Southern Fried Chicken Livers Recipe | Clean & Fresh

Southern fried chicken livers are a classic comfort food enjoyed by millions. Buying fresh livers and a proper cleaning technique equals something special. Using the freshest ingredients is the key.

I worked at Popeyes Fried Chicken in high school, where I tried my first fried chicken liver. Everyone promised I would love it, so I tried them and never looked back.

⬇️ Table of Contents

• How To Fry Chicken Livers
• Instructions
• Special Dipping Sauce

We offer an experience that rivals other traditional fried chicken liver recipes. Every single part of creating an excellent dish will be covered, including a few secret ingredients to take things over the top.

A proud element of Southern cuisine is nose-to-tail cooking, which uses every part of the animal. This culinary style of use is called Offal.

How To Fry Chicken Livers

Ingredients

Chicken Livers - 6 Per Order/Person

Dredge:

• Flour
• Creole Seasoning
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Salt
• Kosher Salt

Instructions

Starts at the grocery store by inspecting the package of chicken livers for freshness. Look through the sell-by date options for the longest-out date.

1. Cleaning Process

Begin by washing the livers under cold water. Use a strainer and rinse for 30 seconds. Next, place them in a bowl with a small amount of salt, no more than one tablespoon, depending on the size of the bowl and how many livers you're cooking.

The addition of the salt has two functions: first, it acts as a second layer of cleaning, and second, it provides a layer of seasoning.

2. Trimming and Cutting

The chicken liver consists of two areas of interest for removal. The connecting membrane and the bile duct.

Use gravity and allow the knife to do the work. Using your hand, grip the membrane on the exterior piece to be removed,

Allow the chicken liver to hang from your grip, then angle the knife towards the part to be removed. This method is best for preserving larger pieces to fry.

Once the unwanted portions have been cleaned, please rinse again under cold water.

3. Frying Dredge (Dry & Wet)

Remove excess water from rinsing. Mix all dry ingredients in the bowl, then add the chicken livers and coat well. Allow the livers to hydrate to help the flour seasoning stick.

This begins the process of controlling the quality of the crispy texture. Before frying the livers, they need time to be correctly coated or risk the dredging coming off in the frying oil.

Dry Dredge Mix:

• 2 ½ cups of Flour
• 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

4. Proper Dredging Procedure

Coating each piece is essential to a consistently fried chicken liver. Both the dry and wet coating process is equally important for full coverage.

Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl, and once combined, add in the floured/dredged chicken livers. Add them one at a time to avoid sticking.

Wet Dredge Mix:

• 16 oz Buttermilk
• 1 Whole Egg
• 1 T Ranch Dressing
• 2 teaspoon Favorite Hot Sauce

Next, remove the livers and add them back into the flour dredge. Additional flour may be needed depending on the size of the livers and the amount you're cooking.

There is enough flavor in the recipe to handle the addition of some flour without reducing the overall favorite profile.

5. Frying Chicken Livers

Use a stovetop temperature-safe pot with a lid. Add canola oil and fill up ⅔ of the pot up to the side. Do not overfill or risk possible fire from the oil escaping and overflowing.

Deep frying techniques often set the temperature to 360 degrees. Once 360 degrees is reached, begin frying the southern chicken liver to perfection. Do not allow the hot oil to be unattended. Once to temperature, begin frying at once.

The oil that gets too high and exceeds the smoke point will impart a bad flavor and needs to be removed. You need to start over for the best results.

The best practice is to cook a tester. Add one to the hot oil and cook as a test before adding all your hard work into one pot.

It should take at least 90 seconds to cook, more like 2+ minutes. Make sure to control the temperature.

Go Time: When everything is ready, make sure to add each chicken liver to the oil one at a time. Do not overcrowd the pot or risk a "steam effect." If this happens, the exterior of the crispy chicken livers will not happen.

Once golden brown and delicious (GBD), remove it and place it on paper towels to drain. Add salt asap to complete the proper fry technique.

Special Dipping Sauce

Add ⅓ of your favorite BBQ sauce to a bowl and ⅔ Ranch Dressing. Mix them together, and you're done.

Frequently Asked Questions

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