Liver And Onions (2 Different Ways) - Clover Meadows Beef

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Liver and onions is a classic comfort food and one of the most nutritious meals you can make with beef. On our family cattle farm, we’re often asked how to cook it so that it tastes good. In this post, we’re sharing two easy versions we eat — a simple, gluten free skillet recipe and a floured one that’s perfect for kids and first-time liver eaters.

This post was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2025.

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Jump to:

• Beef Liver 101: Basics, Nutrition, and Why to Try It
• How to Make Liver and Onions
• How to Make Liver & Onions Video:
• Recipe Comparison (Liver with Flour vs. Liver without Flour)
• Common Questions About Purchasing & Cooking Beef Liver
• Recipes:
• Liver & Onions Recipe (without flour)
• Liver & Onions (with flour)
• Other Offal Recipes
• Join us!

Beef Liver 101: Basics, Nutrition, and Why to Try It

Beef liver is an organ meat, also called offal. It’s the largest organ in cattle, and is critical for filtering blood and storing nutrients, which is why it’s so nutrient-dense.

A single beef liver weighs about 10 pounds, and is usually sold in lobes or sliced. The dish “liver and onions” became popular because it is an affordable, nutritious cut of beef. It has been enjoyed for generations around the world. It’s believed to have started in England and Germany where cooks fry liver and onion. It became popular in America in the early 1900s and Great Depression.

There are many types of liver, including beef, calf (veal), lamb, pork and chicken liver. Each has a slightly different taste, texture and nutrients. Beef liver and calf liver are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re two different cuts of beef. The difference between them is the age of the animal. Calf liver, also called veal liver, comes from animals under a year old and has a milder taste.  Beef liver is from animals a year or older, and has a stronger taste. On our farm, we always cook beef liver, which is one of the cuts that comes when you buy a cow from a farmer.

Nutritionally, beef liver is a powerhouse. A small serving provides more than your daily need for Vitamin A and is loaded with B vitamins like B12, folate, and riboflavin, which help your body make energy and red blood cells. Because it’s so rich in nutrients, sources like WebMD recommend limiting it to one serving per week.

A 3-ounce cooked serving of beef liver contains about:

• Calories: 149
• Protein: 23g
• Fat: 4g
• Cholesterol: 310mg
• Carbohydrates: 4g

How to Make Liver and Onions

Prepping: Start by rinsing and patting the liver dry. If you notice a thin, shiny membrane that sort of looks like plastic wrap, it should be removed. Use a small paring knife to lift the membrane, and then slowly peel it off the liver. Next, soak the slices in milk or buttermilk for 30 minutes to 2 hours. This step is very important for mellowing the flavor. Just place the slices in a shallow dish (we use a pie plate), cover with milk or buttermilk, and let soak for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you’re dairy-free, you can skip the milk and soak liver in water with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Floured Version Tip: After soaking in milk and drying, coat each slice in the flour mixture. This adds a light crust and softens the strong flavor of liver once it cooks.

Cooking: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions. Set them aside, then add the liver slices to the same pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side, until browned but still slightly pink inside, rare to medium rare. Add the onions back and cook for another minute or two. Typically, beef should be cooked to 160°F according to the USDA food safety guidelines. For veal and beef liver, the USDA recommends the minimum internal temperature should be 145°F before removing from the heat source and rest for at least 3 minutes before eating.

Floured Version Tip: When cooking floured liver, keep the heat at medium to medium-high and don’t crowd the pan. The coating crisps up beautifully when each slice has a little space.

Serving: Liver and onions is best served warm, right out of the skillet, with the butter and pan juices spooned on top.

How to Make Liver & Onions Video:

Recipe Comparison (Liver with Flour vs. Liver without Flour)

Food bloggers don’t usually have two variations of a recipe in a single post, but I think it’s important to see the differences in the two recipes. Hopefully, this chart helps!

With flour	Without flour
Flavor	Mild, lightly nutty because of flour coating	Stronger, pure beef flavor
Prep Time	A few extra minutes to dredge pieces in flour	Faster because you skip the flour
Texture	Slightly crisp outside, tender inside	Soft and rich, more natural because no flour
Soaking Step	Strongly recommend for both recipes	Strongly recommend for both recipes
Best For…	Liver newbies, those who prefer a milder taste	Liver lovers who want the full liver flavor

Common Questions About Purchasing & Cooking Beef Liver

Where to purchase quality beef liver?

We recommend buying beef liver from a local farmer when possible because then you can know how the beef was raised. But, it can also be purchased from a variety of other places like local butcher shops, grocery store, and/or local Farmer’s Markets. When purchasing, the liver should be dark red or maroon in color. It will have a fresh smell (yes, we know this sounds strange!). If it smells rancid or bad, discard it.

What’s the difference between beef liver and calf liver (veal)?

Calf liver, also called veal liver, comes from animals under a year old.  Beef liver is from animals a year or older. Calf’s liver usually has a milder flavor and a more tender texture.

How do you make liver taste less bitter?

Soak the beef liver in milk, buttermilk, or water with 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar to help remove the strong, bitter flavor. The longer it soaks, the less bitter it will be. Soak for 2-hours or less.

How to store beef liver?

Store cooked liver and onions in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Is there a way to hide liver in food? Liver & Onions isn’t my fav

Yes! Our favorite way to hide liver is with beef liver cubes.  Simply cut liver into chunks, pulverize it in a food processor, spoon the goopy mixture into an ice cube tray, and cover and freeze. When you’re cooking something with ground beef (like tacos), add one cube of liver to one pound of ground beef.

Recipes:

Recipe 1: Old-Fashioned Liver and Onions Recipe with Flour

This recipe is a classic. You simply add a little salt and pepper and pan fry the liver.

Liver & Onions Recipe (without flour)

This is the classic way to make Liver and Onions. It's very simple and uses minimal ingredients Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 30 minutes minsCook Time 10 minutes minsTotal Time 40 minutes mins Course Main Course Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb sliced beef liver
• 1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 1 cup milk, or as needed
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp water
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Dash of salt and pepper

Instructions

• Depending on the cut of beef liver, the membrane may need to be removed if it's still attached. You can do this easily by using a paring knife to cut through the membrane and peel off the membrane.
• Gently rinse liver in water. Then, place liver in a shallow bowl and cover with milk. Let liver soak in milk for at least 30-minutes and up to 2 hours. This will remove the bitter flavor. Remove from milk, rinse in cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.* 
• Thinly slice liver into 1/2-3/4″ thick slices, and slice yellow onion into rings. 
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion rings; cook and stir in butter until tender and soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. The onions will be soft, but not caramelized. Remove cooked, buttered onions from skillet and transfer to a plate. 
• Add liver slices to skillet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high heat, and cook liver until browned on one side, approximately 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until browned.
• Add onions back to skillet with liver. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until onions are heated and liver is slightly pink in center, approximately 3 minutes. Remove liver and onions from skillet and transfer from a plate.
• If desired, mix water, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Heat liquid sauce in the same skillet and heat through. Pour over the liver and onions
• Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

*If dairy-free, soak liver in water with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Recipe 2: Liver and Onions With Flour (for a milder, nutty flavor)

Another great way to make Liver and Onions is to dredge the liver in flour before frying. The flour gives the liver a flavorful crust and a more nutty flavor, which some people find more palatable.

Liver & Onions (with flour)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 30 minutes minsCook Time 10 minutes mins Course Main Course Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb sliced beef liver
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup milk (or more if needed)
• 1 large onion, sliced into rings
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup  all-purpose flour, or as needed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Depending on the cut of beef liver, the membrane may need to be removed if it's still attached. You can do this easily by using a paring knife to cut through the membrane and peel off the membrane.
• Gently rinse liver in water. Then, place liver in a shallow bowl and cover with milk. Let liver soak in milk for at least 30-minutes and up to 2 hours. This will remove the bitter flavor. Remove from milk, rinse in cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.* 
• Thinly slice liver into 1/2-3/4″ thick slices, and slice yellow onion into rings. 
• In a large bowl, mix the flour with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place sliced liver in flour mixture and coat evenly on both sides.
• Melt 2 Tbps butter in a large skillet. Add the individual onion rings to skillet and sauté until they’re soft on medium-high heat. Remove the onions, and set aside on another plate.
• Place coated liver into skillet with butter. Cook on medium-high heat until golden brown. It will be about 2 minutes per side.
• Add onions back to skillet with liver. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until onions are heated and liver is slightly pink in center, approximately 3 minutes. Remove liver and onions from skillet and transfer from a plate.

Notes

*If dairy-free, soak liver in water with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Other Offal Recipes

• Beef Liver Cubes
• Beef Liver Dog Treats & Birthday Cake
• Pickled Beef Tongue
• Beef Tongue Tacos (Beef Tacos de Lengua)
• Beef Bone Broth

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