Liver and onions is one those “old fashioned” recipes that are actually one of the tastiest things you can do with offal.
Liver is also a powerhouse of nutrients. It contains huge amounts of vitamins and minerals, including iron, folate, Vitamins A and B, and copper. You don’t need to eat this nutritious food every day; even once a week will help you to receive the health benefits of liver and help your body to receive all the correct nutrients.
Cooking liver with onions in the slow cooker will help you to make this tasty meal perfectly cooked and even more delicious – pairing liver with onions increases the health benefits, as onions themselves are incredibly good for the body.
Cooking liver and onions is pretty easy anyway, but once you learn how to cook liver and onions in slow cooker, your life will be transformed!
Liver and onions is a very simple recipe in its purest form, so it won’t take a lot of preparation or faffing.
Standard Liver And Onions
Ingredients
- 1lb/500g lamb or pig liver
- 1/2lb/250g chopped bacon
- 2 medium onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 70g mushrooms
- 1tbsp tomato puree
- 1/2 cup/70g flour
- 1 pint/570ml beef stock
Method
This is how to cook liver and onions in slow cooker:
- Preparing the liver
Wash the liver, then chop it into bite sized pieces.
- Coating the liver
Mix the flour with a generous scattering of salt and pepper. Toss the liver in this mixture, until each piece is completely coated.
- Preparing the bacon
Chop up the bacon, then fry it over a medium heat until cooked as you like it. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- Searing the liver
Add the flour coated liver to the pan with the leftover bacon fat, and turn up the heat to cook it well until they are browned on all sides.
- Preparing the vegetables
Slice the onion and crush the garlic, and slice up the mushrooms.
- Cooking the vegetables
Add this mix to the pan – you may need to add a drop more oil if it starts to dry out. Cook until the onions are soft, and add an optional teaspoon of fresh or dried herbs (thyme or oregano are good choices).
- Mixing the liver with the vegetables
Return the bacon and liver to the pan with the onions, garlic and mushrooms, stir to combine.
- Adding the cooking liquid
Add in the beef stock.
- To thicken the sauce
Take the flour and combine it in a splash of water, stirring until a thick paste is formed. Add this to the pan, stirring to combine until there are no lumps.
- Cooking
Transfer the whole mix to the slow cooker, and cook on a low setting for 5-6 hours.
- Serve
You can eat this delicious dish with just about anything, but mashed potatoes are a great way to mop up the sauces, and a green veg or two adds even more nutrients. Try broccoli or beans.
You can also jazz up this recipe by adding some other bits and pieces to make it even more tasty – how about liver and onions with tomato and bacon?
Liver And Bacon And Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb beef or calf liver
- 3-4 bacon slices
- 2 small carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 small onion
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Cut the liver into cubes, and dice the bacon.
- Slice the carrots and celery into small pieces, and finely chop the onion.
- Place the liver into the slow cooker and sprinkle the bacon over the top.
- Combine the chopped vegetables and spread them over the liver and bacon in the slow cooker.
- Cover the pot and cook on a low setting for 6 to 8 hours.
- Remove the bay leaf before you serve.
- Enjoy this dish with mash, and a choice of your favourite vegetables.
Although this is a tasty dish as it is, you can add a few more ingredients for added depth of flavour:
Fancy Liver And Onions
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb lamb’s liver
- 3 1/2 oz smoked pancetta rashers
- 3 tbsp seasoned flour
- 2 onions
- 400g peeled plum tomatoes
- 500ml beef stock
- Handful of sage leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Method
- Chop the liver into slices or chunks. Then toss it in the flour, shaking it to remove any excess.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the liver and fry quickly until it is just browned.
- Slice the onions, sage and pancetta, then place them in a slow cooker and mix well together.
- Stir in the liver, then add the stock and tomatoes.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the liver is as tender as you like it.
- Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans, or roasted potatoes and wilted spinach.
How to cook liver and onions in slow cooker is something that we should all learn (vegetarians, you are exempt, obviously!)
It is nutritious, tasty, and super easy to whip up – all the best reasons to cook anything, right? Liver is so good for you that it should be added to your weekly meal planner, and so delicious that you will probably fancy having it every day!
Thank you that sounds delicious.