Old World Style Chopped Chicken Liver Recipe
This Old World Style Chopped Chicken Liver recipe offers a traditional, rich, and flavorful spread made with fresh chicken livers sautéed in schmaltz and butter, combined with sweet onions, hard boiled eggs, and fresh parsley. Perfectly creamy yet coarse in texture, it’s a nostalgic dish that pairs wonderfully with bread, crackers, or matzo, delivering a hearty and satisfying appetizer or snack.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 26 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing and Blending
- Cuisine: Jewish, Eastern European
- Diet: Gluten Free
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, chopped (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 unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced sweet onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are 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. Season lightly with ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until the livers are just barely pink inside, approximately 8 minutes to ensure they are tender.
- Process the mixture: Transfer the cooked chicken livers and onions to a food processor bowl fitted with the blade attachment. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Add the 3 chopped hard boiled eggs to the processor, then pulse the mixture until it is coarsely chopped but retains some texture and is not completely smooth. Stir in most of the chopped fresh parsley, then season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Chill and serve: Transfer the chicken liver mixture to an airtight container. Cover tightly by pressing a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent browning. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled with extra parsley, chopped hard boiled eggs, or chopped onions alongside challah, bread, crackers, or matzo.
Notes
- To hard boil eggs: Place eggs in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 10-12 minutes before cooling and peeling.
- The recipe can be made dairy-free by substituting margarine for butter.
- Ensure chicken livers are fresh and properly cleaned by removing any greenish or tough parts for best flavor.
- This spread can be stored refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Keywords: chicken liver, chopped liver, schmaltz, appetizer, Jewish cuisine, traditional spread, chicken liver pâté
