My Favorite Keto and Paleo Beef Liver Recipe


This site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links.

I didn’t like liver.  Honestly, I hated the taste and texture of liver.

The taste was too strong and the texture is just weird.

Eating liver is good for you…and me.

Jump to the Keto Recipe Button

I know I should eat more liver, so over the years, I have experimented with numerous ways to prepare beef liver.

This is hands-down my favorite keto liver recipe.

Keep in mind that this recipe is also great for Primal, Paleo, Whole 30, and any whole food nutrition-dense diet.  And on Keto, my cravings for particular foods are strong. I know when I crave liver, it means there are some nutrients that my body needs now.

Whip out one package of beef liver and one package of bacon from the freezer, and I’m satisfying my cravings with a great ketogenic meal.

Aside from bacon, onions, mushrooms, and butter providing some serious flavor and balancing out the liver, there are some secrets to why this is my favorite.

First, don’t skimp on the salt.

It’s really important and not as bad for us as previous recommendations might have cautioned.

Second, don’t overcook liver.

I don’t want mine rare or anything, but a little bit of pink goes a long way. Overdone liver is about as appetizing as a boot heel. And about as easy to chew.

Side note – I’ve tried to get my kids to eat liver from a young age. For a long time, they were both resistant. So I never pushed too much. They each had to have at least one bite of liver off my plate. They made the obligatory faces and protested but managed to get it down.

In the last year or so, though, the story has changed. Not only do they not protest the one bite, I can usually get them to take two.  LOL

When I made this recipe last night, I got the surprise of my life. The kind that makes a nutritionist mom’s heart sing.

My daughter ate several bites off my plate. And then she asked for a full serving of her own.

And she ate it! Huzzah! #MomWin

Before we look at the recipe, lets remind ourselves how nutritious beef liver is.



Liver-and-Onions

Beef Liver Nutrition

The table below is for 100 gram (3.5 ounces) serving of beef liver.

NutrientValue
Calories133 kCal
Protein20.35 g
Total lipid (fat)3.54 g
Carbohydrate3.54 g
Fiber, total dietary0 g
Sugars, total including NLEA0 g
Calcium, Ca0 mg
Iron, Fe4.78 mg
Sodium, Na71 mg
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid1.1 mg
Vitamin A, IU16814 IU
Fatty acids, total saturated1.33 g
Fatty acids, total trans0 g
Cholesterol274 mg
Beef Liver Nutrition – USDA Database

Beef liver is an incredible nutrient-dense and a source of a number of hard-to-find essential nutrients.

Beef liver is a great source of Protein, Iron, and Vitamin A. It is often prescribed by medical professionals for patients who need more Iron or Vitamin A.


P.S. If you like the recipe below, please take a moment to Rate this recipe and Share it.  We work so hard on publishing these recipes, and those little acts of kindness mean the world to us.  ~Ang

Best Beef Liver Recipe Keto

Liver-and-Onions

My Favorite Keto Beef Liver Recipe

Easy low carb recipe for tender, nutritious beef liver, smothered with bacon, butter, onions and mushrooms. A family favorite healthy organ meat recipe.
4.96 from 24 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Keto, Low Carb, Organ Meat, Primal
Keyword: Keto Recipe, Organ Meat, Paleo Recipe, Primal Recipe, Whole 30 Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 297kcal
Author: Stacey Davis

Ingredients

  • 1 pound grass-fed beef liver
  • 4 strips bacon we use Garrett Valley Uncured Bacon
  • 3 tbsp pasture butter divided use
  • ½ large Onion
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 10 ounces sliced button mushrooms

Instructions

  • Unwrap the beef liver and lay flat on a layer of paper towels. Pat dry.
  • Salt and pepper the liver generously, and leave it out at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  • Dice bacon and fry in 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. When crispy, remove the bacon bits from the pan and drain on paper towels. Leave the grease and butter in the pan.
  • Slice onion roughly. You want your pieces of onion to be similar in size to a bite of liver. The one-to-one ratio is part of the flavor secret! Saute on low in bacon grease and butter until it starts to soften but is not yet translucent.
    Easy Beef Liver Recipe
  • Add garlic to the onions for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Add mushrooms to the onions and garlic. Saute everything until mushrooms are tender.
    Simple Liver Reciper
  • Shove all the vegetables to one side of the pan, away from heat. You may want to scoot the pan so that side is off the burner a bit.
  • Turn the heat up to medium and add the last tablespoon of butter.
  • When the butter is melted, add half the liver slices. Cook until you start to see the edges cooking. They’ll turn from red to gray. When that border is a few millimeters thick (2-3 minutes, or so), flip them over.
  • Fry on the second side for another 2-3 minutes. Until you know how you like your liver, the best way to check is to cut into it. If it’s still red, keep flipping until it is just barely cooked through. You want just a tinge of pink so it’s cooked but still tender.
  • Place liver on a platter and cook remaining liver in the same fashion.
  • Toss the bacon bits with the vegetables and smother the liver with them.
  • Serve!

Notes

As written, this recipe has 11 grams of net carbs per four ounce serving of liver. For people following a very low carb count, I would use half the amount of onion, garlic and mushroom. The liver itself has 1.1 grams net carbs per ounce, or 4.4 per serving. If you halve the vegetables, you’ll bring the net carb count per serving to about 7.
I have sometimes soaked beef liver overnight in milk to help remove some of the stronger flavor. This does seem to soften it a bit. I’ve also seen people suggest soaking in apple cider vinegar. I haven’t tried that but it might help, too, if you just aren’t used to the taste. All that nutrition is worth learning to enjoy!

Nutrition – Not laboratory tested.

Nutrition Facts
My Favorite Keto Beef Liver Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 297 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Cholesterol 409mg136%
Sodium 304mg13%
Potassium 642mg18%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 44551IU891%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 15mg2%
Iron 8mg44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Love this recipe?Please give it a rating in the comments below!
Jump to Top Button

Thank You,

~ Angela

Stacey Davis

I am the co-founder of Advantage Meals along with my wife, Angela Davis. Together we run a Meal Solutions Business we created called Magic Meals Home Delivery. In April of 2018, we launch AdvantageMeals.com to help others thrive.

39 thoughts on “My Favorite Keto and Paleo Beef Liver Recipe

    1. Thanks for the note. The Garlic Cloves are added in step 5. We toss them in whole. As they cook in the bacon fat they become creamy and sweet.

        1. The garlic just needs a little head start in the oil to mellow the bitterness of raw garlic. The garlic then just finishes cooking with the mushrooms.

          Thanks for the questions, we tweaked the directions to make it more clear.

          1. 5 stars
            Very yummy.. and to keep it a little rare is definitely the secret most people don’t know about that is the most delicious way to eat liver and I love the mushrooms and bacon and onions and garlic delicious very good recipe thank you so much

        2. 5 stars
          Made this as is without the mushrooms, only because I didn’t have any. Was delicious! Thanks for the recipe. Best liver I ever ate.

      1. 5 stars
        Loved this recipe! Seems like most others have a lot of flour in the recipe. This was perfect! Easy and fast. I used a lot of fresh shiitake mushrooms that I had on hand. Really yummy. I wish I had more liver but I had used a god but in prepping my dog’s meals for the week. Definitely will do this again.

  1. 5 stars
    How do you slice the liver? In bite size pieces or in long slices? Thanks. Also, do you think soaking the liver dilutes some of its nutritional value if you discard the milf afterwards? Thanks

    1. 5 stars
      Melanie – I slice it in long slices for cooking which I think helps avoid overcooking it. Then I dice it up before eating. As for the soaking, I’m honestly not sure. To be safe, I’d use skim milk (this is the only time I’ll ever say that, I bet!) because then there won’t be any fat to attract the fat-soluble vitamins. You may lose some of the water-soluble vitamins but they tend to be more prevalent in other foods, so you can make up for that. In the end, liver is so nutrient dense that as long as you’re eating it, you’ll benefit. If you need to soak it to be able to enjoy it, then do it!

  2. I’m trying this recipe for the first time tomorrow. I grew up loving liver and my mom’s was always the best, this seems similar except no “sauce” or gravy. My boyfriend is on Carnivore and I am Keto. He has never liked liver but is willing to try. Wish me luck!

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe and cooking style of liver is awesome. I’ve been searching everywhere on Google on how to make liver taste better. I was already soaking it in milk but didn’t think bacon grease and butter would be this tasty with it.

  4. 5 stars
    Loved this sooo much, I ate the leftovers!
    My second time cooking liver and I’m happy I came across your version. I didn’t soak the liver in milk and the flavor was not too strong for me. Using uncured bacon was also a first and frankly, who needs cured? 😍

  5. Have you ever tried chicken liver? It was one of my favorites that my mom made. I do remember she dredged in seasoned flour though… Onions, bacon, mushroom and liver in a sauce of sour cream. And yes it was crave worthy!!!

  6. 5 stars
    This recipe is spot on the way I was taught to cook liver! I use calf liver, as I think it has a milder taste. I made it last night and my husband asked me to add it to the meal plans more often!

  7. 5 stars
    This was really good. Followed recipe exactly and it came out wonderful. It was so tender because I didn’t overcook it like I sometimes do. I didn’t use milk because I’m the only one who likes liver and I love the strong taste. Thanks for the recipe.

  8. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe! Liver is one of my husband’s favorite dishes while my feelings about it are generally ‘meh’. But I tried it and it was very very good. I’m adding this to my recipe collection as it will be my go to from now on.

  9. 5 stars
    Hands down, the best liver I have ever eaten. I am ecstatic to have this recipe as I love liver but was frustrated with my attempts to cook it. Your ingredients plus your tip not to overcook made the difference. Thank you so much!!

  10. 5 stars
    I love liver, but my husband is disgusted by it. His disgust turned to infatuation with this recipe. Thanks!

  11. 5 stars
    Love the idea of frying in bacon fat! I soak mine in a bit of cream first. It’s also great with a few morels or oyster mushrooms when you can get them! Making it with bacon today. Thanks for the idea!

  12. 5 stars
    I love the recipe but I have another suggestion if you want to jump start your weight loss …along with doing the keto diet drink ginger tea with squeezed lemon and a lot of cayenne pepper especially,,,but mixed with ginger and lemon .. I lost about a pound a day… I drink it all day long that cayenne pepper gives you a big jump start on your weight loss it makes your fat turn loose of holding mode..

  13. 4 stars
    I think the recipe is a great compilation of ingredients. I followed your instructions and list to the tee and infact added green bell peppers to the mix… but I just could not get passed the liver taste and I really wanted to! It was my most adult thing I wanted to attempt for myself this year. I tried and failed. I used calf liver, soaked it for 4 hours in milk and seasoned to my hearts desire. My condiments were sour cream, ketchup and sriracha hot chili sauce and raw onion slices, just in case! I will not be attempting to add liver to my menu again, at least not in the near future anyway. If liver is not your thing then just know that there may be no ingredients out there that can mask the flavor enough. I’m out, thanks!

  14. 5 stars
    Outstanding recipe! Easy to make and OH so tasty! Next time I will double up on the onions. I used minced garlic to get more of the garlic flavor and I used sliced baby Bella mushrooms and bacon was just right. This just made my personal top ten list. Thanks!

  15. This is a great recipe but I am surprised that u use beef liver? It is so much stronger than calves liver. I used this recipe with calves liver and it is so good . Calves doesn’t have a strong taste like beef .

  16. 5 stars
    I have enjoyed calf liver for years. The liver I have is from Bison. I was looking for a great recipe. I like your recipe and it reminds me of how my family prepared the liver.

    I usually fix liver if it is asked for. No one has asked lately so I am ready now.
    20 years ago I began a gradual step down from any form of cane sugar. Which made paleo and later keto much easier. Reduction of carbs is more important now.

    Thank you for giving the carb reduction info.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




More Keto Recipes?