Nothing tastes like home quite like a plate of southern liver and onions with gravy. That earthy, bold flavor the liver has paired with the sweet caramelized onions is delicious.
Liver is one of those acquired taste things - that you either love or hate. There's no in-between.
Lucky for me, I'm the former. I grew up eating a lot of liver (I had an iron deficiency) and now have a craving for it often.
Jump to:
- What makes this recipe so yummy
- Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
- Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Necessary gear: Equipment
- What to serve with liver and onions
- How to store leftovers
- Mel's kitchen notes
- Frequently asked questions: FAQ's
- Southern Liver and Onions with Gravy
- 💬 Comments
What makes this recipe so yummy
- Due to the nature of cooking liver it's a super fast dish to make. It only takes 1-2 minutes to cook the pieces.
- Liver is packed full of nutrients - iron being the main one people look for.
- It's inexpensive - which in today's economy is perfect.
- It's an old fashioned liver recipe.
Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Rinse the calf liver and soak in the milk for about 1 hour.
- Step 2: In the meantime, melt ¼ cup butter in a large cast iron pan, over medium-high heat.
- Step 3: Add and saute onions until caramelized - about 5-10 minutes.
- Step 4: Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
- Step 5: Add the Creole seasoning to a shallow pan with the flour and mix well.
- Step 6: Pat dry with a paper towel and dredge the liver through the flour until well coated.
- Step 7: Add another ¼ cup of butter and heat over medium-high heat. Add a few slices of liver, in a single layer and cook for about 1 minute - until browned.
- Step 8: Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining liver - adding more butter as needed.
- Step 9: Once all the liver has been cooked add the remaining butter to the pan and scrape up the dark bits from the pan.
- Step 10: Add the remaining flour and stir well. Cook for a few minutes the slowly pour in the beef broth.
- Step 11: Once a nice bubbly gravy has been created lay the liver in the pan, in the gravy. Lay the sauteed onions on top and turn off the heat.
- Step 12: Serve with mashed potatoes on the side.
Hint: Calf liver is a lot more tender than beef liver. It is the preferred cut and will ensure a nice soft liver and onions recipe.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Beef Liver - you could use beef liver, or Pork liver but it's not nearly as tender as calves liver or veal liver.
- Chicken Livers - use chicken livers instead.
- Garlic Powder - add another flavor.
- Cayenne Pepper - add a pinch for some heat.
- Red Potatoes - red potatoes can be served instead of mashed potatoes.
- Olive Oil - Use olive oil instead of butter.
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Necessary gear: Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I used my large cast iron skillet for this southern liver and onions with gravy recipe. As long as a large skillet is used, it doesn't necessarily have to be cast iron. It does cook more evenly though.
I have an affiliate link in the recipe card at the end of this post.
What to serve with liver and onions
How to store leftovers
Once the liver and onions have cooled completely they will need to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you like to cook in your cast iron skillet you should head over to this Southern Cast Iron Recipes post.
Mel's kitchen notes
Don't skip soaking the liver in milk first. It does help to remove the bitter taste. Also, coating in the flour helps create a sort of crust that gives it even more flavor and nuttiness.
Frequently asked questions: FAQ's
It helps remove the bitterness that is often present in liver.
Yes, due to the fact that the liver is an organ that is used to remove toxins from a body it's a good idea to rinse first.
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Southern Liver and Onions with Gravy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Calf Liver
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter salted
- 2 Each Yellow Onions sliced
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Creole Seasoning
- 3 Cups Beef Broth
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the calf liver under cold water then add to a bowl along with the milk and allow to soak at room temperature for about 1 hour.2 Pounds Calf Liver, 1 Cup Milk
- Add ¼ Cup Butter to a large cast iron pan and saute the sliced onions until caramelized (about 5-10 minutes).1 Cup Unsalted Butter, 2 Each Yellow Onions
- Remove the onions from the pan.
- Add the flour and Creole seasoning to a shallow dish and mix well.2 Cups All Purpose Flour, 2 Tablespoons Creole Seasoning
- Coat all the liver slices with the seasoned flour.
- Add ¼ Cup butter to the pan and melt over medium-high heat.1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- Lay a few pieces of liver into the hot butter and cook until browned (about 1 minute). Turn liver over and cook the other side - about another minute.
- Remove from the pan, add a little more butter if needed and repeat with the liver until all has been cooked.
- Add the remaining butter to the pan along with the remaining flour and stir well scraping up the stuck bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Cook a few minutes, until browned then slowly pour the beef broth into the pan. Stirring constantly. Season to your preferred taste with salt and pepper.3 Cups Beef Broth, Salt and Pepper to taste
- Once you have a nice gravy made add the liver back to the pan with the onions on top and turn off the heat.
- Serve with mashed potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
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