The Updated GREAT AIP Liver Recipe Round-Up
The original version of my GREAT AIP Liver Recipe Round-Up was published back in July 2015. Year on year, it remains one of my most popular posts. I find this both unsurprising and reassuring.
Unsurprising, because we AIPers know liver to be one of the most nutrient-dense of foods available to us, and reassuring because, despite this, liver still holds a bit of an ‘ick-factor’ for many. It’s good to see folks move beyond the ‘ick’!
AIP-land continues to experience growth in bloggers and AIP-friendly liver recipes. This is my oft-updated liver recipe round up!
Of all the things the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) has taught me – and the list is long – eating more organ meat is definitely up there in the top five. It may even nudge into pole position.
It’s THAT important
I know there will be dissenters among you. I accept that, for some, the ‘ick-factor’ is just too high to overcome.
But! – for those of you prepared to experiment, this post is for you. I urge you to increase your intake of liver.
My partner, David, enjoys liver just as much as he enjoys a good steak
I’m not kidding. He really does.
Did you know that, in general, organ meats are between 10 and 100 times higher in nutrients than corresponding muscle meats? (i)
Even if this statistic was limited to only (!) 10 times higher, that would be enough to encourage me to eat more organ meats.
And when you consider that grass-fed dry-aged sirloin retails for between AU$57.00 and AU$63.00 per kilo*, and happy lambs fry (liver) is $AU$18.50 per kilo* or happy chook liver is just a little steeper at AU$24.00 per kilo*, I’m hard-pressed to find a reason why we shouldn’t aim to eat liver (and other organ meats) at least a couple of times every week. It’s one of my personal AIP goals.
Some people object to consuming liver under the mistaken belief that it is a storage organ for toxins in the body. They are sort of half right, but not about the storage bit…
It is certainly true that one of the liver’s roles is to neutralise toxins that make their way into your body (things like drugs, chemical agents and poisons). But, it doesn’t store these toxins. Rather, if your body can’t eliminate a toxin, it is more likely to accumulate in the fatty tissues and nervous systems.
Even if this statistic was limited to only (!) 10 times higher, that would be enough to encourage me to eat more organ meats.
And when you consider that grass-fed dry-aged sirloin retails for between AU$57.00 and AU$63.00 per kilo*, and happy lambs fry (liver) is $AU$18.50 per kilo* or happy chook liver is just a little steeper at AU$24.00 per kilo*, I’m hard-pressed to find a reason why we shouldn’t aim to eat liver (and other organ meats) at least a couple of times every week. It’s one of my personal AIP goals.
Some people object to consuming liver under the mistaken belief that it is a storage organ for toxins in the body. They are sort of half right, but not about the storage bit…
It is certainly true that one of the liver’s roles is to neutralise toxins that make their way into your body (things like drugs, chemical agents and poisons). But, it doesn’t store these toxins. Rather, if your body can’t eliminate a toxin, it is more likely to accumulate in the fatty tissues and nervous systems.
Liver is known to be one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin A of any foods. The great Chris Kresser even refers to it as ‘nature’s most potent superfood’.
Liver also contains loads of important vitamins and minerals, is an outstanding source of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 (and other B-Vitamins), copper, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, and iron, which is in a form that is particularly easily absorbed and used by the body. These nutrients provide the body with some of the tools it needs to get rid of toxins.
So, why aren’t you eating more liver?
I tend to take a bit of a Masterchef ‘Mystery Box‘ approach to cooking my liver. Bacon and onion feature often. Usually, there’s some variety of wilted leafy greens – think spinach, silver-beet or rainbow chard. If David is lucky, I’ll whip up a mash of some description. And, there’ll be a bone broth gravy.
It must be said that Bella, the poodle, loves liver night, too! Raw for her, thank you very much.
In an effort to broaden my liver recipe repertoire and get you eating more liver, I’ve rounded up some of my best suggestions for this nutrient power-house… Today I bring you my AIP liver round up!
Pâté has got to be one of the best ways to increase your liver consumption, I think. It’s tasty. It’s portable. It’s wonderful as a snack smeared onto apple slices, or with the more traditional carrot and celery sticks or cucumber slices..
[Top tip: Pâté freezes remarkably well. Make a double batch and freeze it in little ready-to-serve glass containers or ramekins. They will only take a couple of hours to defrost!]
POULTRY Liver Pâté
- My friend, the late Martine – famous around here for her completely unrelated marshmallows – of Eat Heal Thrive offers up two versions of chicken liver pâté recipes. The first is her Chicken Liver Pâté 101 (for those new to liver!) and her Chicken Liver Pâté with Mushrooms and Bacon for the mushy-lovers amongst us.
- If you happen to be low-FODMAPs, Gabriella over at Beyond the Bite has you covered with her Herbed chicken Liver Pâté.
- At a recent Sydney AIP-catch up, one of our regulars brought a large batch of Mickey’s Chicken Liver Mousse. Let’s just say, it didn’t last very long with all those serious nutrient density-lovers around!
- Love mushies? My good mate, Erin from over at Real Food and Love has this Creamy Mushroom Liver Pâté for you. DOUBLE the nutrient-density!
- For the longest time, my own contribution to the ‘poultry pate’ selection was strictly for AIP Reintroductions. I rectified that with this lovely little Chicken Liver Pâté with Pear and Sage number.
- If you can tolerate butter, this baby is dinner-party worthy – my ‘I Can’t Believe it’s Liver!’ Duck Liver, Thyme and Orange Pâté.
- And, if you’d like to know the pâté I grew up with (and that my brother, sister and I still request when we go home to Mum!) – here’s My Mum’s WORLD FAMOUS IN NEW ZEALAND Chicken Liver Pâté.
Lamb and Beef Liver Pâté
- While I’ve never actually tried beef liver, I know Kate over at Healing Family Eats has a way with flavour combos – she has a delightful sounding Beef Liver Pate with Basil and Balsamic.
- Beyond the Bite has a second liver pate offering (also low-FODMAPs) with her Asian Beef Liver Pate.
- It has to be said that Mickey’s recipes have never failed me. Head over to Autoimmune Paleo to check out her Bacon-Beef Liver Pate with Rosemary and Thyme.
- Erin’s Beef Liver Pâté with Balsamic Caramelised Onions sounds DELISH!
- And, then there’s this scrummy-looking Beef Liver Pâté with Thyme and Roasted Grapes from Rebecca at Lichen Paleo Lovin AIP.
Poultry Liver Mains
- Eileen from Phoenix Helix offers up her Chicken Liver Fried Rice, and
- Charlotte from Salixisme has ‘Dirty Rice – AIP-Style’, which is chock-full of goodies.
- Kate’s Sautéed Chicken Livers with Riced Cauliflower, Collards and Herbs is one of my longtime favourite go-to recipes when I want to REALLY up the ante on nutrient density (and it tastes bloody fabulous, too). A more recent addition is her AIP Dirty Rice, which I am looking forward to adding to my liver repertoire!
- I’ve also spotted and bookmarked this number – Warm Chicken Livers with Lacinato, Beet, Ruby Grapefruit + Balsamic Glaze.
- Kate, here-by crowned ‘Queen of the Liver Recipes’, also has the closest version of my ‘Mystery Box approach’ with her much more sophisticated-looking Liver with Bacon, Onions and Collard Greens served with Garlic Cauliflower Mash.
- Sophie from A Squirrel in the Kitchen can always be relied upon to offer a sophisticated Frenchie-take on her recipes (she hails from Belgium, which must be why!). I’ve had my eye on her Balsamic Chicken Livers with Grapes ever since I spotted her post. And then I found this scrummy looking number – Rosemary and Garlic Beef Liver Appetiser. Need I say more?
- Samantha and Jesse from AIP Sisterhood have this hearty Hidden Liver Beef Stew number to warm your cockles.
Hidden Liver Options
There are, of course, secret squirrel** ways to hide liver.
- Healing Family Eats offers up this fabulous drool-worthy Pork and Liver Terrine with Spiced Apple Compote. One of the local AIPers brought it to our most recent picnic and it was my favourite dish of the day.
- I’m partial to adding liver to my You Won’t Believe it’s Tomato-Free Ragu Bolognese. It makes it very smooth!
- I also make The Paleo Mom’s 50/50/50 Burgers (only I make mine in a muffin pan. They make GREAT snacks on the go). Sarah also has an AIP Reintro Egg-Free, Tomato-Free Hidden Liver Meatloaf.
- Bethany at Adventures in Partaking has a scrummy looking Lamb and Liver Meatballs recipe. Petra, my blogging buddy from way back at BiohackU has her Victorious Offal Muffins – a GREAT lunchbox-filler. And, if that doesn’t tempt you, check out
- Dora’s Hidden Liver Meatballs over at Provincial Paleo.
- A more recent addition is Erin’s Sweet Potato Turkey Meatballs from Real Food & Love. I reckon these look like a great way to sneak some liver onto your kid’s plates.
I really hope this selection encourages you to increase your liver intake!
…but, if I haven’t, here’s one last offering for the squeamish: DIY Pastured Liver Pills from the good fairy of liver solutions – Samantha at the Unskilled Cavewoman.
* Prices from the Feather and Bone – List of Everything
**no relation to Sophie over at A Squirrel in the Kitchen!
(i) Chris Kresser – Liver: Nature’s most potent superfood
First published October 2015
What is it about men and liver? They do seem to love it, while we ladies need to work at it. Great roundup, Joanna! I’ve pinned it.
Thanks lovely Eileen!
I think you’re right – in my informal, unsubstantiated survey of peeps I know, it was overwhelmingly the blokes who fancy liver.
I agree with you here Eileen, men seem to find it easier. I don’t think it’s the “ick” factor, because plenty of men do the cooking and don’t have an issue with it. I think it is different taste buds, or something like that.
Love it! Great fan of beef liver, all of the rest? Meh! LOL Gonna work my way through every single one of these this year. Thanks!!
May the force be with you, lovely Cheryl!
That is a seriously evocative photo of liver at the top of this post~. Well done!
Ha! Small confession, Petra – it’s not mine. My talents lie in other areas… But thank you for noticing 🙂
Great round up Joanna. I have always loved all things liver, as a child we ate liver regularly. Went quiet there a bit in my 20’s and 30’s with the occasional liver noodle stir fry but it is definitely back on my weekly meal plans these days. Gets hidden in meatballs, patties and meat sauces but then I also hide heart in those too! Must give a shout out to Rachel Bryants Ultimate Liver Haters pate which has apple in and this is my new fave 🙂
Hi Amanda!
Thanks for the heads up on Rachael’s pate. I’m going to give that a go on your recommendation! 🙂
I’m struggling with it. The chicken liver in the Pork and Liver terrine I can do. But I tried the Hidden Offal swedish meatballs in The Paleo Approach… I just couldn’t eat it. My husband had no problems! I diluted them further by adding another 2kg mince and a very strong no-mato sauce, and I can now eat them, but it is like forcing down bad-tasting medicine. I made a fantastic steak and kidney pudding last week, using just one lamb’s kidney with every possible morsel of ‘core’ cut out, added to 1kg of beef and I could still taste that kidney! It’s not the look that bothers me, it’s the taste. It just has such a strong metallic taste.
I think it is a bit like that horrible red lettuce leaf – some people like it whereas others find it repulsive. It doesn’t look bad, in fact it looks quite pretty. And I don’t have any “ick” factor about eating red lettuce leaves, but my taste bads have given it a firm NO WAY!
I am a “supertaster” and can pick out flavours in an unknown dish, so maybe it has something to do with that? I don’t know, but I really really really struggle with the organ meats. On the other hand, I love bone marrow, and adore oxtail. But I guess they aren’t as nutrient dense.
Incidentally, do you know if chicken liver is as good for you as the other animal organs? I was just wondering because I know we aren’t supposed to eat chicken as often as the other animal meats because of the different omega ratios, but does this apply to the liver of a chicken (or duck or goose for that matter)?
Hey Melanie of the divine terrine!
How interesting!
Like you, I am no fan of kidneys. I will walk a mile to avoid them, so you are not alone there. I do, however enjoy liver. Why do you think you can eat it in the terrine?
As for chook (or poultry) versus ruminants liver, certainly I think it is a good rule of thumb to alternate. Cicken is higher in Omega 6, but ANY grass fed, happy liver is better for you than none. Of that, I am sure.