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You are here: Home » Recipes » Beef

Liver and Onions

Published: Apr 4, 2019 · Updated: Apr 11, 2019 by Mely Martínez

JUMP TO RECIPE

This old-fashioned liver and onions recipe is made just like my mom used to, with the garlic and black pepper both being freshly ground in a molcajete. This dish is a favorite in our home!

Liver and onions recipe
Jump to:
  • Where can I eat Liver and Onions?
  • In what other ways can you cook Liver?
  • Whose sells Liver?
  • What sides do I serve with liver and onions?
  • How to make Liver and Onions
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Where can I eat Liver and Onions?

Here in the States, you can easily find the dish “Liver and Onions” on the menu of some diners. Similarly, in Mexico, you can find it in small eateries called “Fondas”, but most people make the liver at home.

In Mexico, not everyone cooks liver and onions the same way, and the seasonings used can vary from cook to cook. For example, some people add lime juice or bitter orange juice while cooking the liver. Nevertheless, the use of garlic, salt, and pepper for seasoning is pretty standard. Unlike some recipes in the US, flour is not used when cooking liver in Mexico.

Liver and onions recipe

In what other ways can you cook Liver?

Like in many other countries, Liver and Onions is the most common way of enjoying liver in Mexico, but we also have other dishes that use liver. In some places, chicharrones are made out of several cuts of offal meat, including liver. We also have liver cooked Mexican-style (“a la Mexicana”), and in Oaxaca, they cook liver in a tomato stew. There is even a recipe in the State of Zacatecas that calls for cooking liver in wine. In addition to beef liver, we also use chicken livers, which can be cooked in stews or added to the rice.

Most of these dishes are quick pan-fried meals; you will hardly find a liver dish in Mexico where the liver is baked in the oven (or cooked with gravy or bacon like in other countries).

Whose sells Liver?

In Mexico, it is common to see whole parts of the cow being sold at the local municipal markets; you can find parts like the head, offal meat (liver, kidneys, tripe, heart, sweetbreads, etc.), and even the cow’s feet. You can also find these cuts at the supermarkets, but sold in small packages.

Here in the states, you can easily find liver at your local supermarkets, usually sold in a small and convenient vacuum-sealed package.

What sides do I serve with liver and onions?

Obviously, mashed potatoes are a great option, but at home, we usually serve the liver with Red Mexican Rice and a salad. Other good options for sides are fried potatoes and steamed squash topped with cheese.

How to make Liver and Onions

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1¼ lb. liver steaks (I like the steaks that are about ⅜ths of an inch thick)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 6 black peppercorn kernels
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 3 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
  • Salt to taste

NOTES:

Using fresh garlic and peppercorns will render the perfect liver and onions taste. If you don’t have them on hand or do not own a mortar, use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Liver and onions recipe sesoning
  • Grind the garlic cloves and black peppercorn kernels in your mortar. Add 1 tablespoon of water after you grind them to form a paste. Spread this paste onto the liver steaks, and season with salt. Set aside.
liver and onions recipe in frying pan
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet to medium heat, then add the onions and sauté very quickly for about 1-2 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.
  • Reduce the heat and add the liver steaks to the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the liver steaks) until the bottom sides turn a little brown around the edges, then flip to cook on the other side for 3 more minutes.
liver and onions recipe preparation
  • Return the onions to the skillet and stir. Keep cooking until the onions are slightly browned. Serve promptly and enjoy! I love to add some serrano peppers to the skillets while cooking the onions too. But that is a personal preference.

Cook’s extra notes:

When cooking liver, there are usually no leftovers (at least in my house!), but if you ever do have leftover liver and onions, you can store it in the fridge for later. While you certainly can reheat it, Liver and Onions even tastes good when cool, especially in a sandwich!

Besides all the benefits that eating liver has, it is also a good option for certain diets, like low carb diets, the keto diet, and diets for diabetics.

📖 Recipe

liver and onions recipe

Liver and Onions

Mely Martínez
This old-fashioned liver and onions recipe is made just like my mom used to, with the garlic and black pepper both being freshly ground in a molcajete. This dish is a favorite in our home!
4.79 from 19 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 2 servings
Calories 600 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1¼ lb. liver steaks I like the steaks that are about ⅜ths of an inch thick
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 6 black peppercorn kernels
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • 3 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Grind the garlic cloves and black peppercorn kernels in your mortar. Add 1 tablespoon of water after you grind them to form a paste. Spread this paste onto the liver steaks, and season with salt. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet to medium heat, then add the onions and sauté very quickly for about 1-2 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.
  • Reduce the heat and add the liver steaks to the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the liver steaks) until the bottom sides turn a little brown around the edges, then flip to cook on the other side for 3 more minutes.
  • Return the onions to the skillet and stir. Keep cooking until the onions are slightly browned. Serve promptly and enjoy! I love to add some serrano peppers to the skillets while cooking the onions too. But that is a personal preference.

Notes

COOK’S EXTRA NOTES:
  • When cooking liver, there are usually no leftovers (at least in my house!), but if you ever do have leftover liver and onions, you can store it in the fridge for later. While you certainly can reheat it, Liver and Onions even tastes good when cool, especially in a sandwich!
  • Besides all the benefits that eating liver has, it is also a good option for certain diets, like low carb diets, the keto diet, and diets for diabetics.

Nutrition

Calories: 600kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 59gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 780mgSodium: 198mgPotassium: 968mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 47905IUVitamin C: 8.7mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 14mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elsie

    February 13, 2022 at 5:07 pm

    Tried the liver recipe. It came out delicious. Better and less work than my previous way of cooking liver. Thank youl

    Reply
  2. Mortimer

    May 10, 2021 at 6:39 pm

    How is this Mexican? I found the exact same recipe called "Venezuelan" .,

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      May 11, 2021 at 12:52 pm

      Hello Mortimer, concerned mother of two,
      There are many recipes that we share in our Latin Culture. Countries like Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, and others in Latin America, have many recipes that are almost the same. Dishes like fried plantain, Tostones, beef soups, rice. Desserts like flan, rice pudding, and many other things. In Mexico, we love liver and onions, as well as other Latin countries.

      I hope you give it a try to our MEXICAN version.

      Happy cooking!

      Reply
  3. Tonya Robinson

    June 17, 2020 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    Outstanding recipe for liver and onions! Thank you.

    Reply
  4. Sharyn Santos

    June 11, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    5 stars
    Tasty, inexpensive, extremely nutritious! Love it!

    Reply
  5. Shelly

    May 29, 2020 at 1:08 pm

    Loved ot!!

    Reply
  6. Anthony aranda

    May 11, 2020 at 5:04 am

    What color onions are best

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      May 12, 2020 at 8:53 am

      Hello Anthony,
      For a better taste, you can use yellow onions.

      Reply
  7. Nancy Finn

    January 02, 2020 at 7:22 pm

    I make mine like Swiss steak with tomato puree, petite diced tomatoes, lots of sliced onions, red and green peppers, garlic, Worcestershire, steak sauce, salt, pepper. Fry liver dredged in flour slowly in butter, then remove from pan. Cook vegetables in pan drippings, then ad tomatoes (plus a lttle V8 if you have it) steak sauce, Worcestershire, taste for salt level, then put liver back in sauce, and cook slowly for 1-!1/2 hrs till liver is tender. Put gravy over mased potatoes.

    Reply
    • Susan

      July 14, 2020 at 1:57 pm

      Sounds yummy!

      Reply
  8. Rosa

    August 22, 2019 at 11:03 pm

    5 stars
    I love liver and onions! My grandma used to make it since I was a little girl and I still love it. Thank you.

    Reply
    • BooSjhe

      March 07, 2021 at 12:44 am

      5 stars
      My grandma did the same. My Momma made Jalapeno cornbread, the Jiffy pack I believe, lol grandma used to make cornbread with corn inside...I was like grandma, u can't put corn in cornbread she be like they call it "corn"bread lol. Grandma W was something else ❤️

      Reply
  9. AldiM

    August 20, 2019 at 12:54 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe, we love the flavor of the seasoning. It was so tasty! No leftovers tonight!

    Reply
  10. Esther

    June 02, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    This was how my mom made liver & onions. Always with LOTS of onion, mashed potatoes & gravy.

    My dad & brother always raved about it. Me, not so much. I could never wrap my taste buds around the texture, so I usually ate the onions with mashed potatoes & gravy.

    I'll have to try this again. My taste buds may have matured since then.

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      June 03, 2019 at 3:05 pm

      Hi Esther,
      You should give a new try, maybe you like it this time. At home, we love this dish of liver and onions.

      Reply
  11. Claudia

    May 17, 2019 at 10:16 am

    5 stars
    Yummy 😋 This will be my luncj today . Ibwill try the easy( no molcajete ) 😢 Gracias Mely 🙏

    Reply
  12. Vinny

    April 11, 2019 at 5:10 pm

    5 stars
    Omg! I remember my father making liver and onions from when I was little. It wasn't a favorite as a kid. The flavors in this fresh recipe however make a simple peasant dish outstanding.

    Reply
  13. H. Len Moser

    April 10, 2019 at 11:54 am

    5 stars
    Love this dish
    Will definitely use this recipe for the next time.

    Reply
  14. elaine stenzel

    April 08, 2019 at 5:37 pm

    5 stars
    When i make the liver and onions ,i make bacon and fry the liver in the bacon fat,and serve the bacon with the onions..nice tasty addition.

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      April 10, 2019 at 12:56 pm

      That sound delicious, I will try next time. Thanks for the tip.

      Reply
    • Antje Strebeck

      February 29, 2020 at 7:33 pm

      That is the way the Bayetube in Gibson City Illinois makes Liver and Onions super

      Reply

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ABOUT ME

Mexico in my kitchen | Mely Martinez

Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.

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