If there’s anything that homesteading has taught me, it’s that food is precious. The amount of work and love and care that goes into growing every calorie, whether plant or animal, is significant… so best not to waste any of it. Especially the organs: the most nutrient-rich part of the animal! This chicken liver pate recipe is mild and is perfect for anyone who doesn’t like liver. And it’s a great recipe to start with if you’re new to eating liver and other offal.
If I’m being completely honest, I don’t particularly like the taste of liver; never have. The more I eat it though, the easier it gets to tolerate and dare I say… enjoy. If you are new to eating organ meat, this chicken liver pâté recipe is a fantastic place to start. While you will still get that mineral-y taste (it taste that way because it is full of minerals, remember that!) it is quite palatable prepared as a pâté. This recipe is very simple and straightforward, with no frills and not a lot of spices or extras.
I love using all the part of an animal. Not only is it a fantastic way to honor the animal that gave its life to sustain mine, but organ meat is the most nutrient-dense food available. It’s been an important part of helping me heal and gain health after chronic Lyme disease. Organ meat, especially liver, contains an impressive amount of vitamins and minerals, which my body loves to get on a regular basis. If you are someone that struggles with things like chronic illness, fatigue, or anemia, eating liver regularly is your friend!
Watch the video for how to make chicken liver pate!
How do you eat chicken liver pâté?
While you can eat this straight-up with a spoon (which is not a bad way to serve it to young children), I really appreciate it on a cracker. It’s 1000% better on a cracker. If you can’t eat crackers, it’s also really good paired with other meats. In fact, I’d say the taste of the liver is most hidden when paired with other meat. Spread it on summer sausage– my favorite, wrap some up in hard salami, or try it spread on chicken breast or turkey deli meat. Some people like to have it with apple slices or vegetables, but I think those things bring out a stronger liver flavor, so I don’t prefer them.
Ingredients in Chicken Liver pâté
Chicken Livers
If I’m eating organ meat, I want it to come from the healthiest animals possible. I always seek out chicken livers from animals that were fed organically and raised on pasture. Liver freezes wonderfully, so I always keep a supply in my freezer. If you are butchering your own chickens, I hope you’re saving the livers!
Butter
This is another ingredient where quality is really important to me. I like a European style butter for its higher butterfat content and buttery-er flavor. My favorite butter is Rumiano Organic, which I buy in 15-pound bulk boxes from Azure Standard. A common and easy to find European style butter is Kerry Gold.
Onion & Garlic
Just as long as they are fresh, any variety of onion and garlic will do, though I prefer a good pungent yellow onion for this chicken liver pâté recipe.
Parmesan Cheese
You can omit this if you can’t eat cheese, but I think it adds a lot of good flavor. Use a block of parmesan and grate it yourself using the very fine side of a box grater, or other small-holed grater… it will incorporate best into the pate this way.
Sea Salt
I typically use Redmond’s Salt for all of my cooking. This salt is mined in the USA (in Utah) from an ancient seabed that is protected from modern pollution. It contains minerals and has a fantastic flavor.
Can you freeze chicken liver pâté?
Yes, chicken liver pâté can be frozen, though the texture won’t be quite the same once thawed. It will be slightly crumbly and not as smooth, which I don’t mind but probably wouldn’t serve to company.
I like to portion the pâté with a spring loaded scoop onto parchment paper and freeze it in single serving blobs. This makes it easy to eat smaller amounts more frequently. Pâté can also be frozen in straight-sided glass jelly jars in larger quantities.
But doesn’t the liver store toxins?
A common objection you may hear is that the liver stores toxins, so it isn’t safe to eat. This is completely untrue. The liver *does* neutralize toxins, but it does not store them. On the other hand, the liver is a storage organ for many nutrients, like vitamins A, D, E, K, B12, Folic Acid, Copper, and Iron. These are nutrients that can help your body to get rid of toxins.
How much liver should you eat?
Because organ meats are so nutrient-rich, you don’t need a lot. The average recommended serving is 3 or 4 ounces a week of organ meats, but you should do whatever is right for you.
Liver as a delicacy!
While I’m over here eating liver because I (mostly) have to, many people eat as a delicacy! I actually remember when I was young, that my dad used to make liver pate for the New Year’s Eve parties my parents would throw. How fancy it was!! (Trust me, we were not fancy people.) And this is a fantastic recipe to make and serve at a party– it’s a very mild pate with a great, creamy texture.
Chicken Liver Pate Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken livers
- 1 thick slice yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pats
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drain the chicken livers and run them under cold water for 15 seconds, or until the water runs clear. Place the livers into a medium saucepan and add water until the livers are just covered.
- Add the onion and garlic, and bring the pan up to a very gentle boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer very gently for 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and let the pan sit covered for exactly 10 minutes. This is an important step that ensures the livers are the perfect temperature for the butter to emulsify when processed.
- Drain all the water from the pan, and transfer the livers, onion, and garlic to a food processor. There will be some scum looking bits; that's okay, don't mind it… it will look better in a minute. Pulse until the livers are finely ground, about 20 seconds.
- With the machine running, add one slice of butter at a time and process until it is completely incorporated before adding the next slice. Scrape down the sides of the machine as needed.
- Once all the butter is incorporated, add the cheese, salt, and pepper and give the pâté a final whipping for 20 seconds.
- Transfer the pâté to glass dish with a lid, and refrigerate immediately. I prefer to eat pâté chilled; it has a more pronounced liver flavor when warm.
ABOUT
Hi, I’m Crystal. I love growing, cooking, and preserving, and we hope to inspire you to do the same!
You can get to know me better over on Instagram where I share a lot of our day to day lives, including what we’re cooking and eating, what the chickens are up to, and how the gardens and orchards are producing.
My YouTube channel is where I share more in-depth tutorials on topics like gardening and orchard care and preserving.
My book, Freeze Fresh, teaches you how to preserve over 50 different fruits and vegetables. I share my time-tested preparation techniques that ensure color, texture, and flavor are retained in the freezer. From familiar favorites like apples, corn, potatoes, and peas to surprises like lettuce, avocado, and citrus fruit. There are over 100 recipes that freeze well, such as Blueberry Maple Pancake Sauce, Pickled Sliced Beets, Mango Chutney, and Honey Butter Carrot Mash–as well as delicious ways to cook the frozen food after thawing, including Tart Cherry Oatmeal Bars, Broccoli Cheese Soup, and Blueberry-Matcha Latte Smoothie.
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I made this with rabbit livers and it’s delicious. 10/10 recommend.
Love hearing that, thank you!
Nice information!
This was very informative video. I do eat chicken livers regularly, I like paté, but also pan seared in bacon fat with onions and mushrooms, deglazed with white wine. Mostly by themselves, but adding a generous plop of sour cream and serving over egg noodles ~ stroganoff, baby .
Btw, my cholesterol levels are fine 😁