How to boil chicken liver so that it is soft and juicy for salad, baby, pate, pies, pancakes in a slow cooker, microwave, saucepan

Publication in the group: Processing and preparation of products

Chicken liver is an offal that is not inferior to meat in taste and surpasses it in the content of useful substances. The product contains vitamins (groups A, B, E, C) and minerals (iron, phosphorus, copper), which have a positive effect on the condition of the skin, hair structure, figure and vision. The calorie content of the offal is not too high. 100 g of product contains only 136 kcal. There are several ways to boil liver: in a saucepan, double boiler, slow cooker and microwave. At the same time, boiled offal goes well with vegetables, dairy products and fruits.

Criteria for choosing fresh chicken liver

When choosing chicken liver, it is advisable to give preference to fresh offal, since it is more beneficial for the body than a frozen product. However, fresh liver has a short shelf life. It is suitable for use within 2 days. Afterwards, the product should be heat treated or sent to the freezer.

Criteria for choosing fresh chicken liver:

Index	Characteristic
Smell	Pleasant, a little sweet
Surface	Smooth with a slight sheen, without dark inclusions
Color	Light brown with burgundy color throughout the entire surface of the offal

Signs of a low-quality product that you should avoid buying:

if the chicken liver is yellow, dark or light in color, therefore, this offal is a sick bird;
if there are green spots on the surface of the product, it means that the gallbladder has been damaged;
the presence of an orange color on the liver indicates that the offal has been thawed several times.

Frozen chicken liver can be stored for about 3 months. But in such a product a large amount of B vitamins is destroyed. In addition, the animal fats contained in the offal begin to oxidize. As a result, the liver becomes bitter.

When choosing an ice cream product, you need to pay attention to the following:

The cut should be smooth, with a thin layer of ice. If you press the ice with your fingers, it should melt within 15 seconds.
The presence of pink ice crystals on the product means that the liver has been re-frozen. Therefore, it is better not to take such a product.
If there are pieces of ice in a package of offal, it means that the manufacturer pumped the liver with water to increase the weight of the product. There is no need to buy such a product.

At room temperature, the offal can be stored for no longer than 12 hours.

Vitamins

Vitamins	Quantity	Norm
Vitamin A	17142.9 mcg	900 mcg
Retinol	6.343 mg	~
beta carotene	0.186 mg	5 mg
Vitamin B1	0.286 mg	1.5 mg
Vitamin B2	1.83 mg	1.8 mg
Vitamin B4	277.71 mg	500 mg
Vitamin B6	1.286 mg	2 mg
Vitamin B9	342.857 mcg	400 mcg
Vitamin B12	23.686 mcg	3 mcg
Vitamin C	17.86 mg	90 mg
Vitamin PP	19.1234 mg	20 mg

Preparing fresh and frozen chicken livers for cooking

Before cooking, chicken liver must be properly prepared so that it turns out soft, juicy and not bitter. If the offal has been frozen, it must first be thawed. To do this, the product should be placed in the refrigerator compartment on the middle shelf. It is better to transfer the liver to the refrigerator in the evening so that the product thaws in the morning. It is also permissible to immerse the offal in cold water and leave it at room temperature for some time until the product is defrosted.

After the thawing stage, fresh chicken liver should be processed:

To do this, you will need to rinse the offal under running water.
Then it is necessary to cut off the blood clots and fat layer.
Next, you should get rid of gall bladders, green spots and ducts.
You also need to remove the film. However, you don’t have to do this, since the film is very thin and does not affect the taste of the finished dish.

At the end, the chicken liver needs to be rinsed again under water and placed in a colander to drain excess liquid. Afterwards, you can proceed directly to the preparation stage.

Selection rules

It is recommended to buy only fresh chicken livers. It is very important to choose the right product. Chicken liver must meet the following requirements:

smooth brown color, without inclusions;
the liver is covered with a glossy film;
has a pleasant smell, without acid;
there are no large veins;
the surface of the liver is elastic.

It is important to purchase the product from trusted places that have all the necessary quality certificates. It is better to give preference to butcher shops than supermarkets.

What to do if chicken liver is bitter?

The reason that chicken liver is bitter is due to damage to the gallbladder, which has covered the entire surface of the product, making it unfit for consumption. This occurs as a result of improper cutting of a chicken carcass.

To get rid of bitterness, the offal must be soaked.

This can be done in two ways:

In water. First, the liver needs to be rinsed under water. Afterwards, the product should be placed in a container and completely filled with water. You will also need to add salt (1 tbsp per 1 liter of liquid). The offal needs to be soaked for 30 minutes. Next, the liquid will need to be drained. If the water turns dark brown, the procedure must be repeated again. If the liquid has turned pink, then the liver should simply be rinsed with water and subjected to further cooking.
In milk. The offal will need to be washed first. Next, fill the liver with milk and leave for 30 minutes. After the specified period of time, the workpiece should be washed under a stream of water.

If there is still bitterness in the finished dish, then it is permissible to use various aromatic spices or sauce with walnuts to mask the unpleasant taste.

Note! It is not recommended to use sweet sauce, as it does not overcome the bitterness well. As a result, the delicacy will be spoiled.

Methods and duration of boiling offal

You can boil chicken liver in different ways: in a pan on the stove, in a double boiler, microwave and slow cooker. At the same time, the offal does not require long cooking. To check the dish for readiness, the liver must be pierced with a sharp object. If clear juice comes out, it means the product is ready.

To ensure that all the beneficial substances are preserved in the offal, the meat should be placed in boiling water. It is necessary to cook over low heat. You need to salt the dish at the very end. If the liver is overcooked, it will become quite harsh in taste and will lose its beneficial substances. The shelf life of boiled chicken liver is one day. In this case, the product must be stored in the refrigerator compartment.

On the stove

Before cooking, the meat can be cut into pieces or sent into a container as a whole piece. The chopped liver can be cooked in 10 minutes, and the whole liver in 15 minutes.

To cook offal in a pan on the stove, you will need to follow these steps:

Pour water into the pan and place the container on the stove.
As soon as the liquid begins to boil, you will need to place the meat in the pan.
When the water boils again, the heat must be reduced. The liver should be cooked for about 15 minutes.
Salt needs to be added 5 minutes before. until the product is cooked.

Before eating, meat should be cooled to room temperature.

In the microwave

Cooking chicken offal in the microwave will take very little time, about 10 minutes.

To prepare liver, you must follow these steps:

Place the meat in a microwave-safe bowl.
Afterwards, you will need to fill the product with cold water so that the liquid does not reach the edges of the container. You need to leave some free space for the water to boil.
You can also add bay leaves, black peppercorns or any other spices for taste.
The container must be covered with a plastic dome on top and placed in the device. Cook the chicken liver at maximum power for 9 minutes.

Afterwards, the offal needs to be salted and put back into the microwave for about 15 minutes. This will make the meat juicy and soft.

In a slow cooker

To cook chicken offal in a slow cooker, it is advisable to cut the liver into pieces. Due to this, the product will cook faster and taste tender.

Step-by-step instructions on how to cook chicken liver in a slow cooker at home:

Pieces of meat should be placed in the main container of the device. It is permissible to sprinkle spices on top of the workpiece.
The offal must be filled with warm water.
You will need to cover the device with a lid and set the “Cooking”, “Stewing” or “Soup” program. The timer must be set for 15 minutes.

How to boil chicken liver?
This can be done in a slow cooker. After the allotted period of time, the dish should be salted and left in the slow cooker for 10 minutes. In this case, the cover can be removed.

In a steamer

Boiling chicken livers in a double boiler is very easy, but it will take a little longer. Total cooking time – 30 minutes.

Step-by-step process for preparing offal in a double boiler:

After processing, the liver should be cut into portions.
Then the workpieces need to be placed in the main bowl of the device, adding salt and pepper to your taste.
Next, you need to pour water into the special compartment of the steamer, and place a bowl with the contents on top. The device must be closed with a lid.
The product should be cooked for 30 minutes.

The boiled product can be consumed together with cereals or vegetables.

How long to cook

Purpose of cooking	How long to cook
Purpose of cooking	In a slow cooker	In a saucepan	In the microwave (at a power of 800 W)
For the salad	15-20 minutes	15 minutes	13-15 minutes
For the pate	13-15 minutes	10-12 minutes	10-12 minutes

You should start checking the readiness of the liver 3-5 minutes before the end of the estimated time, as it varies depending on the manufacturer and size of the product.

The piece is pierced with a knife or toothpick; if clear, light juice without blood comes out of the hole, then the liver is ready. It can be cooked for a couple of minutes if the dish requires a thicker consistency.

How to properly boil chicken liver?

To prepare a tasty dish from chicken liver, you need to know how to properly cook the offal to create pate, dumplings, pancakes, pies and salad.

For the pate

To prepare pate, chicken offal can be cooked not only in a saucepan, but also in a microwave or multicooker. To make the product tasty, it is recommended to cook the meat in a broth containing spices, onions and carrots.

It is also permissible to cook the product with only one bay leaf.

Step-by-step instructions on how to cook liver for pate:

The offal will need to be rinsed under water and then dried with paper towels.
Afterwards, the product should be placed in a pan of water and put on the stove to cook. Cook for approximately 15 minutes.
In 5 min. Before the meat is ready, you need to salt it.

If the piece of chicken liver is too large, then the cooking time must be increased so that the meat fibers are completely cooked. Afterwards, the boiled offal needs to be placed in a blender bowl, adding butter, as well as fried onions and carrots. All ingredients should be crushed to a homogeneous consistency.

For the salad

You can make a wide variety of salads based on chicken liver. The offal goes well with onions, carrots, cream and herbs. If you need boiled liver to create a salad, then it needs to be cut into medium pieces. You should not chop the meat too finely, otherwise the product will be dry after cooking.

Preparing chicken liver for salad is quite easy:

To do this, you will first need to defrost the product.
Afterwards, the product should be cleaned of mucus and films.
Then the offal needs to be cut into medium pieces and placed in a slow cooker or pan.
The workpiece needs to be filled with water and cooked until tender for 15 minutes. from the moment the liquid boils again.

Finally, the meat must be removed from the broth and set aside to cool.

For pies

Chicken liver filling for pies can be combined with fried onions, boiled rice or mashed potatoes. In this case, the offal can not only be fried, but also boiled. In the latter version, the meat turns out to be less caloric and healthy.

To cook offal for pies, you need to do the following:

The liver should be thoroughly rinsed under running water and placed in a pan.
The workpiece will need to be filled with cold water and placed on the stove.
Cooking time is 30 minutes. The countdown should begin after the liquid boils again. Cook the meat over low heat.
If foam forms on the surface of the broth, it must be removed.
Once the liver is ready, the liquid will need to be drained.

Afterwards, the offal must be mixed with additional ingredients and grind in a blender. As a result, the filling comes out juicy, tender and not very greasy.

For pancakes

To prepare chicken liver filling for pancakes, the offal will first need to be cleaned of film and mucus, and then washed. Afterwards, the product can be soaked in milk to make the meat tender. However, this procedure can be omitted, since the filling will still be juicy and soft.

After preparation, you can start cooking:

The offal can be prepared either whole or chopped. All the same, the liver will have to be crushed in a blender.
The product will need to be filled with water and placed on the stove. If desired, you can add onions and carrots, as well as various spices, to the broth. As a result, the liver will be more tasty.
You need to cook the meat for about 15 minutes.

It is very important to bring the offal to full readiness, since during frying of the stuffed pancakes the filling will only have time to warm up.

For dumplings

To boil chicken liver for dumplings, you need to follow these cooking steps:

The container needs to be filled with water and placed on the stove.
When the liquid begins to boil, you need to lay out the pieces of offal.
As soon as the broth boils again, you need to remove the scale and continue cooking for 15 minutes.
Then the offal must be removed from the liquid and transferred to a colander to allow the liver to cool.

After this, the product will need to be mixed with fried onions and chopped in a blender bowl or through a meat grinder.

Steamer cooking method

It is impossible to say for sure how long chicken liver is cooked. The time depends on which cooking method is chosen. If in a regular saucepan this time is from 10 to 15 minutes, then for a double boiler it increases to 30 minutes.

Cooking method:

flush the liver;
remove veins, fat, etc.;
cut the liver into arbitrary pieces and place it on the bottom of the steamer bowl in one layer - this way it will cook evenly;
Cover the bowl with a lid and turn on the timer for half an hour.

This method has an advantage over classic cooking in water. It lies in the fact that when exposed to hot steam, all useful vitamins and microelements remain inside the product. When most foods are cooked, all the beneficial substances remain in the water.

How to cook offal for a child so that it is softer and juicier?

You can boil chicken liver for a child in milk or water to make it soft and juicy. The total cooking time is about 15-20 minutes, in a double boiler - 30 minutes. You need to cook on medium heat. The product will first need to be cleaned of fat, mucus and washed. The product must be cut into medium pieces. If the pieces are too small, the dish will come out dry.

After this, you need to fill the product with liquid and put it on the stove to cook. After the allotted period of time, the meat must be removed from the broth and transferred to a plate to cool. The main thing is not to overcook the offal, otherwise it will become tough and tasteless. In this case, the product will lose all its useful properties. To make the cooking process easier, you can use a multicooker or double boiler that has a timer that will signal when the cooking process is complete.

Method of cooking in a saucepan

This option is more popular than stewing in a slow cooker. After all, not every housewife has such an assistant. How to cook chicken liver so that it remains tender and tasty?

The product must be rinsed with plenty of cool running water.
Using a sharp knife, remove all veins and excess fat. At this stage, it is also important to examine the liver for the presence of bile ducts, which for some reason were not removed during production. They also need to be cut out to prevent the occurrence of bitterness.
Boil enough water in a saucepan.
Place the liver in boiling water.
You need to cook the chicken liver until done. How long will it take? The cooking process takes from 10 to 15 minutes.
When the specified period of time has passed, you need to remove the product from the boiling water.
The readiness of the liver can be judged after the test. If it is easily pierced with a fork and is soft, it is ready to serve.

It is very important not to overcook the product, as after this it will become “rubbery” and hard.

What to do with liver broth?

If there is broth left after boiling the chicken liver, it can be used to prepare various dishes. For example, the gravy for a side dish turns out to be very tasty. To make it, you only need to mix the broth with salt, spices and fresh herbs. You can also make a light sauce from liver broth. The liquid has a rich piquant taste and pleasant aroma. This sauce is suitable for seasoning potatoes, cereals or pasta.

In addition, the decoction can be used to create soup, pickle or hodgepodge. As a result, the hot dish will be rich and appetizing. You can add millet, buckwheat or rice to this soup.

Chicken liver is a very tasty dietary meat product that can be prepared in a few minutes at home. If you cook the offal correctly, it will turn out quite tender and juicy. In addition, the product is good for health because it contains vitamins A, B, C and D, which have a positive effect on the hair, nail plate, and vision.

How to make broth?

Liver is a low-calorie product, therefore suitable for dietary cuisine. Therefore, you can prepare simple and healthy soups based on it. How long to cook chicken liver for broth? Since the product is boneless, the cooking time is only 15 minutes. After this, the liver and broth are ready for use.

When this time has passed, you need to take out the offal so as not to overcook it. After this, add various ingredients and spices to the broth. When the soup is ready, you can return the chopped boiled liver to the broth. The finished dish is unusual, aromatic and tasty.