This Asian stir fried liver is a unique take on the liver and onions recipes we grew up on. The flavors are bright and alive, and if you like liver you’re going to love this stir fried liver recipe!
This liver recipe is inspired by a dish I watched my brother’s wife (who is from China) make years ago. I grew up eating liver and onions and really enjoyed her spin on the dish – with ginger, chili and soy sauce.
When I got home I scrawled what I could remember on an index card and put it in my recipe tin. Years later I pulled it out and found no quantities, and only vague references to ingredients. So I experimented and tweaked from there.
This asian stir fried liver is now one of my favorite liver recipes to cook!
The umami flavor of the soy sauce, and brightness of the ginger and rice wine, really play well with a good cut of liver. The diced green onions I sprinkle on top are more than just a garnish, the crunch and flavor they add pulls the dish together.
The umami flavor of the soy sauce, and brightness of the ginger and rice wine, really play well with a good cut of liver.
If you’re part of the “I don’t like liver” tribe, I won’t try to convince you that this liver recipe will convert you. Not that it won’t. But, if you are already a liver fan, and want a new and different way to cook liver, you’re in for a treat!
Where to Buy Grass-Fed Liver
I purchase my grass-fed liver from a farm near where I live in Florida. It’s sold at my local Saturday morning Farmers Market. To find grass-fed beef liver near you, check out the tips in this article I wrote about how to find grass-fed beef.
Health Benefits of Beef Liver
Liver and other organ meats are some of the most nutrient-dense foods we can eat.
- A mere 3 ounces of cooked beef liver contains
- 2944% of the daily value (DV) of vitamin B12
- 731% the DV of vitamin A
- 28% of the DV of iron
- A 3 ounce serving of beef liver contains 50 times the vitamin B12 as a 3 ounce serving of sirloin.
- Liver is high in zinc, which is essential for your immune system to function well and prevent infection.
- Four ounces of raw beef liver contains 153 calories, 23 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat (source).
How to Make Asian Stir Fried Liver
1. Prepare the liver and marinade
Cut the liver into bite-size pieces. Keep in mind that liver is very low in fat and won’t shrink down when cooking.
Use a medium bowl to create your marinade out of the soy sauce, ginger and chili. Stir the liver pieces into the marinade so they are evenly coated. Refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
2. Stir fry the onions and liver
Add the sesame oil to a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onions and stir often until they are soft, but now browned.
When the onion is soft, add the liver and marinade to the pan and sauté until the liver is brown. At this point, pour the rice cooking wine over the liver and onions and stir quickly just to distribute it around.
Remove the liver stir fry from the heat before the sauce has a chance to simmer off.
3. Season and serve
Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with sesame seeds and diced green onion. Be sure not to omit the green onions as they really add a nice crunch and flavor to the dish.
FAQ: Asian Stir Fried Liver Recipe
Can this liver recipe be made with chicken liver?
I haven’t tried this stir fried liver recipe with chicken liver yet. The texture and flavor of chicken liver is different from beef and my gut tells me that the flavors in this liver recipe won’t work as well with it.
Do you soak liver in milk before you cook it?
I don’t soak liver in milk before I cook with it, but I have heard of this trick as a way to remove some of the bitterness for those who don’t like liver. This stir fried liver recipe is for people who actually like the taste of liver, so it’s not necessary to soak the liver in milk.
Can I use rice vinegar instead of rice cooking wine in this stir fry?
If you don’t have rice wine in your pantry you may be wondering if you can use rice vinegar instead. That’s a big “sorry, no you can’t”. The flavor of rice vinegar is quite different than rice wine. I also don’t recommend omitting the rice wine altogether, it’s a key ingredient in this dish. I tried making it without and the flavors landed rather flat.
Asian Stir Fried Liver
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound grass-fed beef liver
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp fresh ginger finely chopped
- 1 pinch chili powder
- 1 tsp sesame oil*
- 1/4 of a small onion cut into thin slivers
- 1 tbsp rice cooking wine**
- 1/2 cup cooked jasmine rice
- 1/4 tsp sesame seeds optional
- 1 tbsp diced green onion
Instructions
- Cut the liver into bite-size pieces.
- Use a medium bowl to create your marinade out of the soy sauce, ginger and chili. Stir the liver pieces into the marinade so they are evenly coated. Refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Add the sesame oil to a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onions and stir often until they are soft, but now browned.
- When the onion is soft, add the liver and marinade to the pan and sauté until the liver is brown.
- At this point, pour the rice cooking wine over the liver and onions and stir quickly just to distribute it around. Remove the liver stir fry from the heat before the sauce has a chance to simmer off.
- Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with sesame seeds and diced green onion.
This was divine! Thank you for the creative take on liver and onions!!
You’re welcome Stacie! This recipe is definitely unique, thanks for sharing the love. 😀