. However, you’re going to run into a few problems this way.

For starters, the portion sizes are small; if you’re wanting to have it in stock for weekly meals, you’re going to be buying a few packages. Secondly, you might not be able to find grass-fed liver. If you’re eating beef liver only for the nutritional benefit, you’re going to want to find the best quality possible. Lastly, purchasing beef liver in the grocery store is the least cost-effective way.

Options 2 and 3

I was able to get my beef liver when we purchased our 1/2 beef from the butcher shop. This is the best approach cost-wise because it was no additional cost to include the animal organ meats. However, I realize that not everyone can afford to dish out the dough for 1/2 a beef at a time.

Thankfully, you have a third option. Many, many people don’t want the organ meats from the cows that are processed. Most butcher shops have a surplus of beef liver that they usually end up throwing out. By simply making a phone call to meat processors local to you and inquiring, many would be willing to save the beef livers and sell them at a discounted price to you. For instance, our butcher shop sells them at $2/pound for 100 pounds.

How To Cook Beef Liver

Tips and Tricks

Before we actually hit the stove, there’s a few tricks you can do to decrease the potent, bitter taste associated with beef liver. My number one tip I tell everyone is to soak it in milk for at least two hours beforehand. Why does this work? I have no idea, but it does!

Usually, Bert and I eat beef liver on Sunday afternoons. By the way, I’m not that cruel of a parent. My boys get sandwiches or leftovers on Sundays and aren’t forced to eat it with us. On Saturdays I let the frozen liver thaw in my fridge.

On Sunday morning I take it out of the package and try to drain the juices as much as possible. Then, I place it in a ziploc bag with milk and plop it back into the fridge. By the time we’re home from church, it’s been soaking long enough.

Secondly, you’re going to want to cut your liver into small, thin slices. If you do this, when you’re cooking it, the liver soaks up the other flavors better and, again, the bitter taste is masked.

My Recipe

After you’ve sliced it up, heat up your cast iron pan and cook up some bacon. Yes, bacon, because everything tastes better with bacon in it. Actually, I’ve made this without bacon before, and I really didn’t notice a stronger liver flavor. If you don’t want to use bacon, melt butter and skip to step two.

Next, you’re going to want to remove your bacon and save the grease. Slice half an onion and sauté the onion in the grease (or butter) until they’re caramelized.

While I’m cooking the bacon and onion, I dip my liver strips in a flour mixture: 1 C flour, 1 T garlic powder, 1 T Slap Ya Mama seasoning. Then, I add the liver to the pan and cook it all until done. Lastly, I re-add the bacon and it’s ready to serve.

What To Serve it With

Figuring out how to cook beef liver is half the battle. You’re definitely going to want to add something to go with it in order to turn your disgusting Sunday meal into something you can look forward to. My number one go to side dish is mashed potatoes, simply because they’re a favorite for me. Unfortunately, the starch makes them one of the least healthiest vegetables IMO.

Rice is a good alternative but again, you’re going to be eating some carbs that way. I like making a broccoli and cheese rice side dish that you can throw in the crock pot on a Sunday morning if I’m feeling extra ambitious (and have enough time). But usually, I just settle for ice cream because ice cream makes everything better.

If All Else Fails…

I know, some of us are even more picky than others. The idea of eating plain beef liver as our only meat ingredient in a meal is revolting. Others of us have children that we want to expose beef liver to and hope they actually eat it, which is next to impossible making it the way I just stated above.

Therefore, if you’re wanting to find a way that works best for your family and this recipe just isn’t cutting it, try this simple trick. Grind up some beef liver and sneak it into your meals. The easiest way to do this is putting it in your taco meat on Taco Tuesdays. I’ve also tried it in spaghetti or other casseroles where ground beef is used.

You don’t need to buy some expensive new kitchen gadget to grind up the liver, either, by the way. A simple food processor found at Walmart or Amazon will do the trick easily. (As an Amazon Affiliate, I can earn a commission off of products at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure here).

Don’t Miss Out!

Don’t be too intimidated to give beef liver a shot in your own home. No, this meal isn’t going to be crave-worthy. However, the health benefits alone for beef liver are too good to pass up without at least trying to make it at least once.