Absolute Best Liver and Onions

The tips in this recipe are great for making really tender liver. But the milk takes away *too* much of that liver taste that I actually like, leaving me with a pan of rather bland liver. It's great if you're trying to get your kids to eat liver, but as someone who actually likes liver, I think I'll forgo the milk next time.

I absolutely loved this recipe! I added a little garlic to the pan before I fried the onions, and that gave it a really nice flavour.

mmmmmm! this realy is the best recipe for liver. I had never thought of soaking in milk before. When I tried it last night it came out fantastic. It was tender, moist and delicious. Not the usual "shoeleather" quality that liver can sometimes take on. Yes I belive this recipe will convert liver haters into liver tryers.

Great recipe! My husband raved about the liver. I was a little hesitant since I hadn't cooked liver in over 15 years. I used extra virgin olive oil instead of the butter.

I made this last night for dinner at the request of my fiance. I have to admit, liver has never been my favorite dish, and I've never made it before, but this recipe was so easy, and it's true, the milk takes out all of the bitter taste. If it was good enough that I cleaned my plate, it deserves 5 stars!!

it was moist, delicious, and most of all easy easy easy!! i soaked the liver for about 30 mins, and i liked liver without soaking it in milk, but i dont think i will ever eat liver and onions again unless im using this recipe, it was fabulous!! thank you

Great recipe overall...love seeing the soaking in milk step like I have always done. I saw Julia Child do that years ago and knew how important it is but I am amazed at how many people just fry it right out of the pack and then complain of the strong taste! A great tip by the way, since you are already doing the caramelized onions, do a huge batch up and make onion marmalade to can a jar or two. Back to the recipe at hand, the only complaint I have with the directions is that someone who hasn't cooked liver before really needs to understand what is done. Liver is much like steak in that by the time it gets to the completely done stage, it gets tough since it keeps cooking after you pull it off the heat. You really need to pull it off when it's still slightly pink and that's if you want it completely done...we prefer it pinkish for tenderness. Also, you need to add the onions back BEFORE it's done for this same reason. The time given is actually too long...for the average thickness the way most is packaged, four to five minutes is plenty of time in a medium/hot pan. I also recommend adding some garlic powder to the flour dredging mixture or some seasoned salt. To really send this recipe off the charts, make a gravy out of the drippings left in the pan...not too thick, and serve it on the side but it is awesome poured right over the top and served with some thick biscuits.

My Dad is a HUGE liver & onion fan and he LOVED this, as well as the fact that I made it for him. Great recipe, its the same as the one on the package of liver ;)

This rating comes from hubby, although I did give it a little taste and I must admit that it was pretty good. He came home with calves liver, which I've never cooked, so I was happy to find this recipe. I never would have thought to soak it in milk. He absolutely LOVED this "J" and thanks so much!

This dish was fantastic. I only soaked the liver while the onions cooked as I prefer the strong liver flavor. After cooking, I added 1 cup of beef broth to the pan drippings and cooked until the liquid had reduced by a little more than half. I then added the onions and the liver back to the pan. The remaining liquid thickened nicely to make a delicious gravy. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

I've always love liver and onions when it was made correctly by other people, but I never liked my own. Thanks to this recipe, that has changed. Soaking the liver in milk really did take out most of the bitterness of the liver. Plus, I was overcooking my liver. Wow, some simple tips that really make all the difference in the world. With the price of meat escalating these days, cooking cheaper foods competently is a crucial skill. Truth be told, I'd prefer a good calf's liver to a ribeye any day. Thanks for the help!

Nice recipe. Have never found a beef liver recipe that wasn't better w/calf's liver. Flour mix was a bit bland, so this time used some garlic powder and hot Hungarian paprika in the flour mix. With a bit more time, I'd try some other spices but was rushed tonight; milk soak about 30 min. but sufficient. I regard the milk soak as optional for flavor (agree with one reviewer that it sucks a bit too much of the liver flavor out), but REALLY necessary for getting the flour to stick! The "don't turn it" advice is great; I've always stirred and fidgeted with it before, which messes up the coating and mushes up the liver. TURN ONCE. Onions were great; tossed in a splash of some white wine for no reason other than I was drinking it - don't think it added or detracted! Wife thought it was very good, too. We both grew up in very different backgrounds - as huge liver fans. I used to have a pet owl growing up (really) - he liked liver, too, except RAW. Ewwwwwwww.

My wife used to buy Liver twice a year (neither one of us like liver) we would eat a little of it and toss the rest in the bin. When asked why? she bought it, she replied it had great Iron content. Let me say this and make it crystal clear since finding your recipe,we now have liver every "WEEK" and there are no leftovers. Thanks for sharing

I've fixed liver & onions this way for many years. As some others have mentioned, I add a little garlic. After the liver is dredged in flour and in the pan and turned the first time, I put about of cup of the left over flour in there ... really! Just dump it in and cook along with the liver and onions. Viola! Yummy gravy. Of course with that great gravy, one needs homemade mashed potatoes. A perfect meal.

Since my wife don't like liver, I thought the milk soak would change her mind. Nope, she still didn't care for it. And since I grew up eating liver with a strong flavor, the milk soak extracted the flavor I appreciate. However, the temperature guidelines this recipe gave me reduced the temperatures I had been using for the onions and the liver leaving me with a better texture of both. My second attempt with this recipe, I eliminated the milk soak, seasoned the liver directly before breading it instead of adding the seasoning to the flour, and doubled the butter amount to keep enough moisture in the skillet to simmer the onions and cook the liver. The end result was the best liver & onions I have ever fixed. Next time I'm going to try adding a slight amount of cooking oil instead of doubling on the butter. Oh yeah, the liver I cooked with this recipe was venison liver.

such a great recipe, im not the biggest fan of liver but i went back for seconds

This recipe is perfectly named! Absolutely! I've been cooking liver for fifty years and and liking it but it has never been better than this. Thank you so much.

Oh so good!! We already like liver but this was especially yummy! It was very flavorful and tender. I followed the recipe as written exceptI only soaked it in milk for 30 minutes. I fried some bacon slices first and set aside to break over the top later. I sauteed a couple fresh mushrooms with the onions. The liver, the sauteed onions and mushrooms, and the bacon pieces all piled on a serving platter made for a yummy meal with mashed potatoes, and ketchup on the side for dipping. I followed the suggestion to mix leftover flour with water in the frying pan to take advantage of all the flavorful pan drippings and this made a good gravy for the potatoes. I plan to repeat this method again!

I grew up loving liver and onions but was never successful at making it until trying this easy recipe. I've made it using both butter to fry in or oil. . . use butter, it makes a big difference! There's nothing quite like the wonderful sweet flavor of perfectly carmelized onions as a companion to the great taste of perfectly seasoned liver. I always make enough for my brother-in-law too since our wives won't cook liver for us. This one's a keeper!

Made this tonight. Letting the liver soak in the milk is the key. Wonderful! this recipe is so easy, you don't even need to save it. I cooked the liver approx. 3 mins. each side. I made a gravy with chicken broth, some fat from the pan and flour. I returned the liver to the pan with the gravy just before serving. I did both onions and bacon. Thanks for sharing.

Great recipe. I am a big liver and onions fan so I'll eat it any way it comes out, but the milk is magic. It even improved the texture which a lot of people dislike. If you're making liver and onions, this IS the recipe!

I made this for my Husband and Son last night and between the two they ate a whole pound of fried livers and onions. They said it was great.

This is a great recipe for liver! Learned it from my Russian wife whose mother makes it. The only difference is that I add a bit of sour cream after the liver has browned and let it simmer to taste.

I don't eat liver, don't care for it but my husband loves it. I made this recipe for his (without my own tasting) and he LOVED it! I added garlic salt, paprika and pepper to the flour, didn't turn them but once and also did the bacon with the onions. I did the milk soak for about 40 minutes, used beef calves livers. I will definitely make this again or at least teach him how to make it!

Sorry... this still tasted like liver to me! It was BAD!!! I soaked it for four hours with no change!

This was my first time cooking liver, and this recipe served for a great template. I cooked up some bacon first, and then sauteed the sliced onions in the bacon grease. Drained and padded them both with paper towels before warming them back up alongside the liver. Utterly delish.

I am a recently retired butcher, and "fresh" liver is hard to come by these days, so I don't have it very often. With Deer & Elk season in full swing right now, I am busy helping friends & neighbors with a very bountiful harvest this year, and this recipe is absolutely fantastic with fresh game liver. I've made it 3 times so far. My 78 year old Dad thinks that it is the closest recipe to my late Mother's. That is a heck of a compliment coming from him! Thank You!

I made this for supper last night. OMGosh, it was so good. I followed the recipe exactly as written only adding some garlic powder to the flour.. Just wonderful. So tender. The husband loved it. Took left overs for lunch today. Thanks, will be making again soon.

perfect base recipe - then add your own touch. Loved it.

I usually never go back to a web site after trying a recipe to describe my cooking experience, but after trying this recipe I knew I just had to!! For years I had just one liver and onion recipe...I made it over and over again, year after year. I decided to google something new and I'm so glad I did! This is the best liver dish I have ever tasted! My husband could not stop saying how much he loved it. The only thing I changed was the flour, I used gluten free and used 1 cup. I also added a bit of vegetable broth at the end, and I was so glad to just use a bit, because it would have taken away the crunchy bite the liver had to it. Can't wait to make it again! Sandy from Houston

Cooked this recipe today and was sooo impressed at how fantastic this came out. I have tried so many times to make Liver & Onions for years - just to throw them away but not anymore because they came out perfect from this recipe. So no more going out to get great liver & onions, I can now cook them myself.....Thanks so much

I'm giving this recipe 5 stars even though I will only use it to make liver for our kids. As my husband and I ate it, we noticed the strong liver flavor was missing. We grew up with that flavor and LIKE it. LOL!! So, we will not soak our liver in milk, but will always do the children's. (I just can't believe the milk is so effective in getting rid of that flavor.) I'm glad to have found this for the kids!

I enjoyed this recipe very much! I wisked some flour in beef broth and made a delicious gravy with a splash of cooking sherry. Will be making this again soon.

Use Beef Liver not Baby Beef Liver for more flavor and better texture. This recipe is what I've used for many years and liver lovers love it.

Hi there, I've never made liver before in my life but I had to for my boyfriend because he's having surgery and needs to build up his hemoglobin, so the poor boy needs lots of iron! His mother would make liver for him once a month as a child and he thinks it's awful stuff. I made him this and he loved, loved loved it! It was tender (milk?) and perfect and I even loved it too! The onions made all the difference and I also added a wee bit of rosemary to the liver (since I was using it in my roasted potatoes) and that was perfect. My mom used some dijon mustard for dipping and that helped her. Thanks for this, truly wonderful and simple!!!

This was fantastic! I haven't made this is years and had just bought some liver as a lark. I had to look up how to cook it and this was the first recipe that came up. I didn't' have any milk just half and half so I used that and added a bit of water to make milk? I only had a few minutes to soak it too. I sent some over to my neighbor too and he called raving about it too! Thanks!

I must have done something wrong because it was terrible.

Very good. I fried up some bacon and quickly brown the liver on both sides in bacon grease as well as the onions. I then placed the liver, onions and chopped bacon in the oven covered with aluminum foil at 350 for 20 minutes. It came out very tender. I will be making this again. My kids and nephew had never had liver, Loved it!

Great recipe. I cut down the soak time in milk to just 15 minutes because I like the unique taste of liver. I also used calves liver because of the tenderness. A little trick my mom taught me that always helps is to take a meat tenderizer and hit the meat just a very little to make it even more tender. The dish was just perfect.

While I don't think I will ever be a liver lover, I did want to cook it for my husband because he loves it. My children who until now refused to eat it because I had never wanted too, loved my "country fried steak"! And even I thought it was better than the rest of the times I've tried it. Their dad asked how they liked the country fried liver and onions and they were a little shocked but decided that they were still crazy about it! Which is great because it's cheap! And we're on a budget! My mother-in-law told me that that is why she fed my hubby and sis-in-law liver so often when they were growing up. PLUS, it's good for you. But I still won't eat more than a bite!

I tried this recipe and it was absolutely FABULOUS!!! It was the first time I cooked liver for my family and my kids loved it. Wish this recipe was around when I was a kid....lol

very good - add bacon - use 2 tbls of bacon grease to cook onions

I hate liver. I grew up hating liver. The taste use to make me throw up. This recipe has officially converted me. The milk is what does the trick. The first time I cooked it, I soaked it for more than 5 hours. The second time, because I didn't have any time it was only for 20 minutes. I couldn't eat it the second time, but the first time was absolutely delicious.

I love the advice to soak in milk. I love eating liver, but I can only stand the liver taste maybe once or twice a *year*. So when we do it this way I can eat it more often, which is great because I need the extra iron.

This was excellent. The only thing I did different was to add 2 C of beef broth to the skillet, covered and simmered for 15 minutes. So darn good!!

I love liver but have never been able to make it at home and have it come out alright. This recipe makes cooking liver easy and it comes out tasting great. Even my husband liked it.

This was a fantastic recipe! I tried it tonight and prepared for 5 children 10 and under. 4 of them devoured it. 3 of them commented "this meat tastes really good". Definately one for the recipe book!

Best I have had in a long time. Tender, cut with a fork with great taste.

Since my husband hates liver, I waited until this evening when he had to go out to make this for myself. I halved the recipe...other than that, I didn't change a thing. What a treat this was! A relaxing evening at home with one of my favorite meals - and no one complaining about the "liver smell." I truly enjoyed this dish.

The milk makes the liver great. Try buttermilk also...even better. When I use buttermilk I soak all day and periodically pour out the old buttermilk and pour in fresh. Then I use some of the buttermilk at the end to make a pan gravy. Fabulous!

I made this for my husband today and he said it was delicious. Tender liver with great flavors. I did add a little olive oil with the butter so that it did not burn, used red onions (Vidalia would have worked great too) and added a touch of minced garlic to the pan a couple of minutes before serving. If you do add garlic be careful not to add to soon as garlic burns quickly. I served the liver with scrambled eggs and new potatos for brunch. Next time I'll serve with sauted Shitake mushrooms as well. This is a great recipe...thanks for sharing.

This may be a a four or five star recipe, but my family would be generous to give one star. Did not turn them into converts; I remember liking liver as a child, but did not like this. I did, however, put the onions on bread and that was quite tasty.

I had never had beef liver before. My husband had it as a child and didn't like it. We recently purchased a side of beef and it came with several packages of beef liver, so I decided to try it. I used this recipe. I had porkchops planned as a backup for our dinner if we didn't like this. Needless to say we didn't need the porkchops. We were both pleasantly surprised that we liked it. It was not too strong and very tender.

I've never used milk and flour for liver. Turned out good. Tender and tasty.

The name is correct! It IS the absolute best liver and onions!!! Thank you!!

I have always hated liver, but my husband loves it. I needed to learn how to cook it. When I found this, it even smelled better before I cooked it. Now he wants to know why do I cook liver every week.

This is a fantastic recipe. I hate liver, but my husband loves it. I decided to try this recipe for him and he complained that it didn't taste as much like liver. But I was able to eat some and it tasted okay to me. I would say that this recipe produces a much milder flavor for the liver.

I made this last night & it was truly fabulous! I had 5 other recipes to choose from, but the soaking in milk facinated me. It's very simple & cook time is quick! Just keep J's 3 tips in mind & I did soak the liver for about 2 hrs prior. I will definately add this to our fav dinners list

This was our first experience with liver and even then only because my son requested it. We all decided that this would be a once a year meal for us. We agreed we like the recipe it's just the liver we had issues with. :)

Very good dish. My wife has never liked liver but she actually enjoyed this recipe as did my kids.

Needs to soak for hours first but tastes much better than any other kind. Kids love it.

No more than 30 minutes milk bath! That way u still get liver flavor!! Also, really caramelize onions, that with a Maui Onion gives great sweetness. Carl

Couldn't stand liver until this recipe came along!It totally eliminates that nasty bite liver leaves long after you've eaten it.The only thing different I do is stab up my liver once it's in the milk, and that seems to work out well.I've let the liver sit in the milk from 10 minutes to over night.Doesn't matter how long it sits it does the same job.

Liver was one of my favorite foods as a kid, and this is exactly how my mom made it! Easy and straight forward.

I will NOT eat liver and am not real fond of cooking it but I will a couple times a year for my husband. He LOVED this recipe and, for whatever reason, it didn't seem to smell as offensive to me when i was cooking at as liver usually does! He may actually get liver more often now!

This is an excellent recipe. I am not a liver fan and my kids would never eat it so when my last one went off to college, I surprised my husband with this dish. We both enjoyed it and I will make it again! I did buy good quality liver from the farmer's market even though we are on a budget as it was relatively inexpensive. Thanks for sharing!

Just like grandma's.

Hmmm...how do I review this? I had (note...past tense) a childhood memory of actually liking liver. So when I was given some to cook, I made this. The house smelled wonderful, the onions looked beautiful, but then...I tasted it. It's a strange flavor; I think if you like livers, this could be a good recipe. But even after dousing it with ketchup, no go. So I can't really say it's a bad recipe since I believe this is all about personal preferences. But I cannot rave about it either.

Yummy! I like the milk soaking hint. I will make my liver this way from now on.

I have been eating and making liver and onions for years and love it just the way I make it in the flour and pepper mix. Never imagined soaking it in milk before. Glad I did! The whole family loved it even more! We didn't think that was possible. My husband insisted I liked, shared, thumbs'd up, or whatever I could do to say thank you! :)

This is the way my Mom fixed liver when I was young! Liver is still one of my favs...

Liked it so well I made it 2 nights in a row!!!!!

My 7 year old loved it and so did I! I'm afraid I'll never convert my husband into a liver eater though. Thanks for sharing!

This recipie turned out great!!!! I loved it, the liver tasted great!

It tastes just like my mom's and I don't believe she soaked hers at all. I just tasted like liver to me. The onions were GREAT (but they always are when sauteed), I added curry and used sunflower seeds grinded up as a flour since we're grain-free. But otherwise it was just like ok and my DH who says he never had it, never wants it again lol.

My first time eating liver. I really liked the flavor, though I admit I got grossed out that I wasnt eating a liver and couldnt finish my helping. Was super great tasting though, thanks for the recipe.

Absolutely Fantastic! Biting through the crispiness of the breaded liver infused with the caramelized onion rings drives my tastebuds wild!!! Simple and easy to learn! Very delicious! Thumbs up!

I have been using this recipe for years. My husband always told me he hated liver until I tried this receipe. I also add green pepper strips to the onions and a dash of paprika to the flour.

Excellent! If you like liver this recipe is simple and tastes great. We fried the liver in canola oil instead of butter and it turned out just fine.

I've made this recipe 3 times. My husband loves it every time. Invited the neighbor over and he fell in love too!

Outstanding, as a "home girl" from Iowa I wasn't too sure if I would like this. My Mom cooks GREAT Liver & Onions but she must be out shopping, so I had to revert to a search on the internet. I think even SHE will love this. I know my husband and sons did!

yum

Soaking in milk very good. But all liver is best when topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms but when sauteing them add some soy sauce!!!

Excellent recipe! Loved it immensely.

We used a lot less flour, yellow onions (didn't have vidalias), and added 4 cloves of minced garlic. It was SO good!

Our dogs rate this recipe 4 stars. I have several pounds of liver in the freezer from a beef side. I haven't had it since I was maybe 10 and I now realize that I do not like liver.

Yum! Liver never tasted so good- a definite treat. Thanks for this recipe, will be making again next time I have liver for sure.

awesome recipe think though next time ill reduce to 1 onion and add a bell pepper ( mayby experiment with a 1/4 cup red wine and and slow cooking it for an hour after initial cooking) let yall know how that turns out

Delicious! But if you like gravy with your mashed potatoes take a can of beef broth with two tablespoons of cornstarch and add to pan after cooking onions and liver. Bring to boil, reduce heat and add liver and onions back to mixture. For about another 10 minutes or so and voilà gravy for your liver and onions! Applause!

I have to eat liver a couple times because my B12 tanked along with my iron and the doctor is trying to raise it with some dietary changes and vitamins. I'm sure the recipe is fine so I gave it a four but I'm sorry. I was reallay hoping this recipe would make it better since i have to eat it but it didn't I made it with more expensive calves liver, rinsed it soaked it in milk a long time and cooked it as directed. I'll make it this way again because I have to eat it and it is a good recipe but there are no miracles when it comes to liver :o(

Very good recipes. My family loves it. I doubled the onion since it tastes so good with the liver.

This was the first time I've ever prepared or eaten liver. It was great when served as soon as it was cooked but as left overs it got a little tough. Next time I'll try to make only what we're going to eat that night. Also I think this serves 8 rather than 4. I might add a few extra onions as well.

This was very good. I didn't add as much milk to the liver though because I didn't want to take away too much of the liver flavor. Besides that, I also like my onions extremely caramelized so I left it in the pan while the liver cooked as well. Also added a tad bit of lemon juice and salt&pepper it at the end and it was divine!! Yum yum.

Liver is never as appealing to the cook as it is to the rest of the family, because who wants to eat the stuff after handling it raw? Yuk! That said, I made this recipe with calf's liver, which I usually prefer, and maybe that was a mistake (though I doubt it), because we all agreed that the liver had very little flavor and was pretty boring. I'm still seqarching for a recipe for liver that's as good as I've had in some nicer restaurants. They usually have vinegar in the recipe, and taste much more rich and complex than this preparation did.

DELICIOUS!!!!! the whole family loves it. First time I have made liver and it was not like chewing on leather, the soaking in the milk and turning once does the trick. Thanks

Oh, I don't know how to rate this one. I would give it a 1 star because I DETEST liver and onions but my husband had been begging me for YEARS to make it. I finally caved and went to the butcher... he said it was the absolute best liver and onions he has ever had. Over the last 10 years I have seen him order liver and onions in some pretty fancy restaurants so I guess that deserves a 5 star.... but only for those who like liver!!!

This was the easiest and best recipe. The liver and onions tasted just as good as the best I've had at any restaurant. I've made this with both Vidalia onions and white onions both were good but I do recommend the Vidalia. I also Fried some bacon which is a personal favorite addition of mine with liver and onions.

I used a regular yellow onion, which turned out fine. To saute the onion, I used 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance substitute butter spread, but for the second 2 tablespoons of butter to cook the liver in, I substituted bacon grease. We liked liver already, but now my husband declares that he wants "liver every night!" It was really delicious.

You are leaving out one important ingredient BACON. LOL