Foolproof Fried Liver and Onions (Deer Liver Recipe)

This Foolproof Fried Liver and Onions is the best deer liver recipe - cooked perfectly on the stovetop until tender. Add caramelized onions and a crispy slice of bacon for a protein packed meal served with creamy mashed potatoes that never fails to satisfy a hungry family.

If you love liver this is a dish you have to try. Deer Liver is nourishing and very high in protein, and the onions only enhance the flavor. You cook the liver till it is tender in only 4 minutes, so this recipe doesn’t take long at all!

Nana's Fried Liver and Onions

My Nana loved making Fried Liver and Onions. As a kid, it was never my favorite. But I’ve grown to love it as much as she did.

Liver and Onions isn’t a popular dish in American dining, which is a shame. It’s flavorful, full of vitamins and minerals, low in fat, and high in protein.

To get the best tenderness with deer liver, cover it with buttermilk. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours. This gives the buttermilk time to tenderize the liver. You’ll end up with a tender liver and a much more mellow, balanced flavor that becomes more enjoyable to eat. But how exactly does this work?

Soaking Liver in Milk

Soaking liver in milk is an important first step when making this Fried Liver and Onions Recipe. Think of the buttermilk like a marinade for any other piece of meat. Deer liver is an organ meat, but it acts similarly to other cuts when soaked in a marinade. The lactic acids in the buttermilk break down tissue and inject moisture into the meat. Deer liver, like any venison cut, can cook up tough. Soaking it in buttermilk guarantees a more tender and juicy meal.

Buttermilk also helps balance and tone down the flavors of deer liver. Organ meat, like game meat, has strong flavors that can overwhelm some eaters. As the liver sits in the buttermilk, the dairy proteins penetrate the meat. This mild binding results in a more subdued flavor.

If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute whole milk or heavy cream.

How to Cook Deer Liver

Making deer liver and onions is simple. The dish works with any wild game liver or domestic liver. I usually harvest about six deer each year, so I’m always looking for new ways to use the liver. To make this dish, you need bacon, deer liver (pre-sliced into thin strips), a large yellow onion, all-purpose flour, and beef broth.

The key is not to overcook the liver. If you do, it will turn tough. A quick cook of about 2 minutes on each side gives you a tender, delicious liver and onions dish for your next family dinner.

Liver Location

Just like us humans, a deer's liver location is in the upper right-hand portion of the abdominal cavity, beneath the diaphragm, and on top of the stomach, kidneys, and intestines. Shaped like a cone, the liver is a dark reddish-brown organ that weighs about 3 pounds. When you are harvesting the deer's liver, don't forget to grab the two kidneys so you can try my Deer Kidneys with Apple Cider Sauce. or Deviled Kidney recipe, or my Venison Steak and Kidney Pie!

What Is Liver?

Liver is an organ meat. It comes from the body's largest internal organ, found in the bellies of all animals with backbones. Among hundreds of other functions, the liver filters blood and removes toxins. It also makes bile, a substance that helps digest fats and get rid of waste.

Livers from many different animals are eaten around the world. Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, goose, and cod livers are sold in different butcher shops, seafood stores, and grocery stores. Liver has a strong flavor and unique texture that can be off to many people. Some people love it, while others hate it.

Eating Liver Benefits

All types of liver are richer in vitamins and minerals than muscle meats and many fruits and vegetables.

Liver contains plenty of protein, iron, and B vitamins. It's also one of the best animal-based sources of vitamin A. One serving of deer liver provides more than 100% of your daily vitamin A requirement. Getting enough Vitamin A has been linked to a lower risk of conditions like cataracts and breast cancer. Vitamin A has also long been known to support skin health but is also vital for reproduction, vision and supporting the immune system.

Liver Is Full Of B Vitamins For More Energy

Forget your morning coffee to get your going! Liver might be a better alternative. That’s because it's filled with B vitamins.

One of the many functions of this family of vitamins is converting food energy into chemical energy for your cells. As a result, your food can fuel you much better.

B Vitamins play other important roles like supporting fat burning – another method of fueling our cells with the added benefit of improved body composition for you (less fat, more muscle). 

How To Make Liver And Onions

1. Gather all your ingredients.

2. First, add sliced deer liver to a glass 9 X 13 baking dish. Pour buttermilk on top. Soak in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

3. Once deer liver has soaked, remove from buttermilk. Pat dry with paper towels and discard buttermilk. In a large Ziploc bag, add flour, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Working in batches, add liver and shake to coat. Set aside on plate until ready to cook.

4. In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon and cook until bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and reserve bacon fat in skillet.

5. In the same large skillet with the bacon grease add sliced onions and cook them until they are softened, for about 5 minutes.

6. Add seasoned deer liver to the pan.

7. Sear liver on both sides for about 2 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove liver from pan and transfer to a plate.

8. Add beef broth and butter to pan with the onions and cook for 1 more minute.

9. Serve deer liver with onions and pan sauce over creamy mashed potatoes, topped with bacon.

More Offally Good Organ Meat Recipes

If you are looking for other ways to use the organ meat from your deer, antelope, elk, or moose be sure and check out my Pan Fried Venison Heart Recipe or British Meatballs.

Come Deer Hunting in North Dakota

If you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.

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DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE

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