Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (2024)

By: Oriana Romero/Published: /Updated: / 42 Comments

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This Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions is super flavorful and easy to make! Be a culinary adventurer and open your senses to this nutritional powerhouse meal. Plus, it’s a fabulous alternative to your usual dinner rotation and budget-friendly.

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Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (4)

Table of Contents hide

1.Traditional Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe

2.Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Ingredients

3.How To Make Venezuelan Beef Liver And Onions

4.TIPS AND TRICKS TO COOK LIVER

5.Frequently Asked Questions

7.How To Serve Beef Liver And Onions?

8.More Venezuelan Recipes You’ll Love!

9.Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions

Traditional Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe

I know what you are thinking: What?? Liver and Onions???

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 through October 15, I would love to highlight a recipe that my mom made during my entire childhood, at least once a month, Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions.

To be honest, it wasn’t my favorite meal, but I enjoyed it. The taste of the liver could be a bit overwhelming, but I think the garlic, onions, and wine really make a difference.

Liver and Onions dish is definitely an acquired taste but, in my opinion, it is worth giving it a try.

It’s been a while since I cooked beef liver and onions and let me tell you … It was good.Actually, really good. Much better than I remember it.

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (5)

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Ingredients

Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions(scroll down).

You’ll need:

  • Milk or buttermilk: This will help to reduce the meat smell and tenderize it. If possible, do not skip this step.
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Beef Liver: I like to use Rumba® Meats Liver because it comes nicely packed and fresh.
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Butter
  • Onions
  • White wine: To keep this dish alcohol-free, substitute wine for chicken stock.
  • Fresh parsley: For garnishing, it’s totally optional.
Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (6)
Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (7)

How To Make Venezuelan Beef Liver And Onions

Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions(scroll down).

1 – Soak liver in milk or buttermilk to reduce the strong taste of the meat.

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (8)

2 – Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, cook garlic and liver until browned on both sides. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook thoroughly, until meat reaches an internal temperature of 160° F. Remove the liver from the skillet with a slotted spoon.

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (9)
Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (10)

3 – Add more oil and butter tothe same skillet. Add onions and sauté until translucent and fragrant.

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (11)

4 – Add the liver back to the skillet and add the wine. Let the wine reduce for 2 – 3 minutes.

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (12)

5 – Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot with rice, mashed potatoes, or veggies.

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (13)

TIPS AND TRICKS TO COOK LIVER

To reduce the strong taste of the meat, place liver in a bowl or a Ziploc bag, and cover with milk and refrigerate. Let it soak up to 2 hours.

Do not overcook it.

To add more flavor, season the liver with cumin and/or paprika. You can also add cayenne pepper if you like the heat.

If desired, use the pan drippings to make a gravy. Just add 1- 2 tablespoons of flour to the drippings. Cook the flour briefly for 1 -2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add 1 cup of beef stock for each tablespoon of flour. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve over liver and onions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Liver Taste Like?

Beef liver has an earthy flavor, that is slightly sweet and bitter. If you soak it in milk prior to cooking, it removes much of the bitter taste.

Do you need to soak your liver before cooking?

Soaking the liver in milk or buttermilk is highly recommended because it helps to remove much of the bitter taste and tenderize the meat.

How do you tenderize your liver?

Soak it for at least 2 hours in milk or buttermilk prior to cooking.

Storing Instructions

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How To Serve Beef Liver And Onions?

At home, we always serve liver and onions with white rice and plantains. However, this dish will be great with mashed potatoes, quinoa, and/or roasted veggies too.

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (14)

More Venezuelan Recipes You’ll Love!

  • Venezuelan Mondongo Soup [recipe+video]
  • Easy Venezuelan Sancocho
  • Venezuelan Lengua en Salsa
  • Instant Pot Venezuelan Oxtail Soup [Sopa de Rabo][Video]
  • Venezuelan Asado Negro
  • Venezuelan Pabellon Bowl [Video]
  • Eggless Venezuelan Tequeños
  • Venezuelan Flan Quesillo
  • more recipes…

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Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (15)

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (16)Oriana Romero

This Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions is super flavorful and easy to make! Be a culinary adventurer and open your senses to this nutritional powerhouse meal. Plus, it's a fabulous alternative to your usual dinner rotation and budget-friendly.

4.37 from 92 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (480 ml) milk or buttermilk (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 ½ lb (680 gr) beef liver, sliced into strips
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon (14 gr) butter
  • 3 onions, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup (120 ml) white wine
  • Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  • To reduce the strong taste of the meat place liver in a bowl, or a Ziploc bag, and cover with milk, or buttermilk, and refrigerate. Let it soak up to 2 hours. Then remove the liver from the liquid and pat dry. This step is optional but highlyrecommended If you are not used to the taste of the liver.

  • Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, stirring constantly to avoid burning, about 1 – 2 minutes. Add the liver strips, working in batches if necessary, and fry until browned on both sides. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook liver until reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.Remove the liver from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Set aside on a plate or bowl.

  • Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the butter to the same skillet. Add onions and sauté until translucent and fragrant. Add the liver back to the skillet and add the wine. Let the wine reduce for 2 – 3 minutes.

  • Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot with rice, mashed potatoes or veggies.

Video

Oriana’s Notes

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Extra Tips:To add more flavor season the liver with cumin and/or paprika. You can also add cayenne pepper if you like the heat.

Gravy: If desired, use the pan drippings to make a gravy. Just add 1- 2 tablespoons of flour for each to the drippings. Cook the flour briefly for 1 -2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add 1 cup of beef stock for each tablespoon of flour. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve over liver and onions.

Please, if you’re going to make this recipe read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, variations, and step-by-step photos.

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 23gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 316mgSodium: 98mgPotassium: 455mgSugar: 2gVitamin A: 19220IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 5.8mg

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Venezuelan

Calories 272

Keyword beef dinner easy liver recipe venezuelan

Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions

You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions abouteggless baking.

FAQs

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rumba® Meats. All opinions are entirely my own.

Recipe originally posted in February2018, video, and more tips added inSeptember 2020.

Welcome to my eggless kitchen!

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (17)Thanks for stopping by! I’m Oriana, a wife, mom to three wonderful kids, and a passionate baker and cooker of all eggless things delicious. My goal is to give you the confidence and knowledge to cook and bake without eggs while providing quality recipes that your whole family will love. I’m really happy that you’re here, so take a seat and have fun exploring! Read More…

Venezuelan Beef Liver and Onions Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cooking method for liver? ›

Liver is extremely nutritious and less expensive than most beef products. It's very lean, so it's most often pan-seared quickly to brown and keep it from drying out, although it can also be baked, braised, grilled or made into paté or liverwurst.

Do you have to soak beef liver in milk? ›

Some chefs insist on soaking in salt and lemon water. Others opt to soak in ice water or milk to lessen the intensity from an older animal.

How to make beef liver taste better? ›

How to make beef liver taste good - Quora. Try soaking it in salt and water (up to 20 min) before cooking to get rid of the blood-taste. Rinse, pat dry, and coat in seasoned flour. Cook with bacon and onions.

How do you prepare the liver to eat? ›

Since a raw liver has high water content, you have to cook it rapidly with medium to high heat. If you try slow cooking a liver, the meat will become dehydrated, leading to tough fibers and dry, chewy meat. Cook liver and other organ meats until they reach a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do you rinse off liver before you cook it? ›

Absolutely! It is also a good idea to lightly rinse the liver before patting dry and placing in whole milk (to cover), soak in fridge for about an hour before coating with flour and frying. After doing this, you'll find that the taste is unbelievable!

Why do chefs soak liver in milk? ›

Soak the liver in a dish or bowl of milk for 30-60 minutes. This is an important step in removing the bitter flavor from the liver. Salt and pepper the liver generously, and leave it out at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Pat the liver dry.

How often should you eat liver? ›

It's possible, and dangerous, to get too much vitamin A. Eating large amounts of liver can lead to symptoms of vitamin A toxicity, which happens when your own liver can't process the excess vitamin A quickly enough. Most doctors recommend that people without vitamin deficiencies eat just one serving of liver per week.

Does soaking liver in milk remove toxins? ›

Yes, that's right: Milk! They claim that in addition to getting rid of toxins that usually are present in raw liver, milk helps tenderizing it. Try and soak your liver chunks in milk for 5 minutes before you cook them.

How to clean beef liver before cooking? ›

Soaking liver in milk or saltwater can pull out any leftover blood and improve the flavor. I often cut the liver into cubes or strips, portion it into ziplock bags with milk, and then freeze the individual portions. This method has proven to be much more manageable and effective than attempting to soak an entire liver.

How do you get the gamey taste out of liver? ›

Soak liver in milk for 1-2 hours before cooking.

If you follow a strict paleo diet, you can use coconut milk instead of dairy milk; you'll get the same benefit of mellowing out the flavor. Buttermilk is also a great option!

How to get blood out of beef liver? ›

Immediately before broiling, salt all sides of the liver lightly with coarse salt. Broil over an open fire with nothing between the fire and the liver so that the blood can flow out freely. A thin wire net with large holes maybe used to hold the liver over the fire.

How do you get the bitter taste out of beef liver? ›

Place your liver in a bowl with filtered water. Add 4-8 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or whole milk (raw preferred.) Allow to soak for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. The time you soak is determined by the thickness of your slices and your texture preferences.

How long should liver be cooked? ›

Dredge liver in flour. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add liver and cook until browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Serve liver smothered with caramelized onions.

Can you eat beef liver rare? ›

But Czerwony advises against that. Like all raw meat, liver can have salmonella, E. coli or Campylobacter bacteria that cause serious digestive infections. “Eating undercooked or raw meat, including beef liver, increases your risk for potentially life-threatening foodborne illnesses,” she warns.

What to eat with beef liver? ›

Great Side Dishes for Liver and Onions
  • Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes.
  • Green Beans with Shallots and Pancetta.
  • Broccoli Rabe with White Beans.
  • Rice Pilaf with Mushroom and Pine Nuts.
  • Dinosaur Kale with Baby Potatoes.

Should liver be cooked well done? ›

Livers should be cooked until they are no longer bloody in the core. Colour is not a reliable indicator of effective cooking. Studies have shown that liver tissue can remain pink after it has reached a safe temperature (see figure 2). Ensure juice from uncooked livers does not leak onto other foods.

What is the healthiest way to eat liver? ›

Here are some suggestions on how to include it in your diet: Pan-frying it: Liver works well when pan-fried with onions. Using it in Spaghetti Bolognese: Liver can be chopped or minced and then mixed with regular ground beef. Calf or chicken livers work best.

How do you cook liver and keep it soft? ›

It's very simple to make but the three things that will set your liver above all others are: 1) soak in milk, 2) turn the liver as little as possible when cooking, and 3) don't overcook.

Does liver get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

One way to prevent beef liver from becoming tough is to cook it quickly over high heat. Overcooking liver can make it tough and dry, so it's important to cook it just until it's no longer pink inside. This will help maintain its tenderness.

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