Not all liver tastes the same, though, and just because one type of liver doesn’t appeal to you doesn’t mean that you will dislike them all. Beef liver, for example, is rather unappealing to me due to its extremely strong flavor.
Homemade Liver Pate
On the other hand, I absolutely LOVE chicken liver pate. Liver is one of the organs that comprise the chicken giblets.
In fact, if I was stranded on a deserted island and could only pick a single food to eat, it would be chicken liver pate both for its fabulous and highly enjoyable flavor as well as for its amazing nutrient density.
Liver is a sacred food in many Traditional Cultures and, as such, is particularly beneficial at boosting fertility. It contains ample amounts of both natural cholesterol and Vitamin A among other critical nutrients necessary for conception.
You will need to find a clean, pastured source of organ meats before attempting this recipe. Commercial chicken liver, even if organic, is usually unsuitable for eating due to a diet of unnatural, soy based feed and lack of freedom to roam and peck for bugs even if the label deceptively says “free range”.
Either chicken or duck livers may be used for the recipe below.
Liver Pate Recipe
Healthy recipe for liver pate made with chicken or duck livers that is delicious on toast or crackers for a light and yet nutrient dense meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chicken or duck livers preferably pastured
- 1 cup grassfed bacon chopped
- 1/2 onion chopped, preferably organic
- 1 clove garlic minced, preferably organic
- 1/4 cup butter melted, preferably grassfed
- 1/2 Tbl Sherry
- 1 Tbl dried cilantro
- sea salt
- pepper
Instructions
Melt butter in a saucepan and lightly saute chicken livers until just pink in the center.
In a separate saucepan, saute the chopped bacon for a few minutes and then add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is slightly caramelized and the bacon is cooked through.
Transfer the contents of both pans to a glass bowl and mix in sherry and cilantro. Let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and blend until very smooth. Taste. Add sea salt and pepper if needed and pulse the food processor a few times to mix.
Transfer chicken liver pate to a small, glass bowl with a lid and chill for 1-2 hours until set.
Serve this chicken liver pate on low carb crackers, as a sandwich spread, on toast, or with sprouted crackers!
Recipe Notes
1-2 tsp fresh chopped cilantro may be substituted for the dried.
Spanish or white onions work best with this recipe.
Chicken Liver Pate Video Tutorial
The video below demonstrates how I make liver pate in my home. It is hard to find pate in stores that is additive free. Hence, knowing how to make it yourself is helpful if you are a pate fan like me!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sarah Pope has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. Her work is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.
Her work has been covered by major media including USA Today, ABC, NBC, and many others.
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Timely post, Sarah.
Since recently acquiring the Traditional Food lifestyle, I have been looking for ways to incorporate organ meats, including fermented meats (from pastured animals).
My wife turns her nose at beef liver, too. (Must be a chick thing. :)) She complains about whatever I use as a marinade, so beef liver currently isn't very popular at my home.
Anyway, this is something we can try. – Thanks
No worries – your wife will love this recipe, Pavil. The pate I made during last night's videoblog shoot is already half gone! Super yummy as a sandwich spread!
Okay, this will be a good experiment to try on my stored up chicken livers!
My mother found that calf liver (from veal) is a much milder tasting liver than beef liver. I tend to "hide" calf liver in meatloaf and the kids took to it just fine in that venue. I look forward to trying this recipe.
I haven't made chicken liver pate in years. If I can find a good chicken source I'll try yours. Just wondering what else you would put on the sandwich?
Hi KR, I just love it plain, but some lettuce would be lovely too.
Thanks for this great recipe, Sarah. I have been needing to restart making my chicken liver pate and now I have motivation to try this recipe. thanks! P.S. Everyone still beats up on bacon even if they can accept liver due to its nutrient content…I can't think of one thing wrong with no nitrate/nitrite organic bacon. So, I'm good with that type of bacon. I'm assuming you are too?
Hi Alix, as long as the bacon is from pigs that are outside in the sunshine and the bacon is chemical free, then I am fine with it too! Bacon has no vitamin D in it unless the pigs are exposed to the sun. We LOVE good quality bacon in our house.
try blending in a couple of hard boiled eggs into the pate. That is the way my Bubbe made it (also she used shmaltz instead of butter).
I’m not even Jewish and that’s how I learned to make my Chopped Chicken Liver, with hardboiled eggs, and lots of shaltz, NO bacon, no spices except onion, salt and pepper. Yum!
Sarah,
Thanks for this great video. We haven't yet tried liver or pate, but this is inspiring! Question: How do you get 3 livers for the recipe? We get chickens from your farmer and they come frozen with the liver inside. So if we thaw the chicken and the liver with it, is it ok to refreeze the liver(s) until we have 3 or more to make pate? Thanks!
Beth
Hi Beth, I get the livers from the whole chickens. Just partially thaw the chicken and remove the liver from inside the chicken (he puts them in a bag) and then stick the chicken back in the freezer. It's not completely thawed so should be fine.
Thank you Sarah for all your videos. They really help a lot. I was wondering where do you buy your chickens. I live in Tampa too but the chicken I buy is not local. I would love to buy local if I can. Thanks, Deliana
Hi Deliana, please email me directly about this. Thanks. thehealthyhomeeconomist at gmail dot com
Sarah, FYI – We've linked back to this post.
Thanks so much for the video, Sarah! Your videos are always great. I love passing them on.
Silly question… Is the sherry used for flavoring? Or does it serve an additional purpose in the recipe (like as a preservative)? I don't normally have alcohol (even cooking alcohol) in the house, and I'm wondering if I should make an exception.
Hi Celeste, the sherry is mostly for flavoring. I've never left it out so not sure how it would taste without it.
Thanks Sarah! What do you do with the heart, neck and gizzard that also come inside the whole chicken?
Beth
Hi Beth, I put them in with the bones when making chicken stock.
Hi Sarah,
Would this work with lamb's liver do you think? We just bought half a pastured lamb, and I'm wondering what to do with the liver, kidneys, and heart.
Alexia
Hi Alexia, I think lamb liver would be too heavy for this recipe as would beef liver. Duck, chicken, goose liver would be best.