Old World Style Chopped Chicken Liver Recipe
A classic, Old World Style Chopped Chicken Liver recipe featuring sautéed onions and schmaltz, combined with tender chicken livers and hard boiled eggs. This rich, savory pâté-style dish is perfect for serving chilled as an appetizer with bread, crackers, or matzo.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 31 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Liver Mixture
- 1 lb fresh, organic chicken livers
- 2 Tbsp schmaltz
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter (or margarine, if dairy-free)
- 1 large sweet onion, diced (about 1–1½ cups, plus more for serving if desired)
- ½ tsp Kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
Additional Ingredients
- 3 large hard boiled eggs (see note below for boiling instructions, plus more for serving if desired)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (plus more for serving)
- Challah, other bread, crackers, or matzo (for serving)
Instructions
- Sauté the onion: Heat 2 tablespoons of schmaltz and 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Cook the chicken livers: Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cleaned chicken livers to the skillet. Lightly season with ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook the livers, stirring occasionally, until they are just barely pink inside, approximately 8 minutes. Avoid overcooking to maintain tenderness.
- Process the mixture: Transfer the cooked livers and onions to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Allow the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the 3 chopped hard boiled eggs and pulse the processor until the mixture is coarsely chopped but still retains some texture and is not smooth. Stir in most of the chopped fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Chill and serve: Transfer the chopped liver mixture into an airtight container. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent discoloration and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to let the flavors meld. Serve chilled, garnished with additional parsley, extra chopped hard boiled eggs, or diced onion. Accompany with challah, bread, crackers, or matzo as desired.
Notes
- For perfectly hard boiled eggs: place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then cover, remove from heat, and let stand 10-12 minutes before cooling in ice water.
- Using schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) adds authentic richness and depth of flavor typical in Old World recipes.
- The liver should be cooked until just barely pink inside to keep it tender and moist; overcooking will cause toughness.
- This dish is best served chilled after at least 2 hours of refrigeration to develop flavors.
- Butter can be substituted with dairy-free margarine to make the recipe dairy-free, but traditional flavor comes from butter and schmaltz.
- Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days.
Keywords: chicken liver, chopped liver, schmaltz, appetizer, Eastern European, chicken pâté, hard boiled eggs
