Old World Style Chopped Chicken Liver Recipe
This Old World Style Chopped Chicken Liver recipe showcases a traditional savory spread, featuring tender chicken livers sautéed with sweet onions, blended coarsely with hard boiled eggs and fresh parsley. Perfectly balanced with schmaltz and butter, this classic dish is ideal for serving on challah, crackers, or matzo as a rich appetizer or snack with a comforting, rustic flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 31 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Jewish, 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)
Finishing 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 onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft 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. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the livers are just barely pink inside, which should take approximately 8 minutes.
- Process the mixture: Transfer the cooked livers and onions to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Let it cool for about 5 minutes. Add the 3 chopped hard boiled eggs and pulse the mixture until it is coarsely chopped but still has some texture – do not puree it completely. Stir in most of the chopped fresh parsley and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Chill and serve: Transfer the mixture to an airtight container. Press a piece of plastic wrap firmly onto the surface to prevent oxidation and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled, garnished with additional parsley, chopped eggs, or chopped onions alongside challah, crackers, matzo, or your preferred bread.
Notes
- To hard boil eggs: place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover the pot. Let sit for 10-12 minutes, then cool eggs in ice water before peeling and chopping.
- Schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) provides authentic flavor and richness; it can be substituted with additional butter or a neutral oil if unavailable.
- This spread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For dairy-free version, use margarine instead of butter.
- Ensure chicken livers are cleaned properly by removing any connective tissue or greenish bits before cooking.
Keywords: chicken liver spread, chopped chicken liver, Jewish appetizer, traditional chicken liver, schmaltz recipe, easy liver pâté
