Southern Fried Chicken Livers

Name: Southern Fried Chicken Livers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 c Cooking Oil (or more if needed to make a 1" base in the bottom of a skillet); 2 c All Purpose Flour; 1.5 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Black Pepper; 1/2 tsp Onion Powder; 1 tsp Paprika; 1 Egg (beaten); 1/4 c Buttermilk; 1 tbs Water; 1 to 1.5 lbs Chicken Livers

ByJulia Jordan June 30, 2017November 12, 2024 Updated onNovember 12, 2024

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In this post I’m sharing a tried and true Southern Fried Chicken Livers recipe.

Southern Fried Chicken Livers! Love them or hate them? I happen to love them and have since I was a child. I wasn’t even tricked into eating them. I knew exactly what they were and have liked them ever since my first crunchy bite.

That being said, I’m not a fan of all liver dishes. My mother has fond memories of my grandmother’s beef liver and onions recipe. Well, I can tell you that I don’t want anything to do with beef liver. I know that sounds contradictory but beef liver is just not my thing. Fried chicken livers and their crunchy goodness, are!

Whenever I think of chicken livers, I can’t help but remember a spoiled rotten dog we had when I was growing up. It was a Pekingese. You know the small hairy dogs with smooshed faces. He could be a really sweet pup but then turn into the devil himself with no warning at all.

I think that may be a small dog trait. At least in my experience. Anyways…. this spoiled dog had my mother under his spell. She had to boil chicken livers for his food because it was about the only thing he would eat.

Delicious crunchy Southern fried chicken livers in a vintage bowl

Table of Contents

Classic Southern Recipe

When preparing fried chicken livers, I follow the same method I use when making fried chicken. A dry dredge mixture with a wet dredge mixture.

Why do we dredge in this manner? Well, it works well and I’ll explain why it does. First, you dredge in a seasoned flour mixture. This absorbs any moisture on the meat you’re cooking. Then a dip into a wet mixture. This prepares the meat to hold onto the next dry dredge step so you get that crunch out coating we all adore so much.

This is what happens when you don’t follow the three step dredge procedure. This chicken liver piece was just dipped into the dry mixture and then straight into the skillet. No, I didn’t forget what I was doing…..this time. I wanted to show the difference. You’ll notice a little of the flour stayed on the meat but most of it basically washed off in the cooking oil.

Following the dry dredge, wet dredge, dry dredge method results in a nice crunchy coating. It also keeps your cooking oil from becoming a big ole mess. This is what properly dredged pieces look like when cooked and I think you would agree, much better.

Okay, let’s cook some chicken livers y’all! These can be your main course or can be served as appetizers along with some dipping sauce.

By the way, in case you’re thinking you don’t care for chicken livers, you may have had them in dishes and weren’t even aware of it. For instance, they are a main ingredient in preparing Cajun Dirty Rice. The chicken livers are what give the rice the “dirty” look. Sneaky, I know.

Chicken livers are also part of making the beloved giblet gravy for holiday meals.

Easy Chicken Liver Recipe

Ingredients

Cooking Oil
All Purpose Flour
Salt
Black Pepper
Onion Powder
Paprika
1 Egg, beaten
Buttermilk
Water
Chicken Livers

Add the cooking oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat.

Prepare the dry dredge mixture by adding the flour and seasonings to a bowl, stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, make the wet dredge mixture by beating the egg and adding the buttermilk. Mix to combine and add the water to loosen the wet mixture. Whisk everything together.

Add the chicken livers to a colander and rinse. Drain well.

Dredge Coating for Chicken Livers

Take each chicken liver and dredge in the dry mixture, then coat in the wet mixture, and a final dredge in the dry mixture to prepare for frying. You can do all of the dredging and set aside on a sheet of parchment paper.

When the cooking oil is hot for frying, add the chicken livers in batches to give each piece room to cook.

Cook 3-4 minutes per side, turning occasionally. Chicken livers are done when firm and the dredge mixture is browned on all sides.

Remove cooked livers and set aside on a paper towel lined plate or a sheet pan lined with a cooling rack to drain excess oil.

Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

See it at:
The Weekend Potluck

Pan Fried Chicken Livers

Let’s make a batch of Southern Fried Chicken Livers!

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