Global · dinner, lunch

Pan-Fried Chicken Livers with Bacon and Butter

Name: Pan-Fried Chicken Livers with Bacon and Butter
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 320 g chicken livers, rinsed and cut into small pieces; 20 g butter; 55 g bacon, chopped (weighed raw); the fat rendered from the same bacon, left in the pan; 32 g chopped onion (optional; leave out for strict carnivore); sea salt, to taste

Pan-Fried Chicken Livers with Bacon and Butter — from Minimalist Keto's cooking video

Watch how it’s made · 4:40

Video by Minimalist Keto on YouTube · Open on YouTube

20 minServes 2395 kcal a serve

Carnivore if you leave out the onion
Keto (2.5 g net carbs a serve)
Gluten-free ingredients
Nut-free

Contains: Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Chicken liver is one of the richest foods for vitamin A, B12 and folate, and one serve gives about 33 g of protein plus iron and selenium, cooked in minutes with butter and a little bacon.

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Ingredients 6

320 g chicken livers, rinsed and cut into small pieces
20 g butter
55 g bacon, chopped (weighed raw)
the fat rendered from the same bacon, left in the pan
32 g chopped onion (optional; leave out for strict carnivore)
sea salt, to taste

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

Rinse the chicken livers under cold water to take away any bitterness, pat dry and cut into small pieces. 1:48
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the chopped bacon and fry until lightly browned. Add the onion now if you are using it and stir for a minute. 2:07
Add the livers, mix them through the bacon and fat, and season with sea salt. 2:43
Cover and cook for 2½ minutes, stir, then cover again for about 2 minutes more, until just cooked through (less if you like them pink). 2:54
Serve straight away, with an extra knob of butter melted over the top if you like. 3:19

Tip. Serves 2 (the cook's per-plate figures). Beef or lamb liver work too but taste stronger. Add 20 g more butter on top for a richer plate. Vitamin A is very high: once or twice a week is plenty, and less if pregnant.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 2

Energy395 kcal1,650 kJ

Protein34 g67% of a day

Fibre0.3 g1% of a day

Carbohydrate2.8 g2.5 g net · 0.7 g sugars1% of a day

Fat27 g12 g saturated35% of a day

Sodium670 mg29% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

Net carbs 3%
Protein 35%
Fat 62%

Fits keto: 2.5 g net carbs a serve, with 62% of the energy from fat.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin B12 High851%

20 µg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (99%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Vitamin A High539%

4847 µg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (99%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Selenium High190%

104 µg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (94%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Folate High174%

697 µg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (100%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Iron High78%

14 mg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (99%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin B6 High58%

1 mg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (92%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Zinc High47%

5.2 mg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (92%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin C High39%

35 mg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (97%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Omega-3 Source12%

0.2 g a serve, mostly from fat rendered (37%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

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Vitamin E9%

1.3 mg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (75%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Potassium8%

400 mg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (79%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Magnesium8%

35 mg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (85%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Calcium2%

21 mg a serve, mostly from chicken livers (64%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin D2%

0.4 µg a serve, mostly from fat rendered (47%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin K1%

0.8 µg a serve, mostly from butter (92%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

Recipe and video by Minimalist Keto; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.