Chinese chicken liver stir fry

Since I started this blog, one topic that I haven’t talked about enough is the use of different parts of the animal to create delicious, comforting meals. For example, I’ve shared recipes for braised pig feet, pork liver and spinach soup, and pork liver stir fry.

Animal parts such as liver, heart, gizzard, and lungs are very commonly used in restaurant and home cooking in China. Sometimes, the purpose is to make a filling meal at an economic price. At other times, the goal is to create a delicacy such as the wonderful poached duck liver we enjoy at Peking duck restaurants.

Stir fried liver has always been a favorite of mine, but I didn’t eat it for quite some time after moving to the US. One time we ate at a typical North American diner, I was delighted to find liver and onions on the menu, and my husband Thomas explained that it’s a classic diner dish. 

Eating the diner version of chicken liver and onions brought back sweet childhood memories, though the liver was a bit chewy and the sauce was not super rich.

These days, with grocery prices getting higher and higher, I think it’s a great time to share the Chinese-version of liver and onions. When done right, the chicken liver will be super tender and not taste gamey at all. With a super rich brown sauce to bring everything together, it’s just as comforting and delicious as your regular chicken dinner.

Ingredients

Ingredients for making Chinese chicken liver stir fry

How to prep chicken liver

Removing tough tissues – Chicken livers contains connective tissue and sinew. You’ll want to trim them away before cooking to make the liver more tender. Use your hand to identify a whitish stringy membrane that holds the lobes together, slice it off and discard using a small sharp knife.

Slicing – The key to making a great chicken liver and onion stir fry is to slice the chicken liver thin, but not too thin. If you use liver without slicing it, it takes too long to cook through and the texture will firm up. If you slice it too thin, it cooks too quickly and becomes tough. The 1/4” (1/2 cm) thickness is quite important.

Marinating – Like with many other Chinese stir fries, you should use Shaoxing wine and cornstarch to marinate the liver. The wine eliminates the gamey flavor and the cornstarch protects the liver from overcooking and keeps it tender.

But if you do not wish to use alcohol in your cooking, what you can do is soak the chicken liver in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking. Change out the water a few times in between. It helps release the blood from the liver to eliminate the gamey taste.

Mise en place

Once you’ve done prep, your table should have: the marinated liver, ginger and garlic, onion, pepper, mixed sauce, and sesame oil. You want to have everything ready before cooking the dish, because you want to move very fast once the stir fry starts to avoid overcooking the ingredients.

A non-stick pan works better for chicken liver

You can use a nonstick, cast iron, or carbon steel skillet for making stir fried dishes. However, I recommend using a nonstick skillet to cook liver. Since chicken liver is very delicate and the starch in the marinade is sticky, a nonstick pan can easily cook the liver without breaking it apart. 

If you use a carbon steel or cast iron skillet, you should use quite a bit more oil to prevent sticking.

If you’re using a round bottom wok, you can even briefly fry the liver (过油), to yield the best texture.

Cooking process

  1. Pan fry the chicken liver by spreading it out and not touching while cooking. Cook both sides until just cooked through, then transfer to a plate. It is OK if the center of the liver is still a little pink, because they will continue to cook later in the sauce. Avoiding overcooking chicken liver is the most important thing to keep the liver tender, without having a tough and grainy texture. 
Searing chicken liver in a pan
  1. Saute the ginger and onion to release the fragrance. Briefly stir fry the onion.
Cook aromatics and onion
  1. Add the chicken liver, pepper, and sauce. I always add peppers at the very end of my stir fries to keep their color and crispy texture. If you prefer a more tender texture, you can add the peppers along with the onion and cook them a little longer. 
Adding the sauce to the pan
  1. Once the sauce thickens and coats the ingredients evenly, immediately transfer everything into a plate. Avoid leaving the liver in the pot pan, because the residual heat will overcook it. 
Finishing up cooking the dish

Tip to succeed

Cooking chicken liver with onion and pepper is quite similar to cooking other cuts of chicken meat. The only thing you want to really make sure is not to undercook the liver, but also not overcook it. After you add the liver to the pan, spread it out and do not touch it until the bottom is browned. When you flip it over and cook the other side, observe the color. You may see blood seeping out from some pieces. When most of the pieces do not show any pink and no blood is seeping out, it’s done cooking. 

How to serve

I love to serve chicken liver with onion over steamed rice, to make it a one-bowl chicken dinner. You can serve it with noodles as well.

Chicken liver stir fry tastes the best when serving fresh, as soon as it’s cooked. Because the liver will turn tough after storing in the fridge. If you have leftover and want to reheat it, it’s the best to steam the liver until it’s just heated through. Never heat up liver in the microwave, because the liver tends to “explode” during heating.

Chinese chicken liver, onion and pepper over rice

Frequently asked questions

Should I soak chicken livers before cooking?

Soaking liver in milk or water for 20 to 30 minutes is a common practice for liver preparation. This helps mellow the metallic flavor and draws out excess blood, resulting in a cleaner taste. This recipe soaks the liver in Shaoxing wine, resulting in a similar effect. That’s why I didn’t soak the liver in my recipe.

Why did the liver fall apart during cooking?

There are several causes:

  • If you used frozen liver, the liver usually fall apart and has a weird texture. Due to the high water content of liver, the freezing and thawing process damage the cells and causes the liver taste chalky and fall apart. Try to shop for fresh liver if possible.
  • During the process of removing connective tissue and sinew, if you over remove too much from the liver, nothing will hold it together and the liver tends to fall apart. That’s why I only try to remove the toughest tissues but would leave some behind to hold the liver together.
  • If you use a cast iron, stainless steel or carbon steel pan, the liver can easily stick to the pan and fall apart when you stir it. Try to use a nonstick pan when cooking this dish.

How do I avoid splattering when stir-frying chicken liver?

Drain the liver thoroughly before marinating. Before adding the cornstarch, you can drain the liver again to avoid splattering.

Afterthought

I feel like chicken liver is a great cut that is often overlooked in spite of its high nutritional value. Chicken liver is a lean protein that’s packed with iron, folate, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamin B12 and is great for blood health. It is good for your vision and strengthens your immune system. Plus, it is extremely delicious when you prepare it right! 

If you make this dish, leave a comment below and let me know what you think. For me, sometimes I prefer the liver over the meat 🙂

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Introducing a recipe for Chinese chicken liver with onion and pepper that yields extra tender liver, crunchy peppers, and a super flavorful sauce. It is a cheap way to cook up an inexpensive, delicious, and nutritious dinner that is loaded with healthy protein and plenty of veggies. {Gluten-Free adaptable}

Chicken Liver with Onion and Pepper (爆炒鸡肝)

By Maggie Zhu
4.93 from 26 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Print
Introducing a recipe for Chinese chicken liver with onion and pepper that yields extra tender liver, crunchy peppers, and a super flavorful sauce. It is a cheap way to cook up an inexpensive, delicious, and nutritious dinner that is loaded with healthy protein and plenty of veggies. {Gluten-Free adaptable}

Ingredients 

Marinating

  • 12 oz chicken liver , sliced to 1/4” (1/2 cm) pieces (*Footnote 1)
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (*Footnote 2)

Sauce

Stir fry

  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 1/2 onion , sliced to bite-size pieces
  • 1 bell pepper (or sweet pepper, or both) , sliced to bite-size pieces
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

Marinate the liver

  • Add the chicken liver to a medium-sized bowl. Drain off any excess liquid. Add the Shaoxing wine and salt. Gently mix well with your hand (*Footnote 3). Sprinkle with the cornstarch. Mix again to coat the liver evenly.

Mix the sauce

  • Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Stir to mix well.

To make the stir fry

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Spread the sliced chicken liver without overlapping. Cook for 1 minute without touching, until the bottom turns golden brown. Flip to cook the other side, 1 minute or so, until just cooked through. Let it cook a bit longer if you still see blood seeping out. Transfer the cooked liver to a plate and set aside.
  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the garlic and ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
  • Add the onion. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Return the cooked liver to the pan and add the pepper. Stir the sauce again until the cornstarch is dissolved completely. Pour it into the pan. Stir and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the ingredients evenly.
  • Turn off the heat and swirl in the sesame oil. Give it a final stir and immediately transfer everything to a serving plate.
  • Serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

  1. When you slice the livers, you might see clotted blood vessels. You can remove them for a cleaner flavor.
  2. Once you mix in the cornstarch, it should form a sticky slurry that coats the liver, but it shouldn’t have a pile of liquid on the bottom of the bowl. The chicken liver might release liquid while marinating. So check it again right before you start cooking. Mix in a bit more cornstarch or drain off the extra liquid to prevent splatter.
  3. Chicken liver is fragile when it’s uncooked. The best way to mix in the cornstarch is by using your fingers, so you do not break apart the liver and so you can make sure the cornstarch coats evenly.
  4. To make the dish gluten-free: use dry sherry to replace the Shaoxing wine. And use tamari to replace the soy sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 259kcal, Carbohydrates: 11.6g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 13.7g, Saturated Fat: 3.1g, Cholesterol: 479mg, Sodium: 679mg, Potassium: 344mg, Fiber: 0.9g, Sugar: 5.7g, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 10mg

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