Classic Cooking Made Simple: Try This Easy Liver, Onions, and Gravy Recipe

Photo byAngie Bright

For those who love comfort food, there’s nothing quite like the rich flavors of liver, onions, and gravy. This dish, while humble, has earned its place in many family kitchens over the years. It’s known for being hearty, filling, and packed with nutrients. Whether you’ve grown up eating liver and onions or are looking to try something new, this easy recipe will bring warmth to your table.

Liver is often regarded as an acquired taste, but when prepared right, it offers a delicious, savory experience. The trick lies in its preparation—soaking the liver in milk helps mellow out its strong flavor while keeping it tender. The combination of caramelized onions and rich gravy adds depth and sweetness that balances the dish perfectly.

Cooking liver can seem intimidating, but this recipe keeps it simple and straightforward. With just a few ingredients and some basic steps, you'll have a flavorful meal ready in under an hour. The liver, paired with soft, cooked onions and a silky beef broth-based gravy, creates a classic dish that’s deeply satisfying.

Recipe: Easy Liver, Onions, and Gravy

Ingredients:

• Milk, for soaking
• Flour, for dredging
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ lbs beef liver, sliced
• 1-2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 cup beef broth

Directions:

1. Start by soaking the liver in milk for 30 minutes. This step is important because it helps to reduce the liver’s strong taste, making it more palatable for those who might not be used to its flavor.
2. While the liver soaks, place enough flour in a large bowl to coat the liver. Add salt and pepper to the flour, seasoning it well.
3. After 30 minutes, slice the liver into manageable pieces and dredge them in the seasoned flour until each piece is well-coated.
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, brown the liver on both sides until it develops a nice crust, which should take a few minutes per side.
5. Add the sliced onions and celery into the skillet, letting them cook alongside the liver. Their sweetness will enhance the flavors of the dish.
6. Pour the beef broth over the liver, onions, and celery. The broth will help create a rich gravy as it cooks.
7. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Let everything simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the onions are tender and the broth has thickened into a savory gravy.

The combination of soft onions, tender liver, and rich gravy creates a dish that’s both comforting and flavorful. Serve it with mashed potatoes or rice to soak up the delicious gravy, and you’ve got a satisfying meal that’s perfect for any night of the week.

This dish may not be the most glamorous, but it’s a true classic. It brings together simple ingredients to create something greater than the sum of its parts, a perfect example of the kind of home-cooked meal that’s worth passing down through generations. Whether you’re already a fan of liver or just starting to explore it, this recipe makes it easy to enjoy this hearty and nutritious dish.

To prepare liver and onions with a delicious gravy, soaking the liver in milk is a common and important step, as it helps to reduce the strong, sometimes bitter flavor of the liver. After soaking, you dredge the liver in seasoned flour and brown it in a skillet, which adds texture and flavor to the meat. Onions are a key element in this dish, and they are typically caramelized before being combined with the liver. Adding beef broth helps create a rich, savory gravy that perfectly complements the tender liver.

After browning the liver, you add the onions back into the skillet and pour in the beef broth. You then allow the dish to simmer, which thickens the broth into a gravy. Some variations of this recipe suggest including Worcestershire sauce or garlic to enhance the gravy's depth of flavor​(SmartyPantsKitchen)​(Jett's Kitchen).

A crucial tip when cooking liver is not to overcook it, as it can become tough. Cooking until it reaches an internal temperature of about 160°F ensures it remains tender​(Fox Valley Foodie). For an added Southern twist, some cooks suggest using bacon grease to fry the liver or sprinkling in a bit of Creole seasoning to give it extra flavor​(Jett's Kitchen).