Crispy Chicken Livers a la Bistek dressed with onions and a tangy lemon-soy sauce mixture. Crunchy and tasty, they're perfect as an appetizer or dinner meal!
Hi, guys! It's throwback Friday here on Kawaling Pinoy, and featured is a fried chicken livers recipe first published on the blog in May 2015. I am updating it with new photos along with a few tips to help you recreate it effortlessly at home.
This recipe should have been up a good half hour ago, but I spent a while trying to come up with a jazzy name. This is a dish I just whipped up freestyle years ago, and it has quickly become a family favorite.
Loaded with garlic and onions and lightly doused in a citrus sauce made of calamansi juice and soy sauce, I suppose crispy chicken livers a la bistek is the closest thing to describing its flavor profile. If you love the tangy-salty taste of our Filipino beef steak, then this budget-friendly version should be on your menu rotation.
Why you'll love chicken livers
Chicken liver is definitely an acquired taste, but if you get past the "gag" factor, you'll discover its many benefits as a superfood.
- They're an economical source of protein and is relatively cheaper than most cuts of meat.
- They're a nutrient powerhouse rich in iron, folate, Vitamin A, and essential fatty acids.
- They're versatile and can be used in a variety of recipes as well as easy and quick to cook.
- Cooked properly, they're a delicious addition to your dinner repertoire.
Cooking tips
- Gently rinse the chicken livers to rid of blood and pat dry with paper towels, as the extra moisture trapped under the breading will make them soggy and keep them from frying properly.
- For a light and crisp breading, use a mixture of flour and cornstarch. I seasoned it simply with salt and pepper but feel to add garlic powder, paprika, or chili powder. Just note that whatever blend of herbs you add will affect the overall taste of the dish.
- For super crunchy texture, use enough and the right kind of oil with high smoke points such as canola, safflower, or peanut oil. Heat the oil to the optimal temperature range of 350 F to 375 F. Do not overcrowd the pan, cook the liver in batches as needed to prevent the temperature from plummeting.
- To keep the chicken liver from disintegrating, make sure the oil is hot enough and do not turn them too much. Allow them to brown and crisp properly on one side before flipping to the other side.
- Toss the fried livers BRIEFLY in the lemon-soy sauce to maintain their texture. For the most crunch, you can also arrange the liver on a serving platter, garnish with the onions, and drizzle the heated sauce.
How to serve
Serve these crispy chicken livers a la bistek as an appetizer with your favorite drinks or as a main dish with steamed rice.
Storing leftovers
- The dish is best enjoyed freshly cooked as the fried livers lose their crunchy texture over time. If you do have leftovers, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave at 1 to 2-minute intervals or until completely warmed through. Make sure not to overcook to keep from toughening.
More Bistek Recipes
More chicken recipes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken liver, cut into halves
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- canola oil
- 2 lemons, juiced (about ½ cup juice)
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1 small onion, peeled and sliced thinly into rings
- 1 head garlic, peeled and minced
Instructions
- Rinse chicken liver and pat dry.
- In a bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
- Dredge liver in flour mixture to fully coat.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat about 2-inches deep of oil.
- Add liver in batches and cook, turning as needed, until golden and crispy. With a slotted spoon, remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
- In a bowl, combine lemon juice, soy sauce, and water. Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat about 1 tablespoon oil. Add onions and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 minute or until half done. Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Add garlic to pan and cook, stirring regularly, until lightly browned and aromatic.
- Add lemon-soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil.
- Add chicken livers and gently toss to coat. Continue to cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until heated and sauce is slightly thickened.
- Transfer to serving platter and garnish with onions. Serve hot.
Notes
- Gently rinse the chicken livers to rid of blood and pat dry with paper towels, as the extra moisture trapped under the breading will make them soggy and keep them from frying properly.
- To keep the chicken liver from disintegrating, ensure the oil is hot enough and do not turn them too much. Allow them to brown and crisp properly on one side before flipping them to the other side.
- Toss the fried livers BRIEFLY in the lemon-soy sauce to maintain their texture. For the most crunch, you can also arrange the liver on a serving platter, garnish with the onions, and drizzle the heated sauce.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Milette says
I tried this tonight for dinner and it was delish!!! Thank u for sharing...
Lalaine Manalo says
You're welcome 🙂 I am glad you enjoyed it.
Lalaine Manalo says
I'm glad you liked it!
philip says
To minimize the bitter taste of chicken liver, generously salt raw livers in a non-reactive container for 15-20 minutes. The salt will draw out moisture from the livers. Discard liquid, or add to your dog or cat food - they love it. Salting to draw out bitterness out of the livers is not unlike salting bitter gourd [ampalaya].
Instead of deep-frying livers, i shallow fry them in rendered pork fat/lard. I use just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the lard is wispy smoke, add salted livers in one layer. Do not overcrowd pan. Brown livers on each side; at least 5 minutes each side; do not touch them before flipping. Remove cooked browned livers on a clean plate or bowl, then do another batch[es].
Deglaze fond at the bottom of your pan with lots of onions, cover pan. The onions will give out their liquid, enough to deglaze the pan, and then caramelize. the caramelized onions complement the slightly bitterness of the livers.
Hope this helps 😉
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you so much for the tip!
Lea says
A bit off-topic, but replying to this portion: “ Discard liquid, or add to your dog or cat food – they love it. ”
They will — but you’re also contributing to their future kidney problems, if they don’t have it yet. While dogs and cats love salty food, they should only consume very little sodium. All that moisture from the salted liver would accumulate a lot of it. Just throw the liquid out. Let’s be a bit more responsible about suggesting these kinds of things.
Dee says
Hi Ms Lalaine,
Does Kawaling pinoy App work on The newest IOS Version?I was able to download the App but the contents are not loading.I uninstalled and reinstalled it a couple of times.Hope I'll get a response.Thank you
Lalaine says
Hello Dee,
That app was done for me by a company and I think they went out business? Thank you for reminding me, getting a new app for Kawaling Pinoy is one of the new things I have to work on this coming year.
Suzanne says
Made this for lunch today and it is delicious! Thanks for sharing, Lalaine! I know how much hard work and love you put in every recipe and post. Cheers to you!
Lalaine Manalo says
I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Rose says
Hi, tried this recipe and it was so good! But someof the livers had a bitter taste to it, any tips how to avoid that next time?
Lalaine says
Hi Rose
The bitter taste might be from the blood? It's the organ that rids the body of toxins so I think every now and then you'll encounter pieces with this metallic taste. I haven't personally tried it but some people soak chicken livers beforehand in milk to draw out some of the blood. I hope this helps.
Grace S.C. says
I recently stumble upon your website on Pinterest and I am now addicted to your website. I came across this recipe and I was instantly attracted to it because I L-O-V-E chicken liver! I have to make a confession though, I am not good at cooking at all! But I love to make desserts (main reason how I got to your website via Pinterest). Anyway, this recipe seems really easy to follow and foolproof as well so I think I'm going to give it a try. Will you know...
Thanks and keep those recipes coming!
Lalaine says
Hi Grace
I hope you try these chicken livers, they're delicious and one of my favorite dishes 🙂