How to Make Southern-Fried Chicken Livers
I've fried hundreds of chicken livers over the years and have learned a thing or two about how to make them taste delicious. They're one of my favorite foods.
And if you're reading this, I'm sure you love them, too.
I think the best ones are well-seasoned and in a super-crispy crust. The following recipe is for Southern-style fried chicken livers.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken livers
- salt
- black pepper
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tbsp. dried sage
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Pour the vegetable oil into your skillet to a depth of about one inch. Place over high heat until the oil is shimmering. I like to use a thermometer, and I wait until my oil has reached 360 degrees. This is the optimal temperature for frying.
- Meanwhile, put the livers in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Season the livers generously with salt, black pepper, sage and the red pepper flakes. (We like livers to have a spicy hot flavor. If you're sensitive to heat, then omit the red pepper flakes.)
- Pour the flour into a bag (I usually use a gallon freezer bag), then toss all of the livers in the flour. It's important to toss the livers in the flour first, before going on to the next step.
- As I remove them from the bag of flour, I place them on a cutting board, and then slice some livers into a few pieces. I do this because I like some larger and some smaller pieces of liver in a crunchy crust. The smaller liver pieces are usually about the size of the end of my thumb.
- Pour the buttermilk into a bowl, put the livers into the buttermilk, then back into the bag of flour. Toss to coat thoroughly. This "double-dipping"—livers into the flour, then into the buttermilk, then back into the flour—is what makes for a super-crispy crust.
- Lower the pieces of liver into the hot oil, then lower the stove temperature to medium-high. After the bottoms have turned medium brown, turn the liver and fry on the other side. This usually takes no more than about 2 or 3 minutes per side.
- Once they're crispy brown, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a platter lined with paper towels.
Final Thoughts
I always use a frying screen when I'm frying chicken livers. They tend to splatter oil, and you'll have a mess on your stove if you don't. The frying screen also prevents the hot oil from spattering onto your hands while you fry.
Questions & Answers
Question: How do you prevent chicken livers from popping when frying?
Answer: Because of the liquid in livers, it's nearly impossible to prevent them from popping while frying. Always use a frying screen.
I've noticed that if I shake my livers in flour before I dip them into the batter, the popping is lessened. I think the flour absorbs some of the liquid.
Question: What if I don't have buttermilk for this recipe for fried chicken livers?
Answer: You can make your own like this: to a cup of milk, add one tsp of lemon juice OR rice vinegar. Stir and leave to sit for 5 minutes. It won't look like buttermilk but will work great for this recipe.