Last Updated on February 28, 2024
Today, we’re going to be looking at a Lebanese chicken liver recipe. Growing up, offal was something I’d refuse to try, and the one time I did – I absolutely hated it. However, as I got older, I realized it didn’t have to be that way! If you know how to cook and flavor it well, it can actually be incredibly tasty. Not to mention that it usually has a whole host of health benefits. And Lebanese chicken livers are just too good to resist. Let’s take a look at how to make them.
What Are Lebanese Chicken Livers?
Lebanese chicken livers, are simply called this because of how they’re prepared. However, it is just the liver of a healthy chicken. Chicken livers are an incredibly popular dish in Lebanon, and you’ll find them on every mezza table. As well as this, chicken livers are one of their most popular street foods. They’re a staple food in Lebanon, and our recipe also has pomegranate molasses onside, which just elevates this dish to the next level.
Ingredients in Lebanese chicken livers
Ingredients for Lebanese chicken livers can differ depending on what recipe you’re using. However, our recipe calls for the following ingredients:
- chicken livers
- garlic
- olive/vegetable oil
- pomegranate molasses
- lemon
- salt
- pepper
- sumac
- pomegranate seeds
Nutritional information of Lebanese chicken livers
You may be curious as to the nutritional value of chicken livers. They’re super nutritious and one of the best foods you can eat. In fact, pregnant women are often told to consume foods like chicken livers to keep mother and baby healthy.
100g of raw chicken livers contains the following:
- Calories: 116
- Fat: 7.8g
- Cholesterol: 345mg
- Sodium: 71mg
- Potassium: 230mg
- Carbs: 0g
- Protein: 16.9g
Health benefits of chicken livers
Chicken livers are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, as well as having a host of health benefits. Some of the most common health benefits from chicken livers are:
- Doesn’t contain many calories, but is a filling, hearty dish
- Rich in iron, which helps to stop anemia
- High in protein, which is a vital part of a balanced diet
- Full of B vitamins, which is great for energy levels. And particularly good for expectant mothers or growing children
- Dental health. That’s right – would you believe that chicken livers help to keep your teeth strong and healthy?
- High levels of vitamin C and vitamin A – both very important vitamins to your diet
There’s no real downsides to adding chicken livers to your diet, so if you’re able to – definitely consider introducing them into your household!
Lebanese Chicken Liver Recipe
There are many ways to prepare chicken livers, but Lebanese chicken livers are the most delicious. Especially when paired with pomegranate molasses. So let’s take a look at how to recreate this dish! This recipe is inspired by one from Zaatar and Zaytoun.
Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:
- around 300g of chicken livers (cleaned)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- approx. 2-3 tablespoons of olive/vegetable oil of your choice
- 4-5 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses
- 1 lemon
- a handful of pomegranate seeds
- a pinch of sumac
- salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
Recipe
Now all you need to do is:
Step 1: Prepare
Gather all of the ingredients you need. Before you start, be sure you’ve cleaned the chicken livers. Now cut the chicken livers into bite-sized pieces
Step 2: Fry the livers
Step 3: Season
Step 4: Serve
Conclusion
I hope this post has helped you to become more familiar with a Lebanese chicken liver recipe. If you’ve been hesitant to try offal, I would highly recommend starting with this recipe. You can’t go wrong with this, and it makes for the perfect breakfast or mezze dish.
Do you have any tips or tricks when it comes to making chicken livers? If so, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Sharing is caring!
FAQs
How Long Should You Soak Chicken Livers in Milk?
After cleaning your livers with running water, you may want to soak them in milk before frying them. Livers can have a metallic, bitter taste, and soaking them in milk before frying helps to remove that. Place the livers into a bowl of milk for around 30-60 minutes (it can be longer, if you have time). Once you're ready to cook, rinse under running water so there is no milk remaining, and season with salt and pepper.
How Long Should You Cook Liver For?
The cooking of liver depends on how big the pieces are. For the bite sized pieces in our recipe, they need to be cooked for around five minutes. The livers should be browned on both sides when cooked.
How Do You Know When Chicken Livers are Done?
It's relatively easy to tell when chicken livers are cooked. They should be browned on both sides.
Do You Wash Liver Before Cooking?
Absolutely! It's important to wash the chicken livers before frying or cooking. Pat the livers dry after, and then soak in a milk bath. This is the best way to achieve the tastiest chicken livers.
Lebanese Chicken Liver Recipe: How To
Ingredients
- around 300g of chicken livers (cleaned)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- approx. 2-3 tablespoons of olive/vegetable oil of your choice
- 4-5 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses
- 1 lemon
- a handful of pomegranate seeds
- a pinch of sumac
- salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- PrepareGather all of the ingredients you need. Before you start, be sure you've cleaned the chicken livers. Now cut the chicken livers into bite-sized pieces
- Fry the liversAdd your oil to a pan over a medium-high heat. Add the cloves of garlic and cook until the cloves turn slightly golden. It's important not to burn the garlic at this stage. Once slightly golden, remove the garlic and leave to one side. Turn the heat to high, and add a drizzle oil. Place the cut chicken livers into the pan and fry in the oil for around 5 minutes. You'll likely need to remove excess liquid after this time2-3 cloves of garlic, approx. 2-3 tablespoons of olive/vegetable oil of your choice, around 300g of chicken livers (cleaned)
- SeasonOnce you've removed the excess liquid, add the pomegranate molasses, and cook for a few minutes. Now it's time to lower the heat, add the garlic back to the pan, along with salt, black pepper, and sumac to taste. Cook for a minute and then remove from heat4-5 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses, salt (to taste), ground black pepper (to taste), a pinch of sumac
- ServePlate up your livers, with lemon and pomegranate seeds over the top. This dish is best served with bread at breakfast time. Enjoy!a handful of pomegranate seeds, 1 lemon
Nutrition
My name is Ania, and I am very glad to see you here. I have always loved cooking; even some of my earliest memories are flipping through a cookbook and making pudding standing on a stool because I was too small to reach the stove.
You should know that I am not a professionally trained chef, just a big food lover who grew up in a family obsessed with cooking and focused on what we eat.
