Popular in Brazilian and Latin American cuisine, this Beef Liver Recipe is nutrient-packed and tender, cooked with crispy bacon and caramelized onions for a comforting and delicious meal. One of the best beef liver and onions recipes you’ll make!
Serve this recipe for beef liver recipe with this Garlic Fried Rice With Swiss Chard, or this Cilantro Lime Brown Rice.
Silvia’s note
I grew up eating beef liver not because it was trendy or controversial. It was simply food. An inexpensive cut that did exactly what it was meant to do: feed and nourish. In many Brazilian homes, including mine, liver showed up regularly at the table because it was accessible, filling, and deeply nourishing.
In Brazil, there’s a dish often called fígado doido, which loosely translates to “crazy liver.” The name sounds playful, but it’s simply liver cooked quickly with onions, garlic, and bold seasoning. It’s the kind of food that comes together fast and delivers real nourishment without fuss.
That’s how I still think about beef liver today. My beef liver recipe is rooted in everyday cooking, shaped by experience, and made to nourish in the most direct way.
You will love this Beef Liver recipe because
Nutrient dense: Liver is packed with protein, iron vitamins and minerals.
Simple: Some beef liver recipes have lots of complicated steps but this recipe has just a few easy-to-follow steps for making beef liver and onions.
Fast: Once the liver is cleaned and marinated this recipe cooks up fairly quickly.
Is beef liver good for you?
If you haven’t eaten organ meats before you may be surprised to know that there are many nutritional benefits to eating them and beef liver is no exception. When my daughter was anemic, we heavily relied on beef liver as well as beef liver supplements, to help her recover the iron deficiency (just like my Grandma helped me when I was a kid) and and all I can say is that it helped her tremendously since liver is one of the most iron-dense foods you can eat.
Ingredients and more
- Beef liver – If possible choose grass fed beef liver.
- White vinegar – White vinegar helps remove the blood and provides a coating for a crispier finish in this beef liver recipe.
- Bacon – Bacon adds flavor and some fat to this liver dish.
- Onion – Use a whole onion, white or yellow are both good.
- Garlic – Make a paste using fresh garlic cloves.
- Oil – Extra virgin olive oil is best but any kind will work.
- Salt and pepper – Add salt and pepper to taste.
Note: Some people like to soak beef liver in milk before cooking. In Brazil, we more commonly soak it briefly in vinegar. This helps loosen and remove the thin outer membrane (or skin) and reduces any strong, blood-like smell that liver can sometimes have.
How To Make Beef Liver and Onions
Step 1: Rinse the beef liver in cold running water until the water runs clear of blood and transfer to a bowl.
- Step 2: Soak the liver in vinegar water for 15 minutes (please see notes). The vinegar soak should facilitate the removal of the tough skin around the liver so you can easily peel it off.
- Step 3: Transfer the liver to a clean bowl and season and coat it with garlic paste, salt and pepper. Allow the liver to marinate for 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Cook the bacon slices in hot oil to your liking and transfer to a plate.
- Step 5: To the bacon fat pan, add liver and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side and then add onion slices. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, tossing the onions in the pan.
- Step 6: Return bacon to the pan, garnish with herb of choice, and serve the fried beef liver and onions over a bed of rice.
Beyond the Basics: Bold & Flavorful Recipes with Uncommon Meats
Feeling excited to try a few uncommon meats that are super delicious and mega nutritious? Here are a few recipes for you
Chicken Hearts Recipe – a staple in Brazilian cuisine, chicken hearts are protein-packed, iron-rich and budget friendly.
Slow Cooker Oxtails – you can also try a quicker version Instant Pot Oxtails. Slowly braised with fall-off-the-bone results.
Pork Belly – braised slowly, this pork belly recipe has the ultimate combination of sticky, sweet and sour umami flavors
Make Ahead and Storage
If you like to have a few meals ready to go in the fridge, you can make up this beef liver and onions a few days before you want to serve it and store it in the fridge. Place the liver in an airtight container and store it for 2-3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat over the stove or in the microwave.
What to serve beef liver with
Beef Liver Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef liver grass-fed
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 6 oz bacon
- 1 whole onion sliced in rounds
- 5 cloves garlic paste
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by rinsing the beef liver really well in cold running water until the water runs clear of blood. Transfer to a bowl
- Add vinegar to the bowl and allow liver to soak in vinegar water for 15 minutes (please see notes).
- The vinegar soak should facilitate the removal of the tough skin around the liver (please see notes). Simply peel off the rubbery skin from edges of the liver.
- Transfer liver to a clean bowl and season with garlic paste, salt and pepper. Toss it to coat liver with garlic, salt and pepper. Allow liver to sit in marinate for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat oil in pan and add in bacon slices. Toast bacon to your liking then transfer to a plate.
- To the bacon fat pan add liver and cook for about 5-7 minutes on one side.
- Turn liver to cook on other side and immediately add in onion slices. Cook for an addition 5-7 minutes tossing the onions in the pan.
- Add bacon back in, garnish with herb of choice and serve over a bed of rice.
Notes
- The vinegar soak helps get rid of bloody smells. It also coats the liver, giving it a crunchy finish. Finally, the vinegar helps ease the removal of the skin.
- The liver is usually coated with a smooth and glazed membrane that should be removed before cooking because it can lead to an unpleasant feeling of rubbery chewiness that most people do not enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you substitute Beef liver for lambs? and would you still use the vinegar?
Hi Bessie, you mean lamb liver? if that’s what you mean yes, but no to lamb meat.
Hummm, so good, protein and vitamin
delight
We have been trying to develop our taste for liver and although I did use milk before I saw your vinegar recommendation, I think using the garlic and bacon really helped us enjoy this dish! Thanks!
Hi Christine, milk works too! Glad the bacon and garlic added a distraction, while you are getting used to it. Thanks for trying my beef liver recipe! xoxo