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)

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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…

❤️ Love what you see? JOIN my Private Baking Club. Also, SUBSCRIBE to Mommy’s Home Cooking, so you’ll never miss a recipe! And FOLLOW along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more fun!

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

Rate This Recipe

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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 do you soak beef liver in before cooking? ›

While we are used to soaking liver in vinegar or lemon to get rid of the bad smell and kill any remaining toxins, American and European chefs advise to soak liver in milk. 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.

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.

What country eats liver and onions? ›

Liver and onions is widely eaten in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and in Germany, where it is usually eaten along with boiled or mashed potatoes. Beef or veal liver is common in the US, veal or lamb liver are the usual choices in the UK.

How to make liver taste better? ›

The key is to slice and soak the liver; the soaking removes the pungent taste. After soaking, the liver is battered, fried, and dipped in garlic aioli -- it's a crowd-pleasing, crunchy preparation. Enjoy! Beef liver fry dipped in garlic aioli.

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.

Should liver be cooked fast or slow? ›

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.

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

Do Not Overcook It. In fact err on the side of just undercooked. Even though the lemon juice makes the liver a bit more tender, overcooking can really ruin it. I cooked mine until it just had a hint of pinkness left, and then removed it from the heat.

What is the best tasting liver? ›

Two of the most prized livers are calf's liver and chicken livers. Both are on the sweeter end of the offal spectrum, mild in their meatiness and relatively tender and delicate, though for obvious reasons, chicken livers are much, much smaller than the other meats mentioned here.

What country eats the most beef liver? ›

Egypt is the world's biggest importer of liver. In fact, Egyptians eat so much American beef liver that there's a market for American liver near Ramses Square in central Cairo.

Is beef liver healthy? ›

Beef liver is a nutritious food item naturally high in protein, vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. The nutritional properties of beef liver can benefit the immune system, tissue repair, and energy production. Beef liver is a cheap and readily available meat known for being healthy and nourishing.

Do you boil liver before cooking? ›

Cooking Instructions
  1. Chop the liver then boil for 15mins or until the red colour has disappeared.
  2. Add the chopped onions and cooking oil. And allowed to fry.
  3. Add the tomatoes and allow to cook till well mixed.
  4. Add the tomato paste and mix well.
  5. Add the royco and salt then cook for 8 mins.
  6. It's ready with Ugali.
Apr 27, 2021

Why do I feel so good when I eat liver? ›

Liver is high in iron

Iron helps the body to create red blood cells and keeps your blood healthy. Increasing your iron intake can also help to combat fatigue. So you'll have more energy to smash those PB's. Not only this, but iron helps the body to metabolise proteins.

How to cook liver so it's not disgusting? ›

One of his key tips is to soak the liver in something acidic such as lemon juice. After it's done soaking, pat the liver dry with clean paper towels and cook it however you'd like. Soaking liver in an acid can help cut down on some of the metallic or “iron” taste common in beef and lamb liver.

What happened when I started eating beef liver? ›

Improved energy, brain function, and mood.

Liver, especially beef and lamb liver, is one of the best sources of vitamin B12 of any food. A 3-ounce serving of beef liver has 59 micrograms, while 4 ounces of chicken liver has 18.8. This more than satisfies your daily value of 2.4 micrograms.

What can I soak beef liver in if I don't have milk? ›

To Do: Simply place your cut up liver in a bowl, barely cover with water and add the juice of a lemon or a tablespoon or two of vinegar. Soak for a few hours before cooking, drain and pat dry.

What can you soak liver in besides milk? ›

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.

Do I rinse beef liver after soaking in milk? ›

Let it soak for 1-2 hours so that the liver isn't bitter. Then, remove from milk, rinse in cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.

What makes beef liver taste better? ›

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.

References

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