Chicken liver. Benefits and harm to the body, calorie content per 100 grams, nutritional value. Recipes

Chicken liver and hearts are dietary products. Due to their relatively low calorie content, they can be consumed when losing weight. These by-products are also recommended during pregnancy due to the presence of iron, which prevents the risk of anemia, and vitamins necessary for the development of the fetus. Since liver and hearts contain a significant amount of protein, which is easily absorbed by the body, they should be included in the diet of people engaged in active physical training.

Possible harm and contraindications

How to choose a product?

Calorie content, nutritional value

The nutritional value of a product largely depends on the cooking method:

Squirrels	Fats	Carbohydrates	Number of calories per 100 g
Raw chicken liver	19,1	6,3	0,6	136
Boiled product	22,9	6,2	2	166
Fried chicken liver	30,8	8,9	2	210

100 g of liver contains the following vitamins:

vitamin A – 12 mg;
vitamin PP – 13.5 mg;
vitamin E – 0.7 mg;
vitamin C – 25 mg;
betacarotene – 25 mg;
thiamine (B1) – 0.5 mg;
folic acid (B9) – 241 mcg;
riboflavin (B2) – 2 mg;
pyridoxine (B6) – 0.9 mg;
cobalamin (B12) – 16.5 mg.

By-products have a rich set of necessary elements, such as:

potassium;
phosphorus;
iron;
calcium;
magnesium;
sodium;
copper;
zinc;
chromium.

The liver also contains essential amino acids such as trypophan, methionine, and the anticoagulant heparin.

Chemical composition

Chicken liver contains a lot of protein. There are also trace elements present here, including:

zinc, iron,
chrome, copper,
manganese.

The composition also contains very rare substances, for example, selenium and cobalt. If you analyze the macroelements, then it contains:

magnesium, phosphorus,
calcium, sodium,
potassium.

Even with poor nutrition, the product is able to replenish the body's reserves. It contains a set of useful vitamins.

Benefits and harm to the body

Chicken liver is a healthy product.

Due to its rich composition, it has the following effects on the body:

increases hemoglobin and promotes iron absorption;
normalizes the functions of the thyroid gland, digestive tract and circulatory system;
reduces the risk of developing cancer;
promotes tissue regeneration;
improves brain function;
strengthens tooth enamel and bone system;
Boosts immunity, protects against colds, and helps eliminate toxins.

Chicken liver.
The benefits and harms of the product depend on the chemical composition. Chicken liver, the benefits of which for the body are undeniable, can be harmful in old age, with high cholesterol and allergies to offal.
It should be taken with caution in case of kidney disease, ulcers, gastritis. Women who are pregnant should not abuse chicken liver. This product contains a lot of folic acid, and an excess of this substance is harmful to the unborn baby.

Why is it useful?

Due to its relatively low calorie content and a wide range of beneficial substances included in its composition, chicken liver regularly becomes an integral part of various dietary menus.

The useful features of this product are as follows:

improvement of metabolism;
improving blood quality;
strengthening bones and muscles;
normalization of sleep;
beneficial effect on heart function;
increasing immunity;
improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Cooking tips

Chicken liver, the benefits and harms of which for the body are undeniable, will turn out more tender and tasty if you follow these recommendations during the cooking process:

It is better to purchase refrigerated rather than frozen liver. Otherwise, it will release a lot of liquid, and the taste of the dish will be different.
Before cooking, the liver must be washed and wiped with napkins. The ducts and gall bladder, if any, should be cut off from the pieces. Otherwise the dish will be bitter.
It is necessary to boil offal in salted water. Moreover, the liver should be placed in an already boiling liquid. You need to cook the pieces over low heat for no more than 10 minutes, after boiling again. To make the dish more aromatic, add bay leaves, black peppercorns or allspice to the broth.
Frying offal is required over medium heat. You need to cook the pieces for no more than 2-3 minutes. on each side, otherwise they will become tough.

How to choose and how to store

If you carefully choose a product, it will be as healthy and tasty as possible. First of all, there should be no inclusions in the liver.

It has a smooth surface and a slight sheen. The product has a burgundy-brown tint. If large vessels or blood clots are visible on it, it is better to refuse the purchase.

They say about a low-quality product:

heterogeneity,
looseness,
clots,
fatty areas.

If there is a green color on the liver, this means that traces of an enzyme were introduced during packaging. This by-product is of poor quality. When frozen, the product acquires an orange tint.

When the liver is thawed and frozen several times, it becomes crumbly. In order for the food to be healthy, you need to buy fresh or chilled offal. If defrosting is required, this is done first in the refrigerator compartment.

It is believed that the most delicious chicken liver is the one obtained by cutting up domestic chicken. Accordingly, it is better to purchase goods at the farmers market.

After purchase, storage is allowed for 48 hours. Storage at room temperature lasts up to 12 hours. After this time, the offal is not suitable for consumption.

Chicken liver with onions in a frying pan

Chicken liver cooked in a frying pan with onions makes an excellent main dish for lunch or dinner. It turns out nourishing, juicy and goes well with any side dish. This dish is healthy because it contains many substances and vitamins that the body needs. But since the products are fried in vegetable oil, such a delicacy can be harmful to health if abused.

To make the dish, you will need to prepare the following set of components:

chicken liver – 500 g;
onion – 100 g;
salt – 10 g;
black pepper (ground) – 5 g;
vegetable oil – 30 ml.

You should prepare a hearty dish according to the following algorithm:

The onion must be peeled and chopped into half rings.
By-products need to be washed, cleaned from the gallbladder if necessary and cut into halves.
Pour the oil into a frying pan and place on medium heat. When a characteristic smoke appears, you should pour chopped onion into the oil. Stirring occasionally, fry the vegetable until golden brown.
You need to add liver to the onion. It will take about 5 minutes to fry the mixture until the pieces are covered with a crust on all sides.
After adding pepper and salt to the liver, you need to stir the dish and cover it with a lid. The delicacy will need to simmer for another 4-5 minutes.

It is better to serve the finished liver while still hot with any side dish, such as porridge or mashed potatoes, or with a regular vegetable salad.

Caution won't hurt

But we must not forget that liver abuse can be harmful to health. And it’s not just the high calorie content of the product. Older people should avoid eating large amounts of liver-based foods. The offal contains a lot of extractive substances, and therefore an elderly person is allowed to eat no more than one hundred grams of this product per week. You should also be careful if you have high blood cholesterol levels. One hundred grams of liver contains from 100 to 270 milligrams of cholesterol. If this factor is not taken into account, a person may increase the risk of developing angina, stroke or myocardial infarction.

In sour cream sauce

Chicken liver stewed with vegetables in sour cream sauce is a hearty dish that can be made in 45 minutes.

This delicacy turns out to be especially tender, and it contains affordable and common ingredients:

chicken liver – 400 g;
carrots – 75 g;
onion – 100 g;
sour cream – 100 g;
water – 100 ml;
vegetable oil – 30 ml;
salt, a set of favorite spices.

Preparing a budget delicacy consists of the following steps:

By-products should be washed, cleaned from the bile ducts and bladder, if necessary, and divided into halves. Vegetables need to be peeled and chopped: grate the carrots, chop the onion into cubes.
Place a frying pan with a thick bottom on medium heat and heat the oil in it. When a characteristic smoke appears, you need to add chopped vegetables into the oil. Stirring occasionally, fry the mixture until soft, approximately 5-7 minutes.
After removing the vegetables from the pan, you should put the offal in it. After adding a little oil, you need to fry the liver for 10 minutes. During the process, you need to stir the pieces so that they are covered with a golden crust on all sides.
You need to add vegetables to the fried liver. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and spices and cook it over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. Then you need to fill it with sour cream diluted in water.
After stirring the dish, you need to bring it to a boil. When the mixture starts to boil, you will need to cover the pan with a lid and reduce the flame to the minimum level. The delicacy needs to simmer for about 5-6 minutes.

The finished dish should be poured over a side dish, for example, boiled pasta, buckwheat or rice porridge. It is better to serve the delicacy hot, but you can garnish it with chopped fresh dill or parsley.

A storehouse of vitamins and microelements

There are various delicious dishes prepared using liver. Foie gras is considered one of the most expensive dishes. This is the liver obtained from ducks and geese raised in an immobilized state. Because of this, the bird’s liver becomes very large - ten times larger than normal. Animal rights activists have repeatedly protested against this cruel method of raising poultry for the sake of producing expensive by-products. But even now, many restaurants serve this delicacy, which people adore for its tenderness and fat content.

The lion's share of the liver is water, which accounts for about 70–75%. About 20% goes to proteins, and the rest goes to fats. The by-product contains beneficial amino acids, such as:

tryptophan;
lysine;
methionine;
thiamine

Tryptophan has a beneficial effect on the human psyche; it normalizes sleep and eliminates anxiety. Lysine is responsible for the process of high-quality protein absorption by the body. The health of ligaments and tendons depends on this. Lysine also stimulates the absorption of calcium, which prevents the development of diseases such as osteoporosis, stroke, heart attack and atherosclerosis. Lysine is very important for men, since a deficiency of this amino acid threatens the development of impotence.

Methionine is good because it prevents the formation of tumors. By the way, folic acid has the same property. Thiamine is considered a strong antioxidant that protects the human body from the negative effects of drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. But one of the most valuable components of the liver is iron protein. It contains more than 15% iron, which is necessary for the production of hemoglobin and the synthesis of blood pigments. Also, the benefit of the liver is that it contains copper, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Breaded

Chicken liver fried in batter has an appetizing golden crust. This exquisite delicacy can also be served at a festive feast; it takes no more than 30 minutes to prepare.

It includes available products:

chicken liver – 500 g;
eggs – 3 pcs.;
flour – 150 g;
salt, a set of favorite spices.

Prepare a hearty delicacy according to the following instructions:

The liver should be cleared of veins and gall bladder, rinsed and wiped with a paper napkin.
The offal should be sprinkled on all sides with salt and spices and left for 5-7 minutes.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a little salt.
In a frying pan, heat the vegetable oil until a characteristic haze appears. The liver pieces should be rolled individually in flour and then dipped in the egg mixture. The offal should be placed on heated oil and fried for 3-4 minutes. from each side. In this case, the flame must be set to medium level, otherwise the liver will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.

It is better to place the finished liver on a paper napkin to remove excess oil. Before serving, you can sprinkle the dish with chopped herbs for decoration.

With mushrooms

Chicken liver, whose benefits and harms to the body have been proven by research, goes perfectly with mushrooms. And if you add sour cream and cheese to the list of ingredients and bake everything in the oven, you will get a delicacy that can be served at the holiday table.

To prepare it you will need the following components:

chicken liver – 500 g;
champignons – 150 g;
sour cream – 150 g;
onion – 100 g;
hard cheese – 70 g;
butter – 30 g;
flour – 50 g;
water – 120 ml;
salt, spices of your choice.

Prepare a hearty delicacy according to the following algorithm:

You will need to peel the onion and chop it into cubes. The liver needs to be washed, dried and cut into 2-3 parts. The champignons need to be peeled from films and cut into slices.
Melt the butter in a thick-walled frying pan and then add chopped onion into it. Frying the vegetable over medium heat will take about 5-6 minutes.
Then you need to add mushrooms to the onions. Stirring occasionally, simmer the mixture for 8-10 minutes. Next you need to add liver to the products. Covering the pan with a lid and reducing the flame to a minimum, you need to simmer the dish for about 15-20 minutes. It is important to stir the mixture periodically to prevent the mixture from burning.
In a separate bowl, combine sour cream with water, flour, salt and spices. The sauce should be mixed thoroughly so that there are no lumps in it, and when the time is right, pour it over the dish. The dish needs to be mixed, and covered again with a lid, simmer over low heat for about 7-8 minutes.
Grate the cheese.
The mass must be transferred to a heat-resistant form and sprinkled with grated cheese. The dish must be placed in the oven, heated to 200 °C. It will take about 10 minutes to bake the treat. During this time, the cheese will melt, creating an appetizing, golden crust on the delicacy.

Before serving, the mixture must be placed on serving plates and sprinkled with chopped green onions, parsley or dill.

In a slow cooker

Chicken liver in a slow cooker can be prepared in different ways: fried or stewed with sour cream and vegetables. But you can make an air soufflé in the device. This delicacy is tender, aromatic, and low in calories. It should be added to the diet for those who want to lose excess weight.

To create a dietary dish you will need to stock up on the following set of components:

chicken liver – 450 g;
eggs – 4 pcs.;
onion – 150 g;
low-fat cream – 100 ml;
flour – 80 g;
butter – 20 g;
baking powder – 5 g;
salt, a set of favorite spices.

Preparing the soufflé will take about 45 minutes, and the process itself consists of the following steps:

By-products must be washed, cleaned of the gallbladder and ducts, and wiped dry. Peeled onions should be cut into large pieces.
The liver must be passed through a meat grinder along with the onion. You need to add flour with baking powder, eggs, salt, spices and cream to the resulting minced meat. The mass must be thoroughly mixed until it acquires a homogeneous consistency.
Pour the liver dough into a greased bowl.
The device must be set to the “Baking” mode. The dish will need to cook for 45 minutes. After the signal, you should switch the multicooker to the “Heating” mode. After 15-20 minutes. You can serve the soufflé at the table.

To decorate, pour sour cream over the delicacy and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Pate

Chicken liver (the benefits and harms to the body of the product have been studied by nutritionists) is excellent for making pate.

You can make this delicate, delicious delicacy in 90 minutes, but for this you will need to prepare the following set of components:

chicken liver – 500 g;
white onion – 200 g;
carrots – 200 g;
milk – 500 ml;
butter – 100 g;
vegetable oil – 30 ml;
bay leaf – 1-2 pcs.;
salt, ground black pepper as desired.

Even an inexperienced cook can prepare a delicate liver pate; all you need to do is follow simple instructions:

The liver must be washed, cleaned of the gallbladder and ducts, and filled with milk. It is advisable to soak the offal for 60 minutes.
During this time, you need to peel and chop the vegetables: chop the onion into cubes, and cut the carrots into slices.
The liver should be drained in a colander. While excess liquid is draining from the offal, you should heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan. Then you need to fry the vegetables in it until soft. On medium heat this will take about 5-6 minutes. It is important to stir the mixture during the process so that it does not burn.
You need to add liver and bay leaf to the fried vegetables. Without covering the pan with a lid, it is necessary to simmer the mass until the liquid has completely evaporated. The dish should be stirred periodically so that the liver does not become crusty, otherwise the pate will turn out to be rougher.
At the end, the dish must be salted and seasoned, and then placed in a blender bowl. You will need to grind the mass 2-3 times so that it acquires a homogeneous and delicate consistency. During the process, softened (but not melted) butter should be added to the pate.

The finished treat must be placed in a container and, closing the lid, placed on the middle shelf of the refrigerator. It is advisable to leave the dish to cool for at least 3 hours. It should be served with fresh bread or toast.

Best ways to cook at home

Not everyone who is losing weight knows how to prepare offal so that it is not only tasty, but also healthy. It is important to remember the basic rule - a dish with chicken liver will be healthy if it is fresh. A product that is repeatedly frozen loses most of its nutrients and becomes dry.

Fresh liver has an elastic consistency. If you press on such a liver, there will be no dents left on it .

After purchasing, the liver is placed in the refrigerator for half an hour, then the films are cut off from it, washed, and dried with napkins. There is one trick that will help remove the bitterness, make it soft and tasty - cut the liver into small pieces (15 mm), pour in low-fat milk, kefir or beer, and leave for another 20-30 minutes.

Not everyone who loses weight knows how to make the liver dietary. To do this, you need to choose a suitable heat treatment method. The best option is cooking. The product can also be prepared in a slow cooker, microwave, or baked in the oven (without oil). Stewed liver will help supplement your diet. Fried liver is a too high-calorie product, so it is not suitable for the diet menu.

The liver is baked in pots, clay, metal or silicone molds. To prevent it from drying out, it is stewed in water, sour cream, milk, and natural yogurt. It is important to select low-fat foods to keep the calorie content of the liver within acceptable limits. Mayonnaise or any other fat is not suitable for this purpose.

Chicken liver should not be subjected to prolonged heat treatment. The optimal cooking time is from 15 to 30 minutes. As cooking time increases, the liver becomes tougher.

You need to salt the dietary dish at the end of cooking. Otherwise, you risk oversalting the food or making the main ingredient tough.

Chicken liver goes well with fresh, baked or steamed vegetables, buckwheat, rice, herbs, etc. Pumpkin, beets, herbs and garlic will help enrich its taste.

Cake

Chicken liver snack cake will be an excellent dish for the holiday table. It looks impressive and appetizing, and has a delicate and piquant taste.

And to prepare it you need quite affordable products:

chicken liver – 500 g;
sour cream – 60 g;
eggs – 2 pcs.;
flour – 80 g;
carrots – 500 g;
onion – 200 g;
mayonnaise – 200 g;
garlic cloves – 3-4 pcs.;
vegetable oil – 50 ml;
salt, spices of your choice.

If desired, you can use Korean carrots instead of regular carrots. Then the delicacy will be more piquant.

You can prepare a snack tot in just 60 minutes, and this process consists of the following steps:

Vegetables need to be peeled, carrots should be grated, and onions should be chopped into small cubes. Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the vegetable mass in it for 10-12 minutes. To prevent the ingredients from burning, it is important to stir them periodically. Finally, add salt and season the mixture, and then set it aside to cool.
After washing the chicken liver, you need to drain it in a colander. When excess moisture has drained from the by-products, you will need to transfer them to a blender bowl and grind for 1-2 minutes.
To the liver you need to add eggs, sour cream and salt. Turning the blender on at maximum power, grind the mixture until it reaches a homogeneous consistency.
The minced liver should be poured into a deep bowl and combined with flour. The mixture must be mixed with a spoon, breaking up any lumps. As a result, the dough should acquire the consistency of thick sour cream. If it is too liquid, then you need to add more flour. If the dough is thick, then it should be diluted with milk.
You need to heat a little oil in a frying pan. After scooping up the dough with a ladle, you need to pour it into the pan and distribute it evenly over the surface. The liver pancake will need to be fried for 1-2 minutes. from each side. This way you need to prepare all the dough.
After peeling the garlic, you should pass it through a press. The resulting mass must be mixed with mayonnaise.

All that remains is to assemble the cake. To do this, you need to place the liver cakes on top of each other, greasing them with garlic sauce and sprinkling them with fried vegetables. Before serving, the appetizer should be kept in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours. You can decorate the dish with chopped herbs, grated cheese, halves of eggs and olives.

Salad

A salad with chicken liver, pickled cucumbers and grated cheese will be an excellent alternative to the banal Olivier. This delicacy has a delicate taste, pleasant aroma and piquant taste.

It contains the following components:

chicken liver – 200 g;
eggs – 2 pcs.;
pickled cucumber – 1 pc.;
carrots – 1 pc.;
onion – 1 pc.;
hard cheese – 70 g;
mayonnaise – 100 ml;
salt, ground black or allspice.

You need to prepare the salad according to this algorithm:

The liver should be cleared of ducts, films and gall bladder. After washing the offal, you need to cut them into pieces and then throw them into a pan of boiling water. After adding salt and closing the container with a lid, you need to cook the mixture for 10 minutes, after boiling again. Then you need to drain it in a colander.
When the liver has cooled and excess moisture has drained from it, you should grate it. You will need to chop the cheese in the same way.
The onion must be peeled and cut into cubes. To make the dish more tender, you can pre-marinate them in apple cider vinegar and sugar.
Pickled cucumbers will need to be chopped into strips. Carrots and eggs need to be thrown into a pan of boiling water. After 7-8 minutes. you need to take out the eggs, cool them and crush them with a fork. The orange vegetable should be boiled for 15 minutes, and then peeled and grated.
To assemble the salad, you need to lay out the ingredients in layers in the following order: liver, onions, carrots, cheese, eggs. Each layer of the delicacy needs to be greased with mayonnaise, as well as salt and pepper as desired.

Before serving, it is advisable to keep the salad in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours. Then it will become more juicy and tender.

Cutlets

Chicken liver, whose benefits and harms to the body are known, can be a good basis for cutlets. Such products are satisfying, nutritious and rich in minerals and vitamins.

You can make them from the simplest products:

chicken liver – 300 g;
eggs – 2 pcs.;
onion – 100 g;
flour – 80 g;
vegetable oil – 15-20 ml;
salt, seasonings of your choice, fresh herbs.

You need to prepare healthy cutlets according to the following algorithm:

The onion must be peeled and cut into large pieces.
After washing the liver, place it in a blender bowl and lightly chop it. You need to add onions, eggs and herbs to the mixture. After adding salt and seasoning the minced meat, you need to grind it to a homogeneous consistency. Then it must be combined with flour.
After heating the vegetable oil in a frying pan, you will need to place the minced meat on it using a spoon. The products should be fried on each side for 3-5 minutes. over medium heat.

It is better to serve the cutlets immediately after cooking, before they have cooled. An excellent side dish for it would be boiled potatoes, buckwheat porridge or pasta. The health benefits of chicken liver are invaluable, because it contains many essential substances. But so that it does not harm the body, it is important to choose only a fresh product and prepare it correctly.

Which liver is healthier: chicken or beef?

Both chicken and beef liver are inexpensive and the products can be prepared quickly. Beef liver is lower in calories. Folic acid is contained in poultry products in much larger quantities.

But, beef liver contains much more B Vitamins and retinol. Scientists have found that systematic consumption of beef liver improves hematopoietic function and increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood.

Both products strengthen the immune system and support the normal functioning of the nervous system. We can conclude that both by-products are equally useful, but it probably doesn’t make sense to say which one is better.