How to Make Nutrient-Rich Chicken Liver Pâté at Home – and How to Serve, Store & Freeze It Right

Liver pâté is a nourishing, old-fashioned spread that’s rich in protein and essential nutrients. It makes a delicious sandwich filling, pairs beautifully with sliced veggies, or can be enjoyed with crackers for a quick, nutrient-dense snack. In this tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how to make chicken liver pâté at home using just cooked liver, spices, butter, and a splash of milk to create a smooth, spreadable texture. Once you’ve mastered this simple method, you can explore endless variations using different types of liver, fresh herbs, or flavorful add-ins. It’s also a wonderfully frugal way to use up leftover liver—especially if you’ve made a batch of liver and onions and aren’t sure what to do with the extras.

What Is Liver Pâté?

Liver pâté is a smooth, savory spread made from cooked liver blended with seasonings and herbs—sage is a traditional favorite. While pâté can be made from a variety of livers, chicken and other poultry livers are the most popular choices thanks to their mild flavor and naturally creamy texture. Many versions also include add-ins like sautéed onions, garlic, or fresh herbs to enhance the flavor and richness. Often enjoyed as a sandwich spread, pâté is also delicious served with crackers or vegetables. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to make chicken liver pâté at home, step by step, so you can see just how delicious it can be.

What Does Chicken Liver Pâté Taste Like?

Since this pâté is made primarily with chicken liver, it does have that distinctive liver flavor. But don’t let that put you off—the generous amount of butter and carefully chosen spices make it far more balanced and flavorful than plain liver on its own. Even if you’re not a liver lover (I’m not either—I actually prefer other types of offal), this recipe might surprise you. I make an effort to include liver in my diet regularly because of its incredible health benefits, and pâté is by far my favorite way to enjoy it. The texture is creamy and smooth, and the buttery richness makes it feel indulgent.

Benefits of Chicken Liver Pâté

Organ meats are some of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat—far more so than regular muscle meat—and liver is the queen of them all. Its exact nutrient profile varies slightly depending on the animal, but chicken liver in particular is an excellent source of high-quality protein, iron, copper, folate, and B vitamins (especially B12). It’s also the most concentrated natural source of vitamin A. Personally, I aim to eat liver at least twice a month, and during my pregnancies, I was even more intentional—adding small amounts to my meals weekly. If you’d like to learn more about the nutritional value and safety of eating liver during pregnancy, I highly recommend Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols (I’m not affiliated—just a big fan of the book).

Liver can also be a game-changer if you’re an amateur athlete or fitness enthusiast. I’ve found that after eating liver, I feel more energized, focused, and mentally clear. It seems to boost my endurance, too—I’m able to exercise harder (because I have more energy!). It’s truly a food that fuels both body and mind.

Common Questions

Is liverwurst the same as pâté?

They are not the same although they both contain liver. Liverwurst is a sausage made of liver (it usually contains pigs’ or calves’ liver), often some other meats, fat, and spices.

Can I make it dairy-free?

I have not personally tried a dairy free version. It would be easy to substitute almond milk for the dairy milk in the recipe. Butter would be more difficult to swap out. I think I would use schmaltz (chicken fat) instead of butter if I wanted to make a dairy free version.

Is it safe for kids and pregnancy?

I am not a nutritionist and do not offer nutritional advice. My go-to resource for nutrition advice is Weston A. Price foundation (westonaprice.org) because they are science-based and base their recommendations on the best available research. Lily Nichols’ book Real Food For Pregnancy is also great for anything diet and pregnancy related.

I can tell you however what I personally do. My kids eat liver (usually chicken liver) at least once a month, and they also take cod liver oil. And eating liver has always been one of my top priorities when pregnant or breastfeeding (to keep my own nutrient stores topped up). My kids usually eat sautéed liver with rice. My favorite liver recipe is the liver pâté because it is so versatile and because it is easy to use it as a base for a sandwich and then dress it up with some sliced onions, tomatoes and pickles.

What if I don’t like liver?

If you don’t like liver but want to learn to like it because you value its health benefits—I completely understand. I didn’t grow up eating organ meats either. At first, the idea of eating liver (or any “odd bits”) was honestly off-putting. I initially disliked the taste and texture, but I slowly trained my body to accept it—and eventually even enjoy it. My best advice? Start with very small amounts and allow your palate time to adjust. Over time, the flavor that once seemed so foreign will begin to feel normal. And not because the taste has changed, but because your body has learned it’s something you eat, and that it’s no big deal.

If you’re just starting your ancestral or traditional foods journey, know that it often involves retraining your taste buds. I remember when I first started drinking raw milk—it tasted “weird” to me at first. But now, after years of drinking it, it’s pasteurized milk that tastes strange (like it’s been cooked!).

You may never become a liver lover—and that’s okay. But if you stick with it, your body will begin to accept liver as just another food on your plate. Start small. Hide it in other dishes like ground meat. Use your favorite spices and seasonings to mellow the flavor. Before long, eating liver won’t feel like a challenge—it’ll just be part of your daily rhythm.

Ingredients & Equipment

The following amounts will make approx. 2 cups of chicken liver pâté.

• 1 cup raw chicken livers (about 6 livers)
• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter (if you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt you add to the pâté)
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup whole raw milk (you may not need all of it)

You will also need an immersion blender or a standard blender.

Tips for Making This Chicken Liver Pâté at Home

• Dry spices are quick and easy to use. However, if you prefer fresh, substitute a few sprigs of fresh thyme for the dry thyme (remember to remove them before blending the pâté), use 1/2 chopped, onion instead of onion powder, and 2 minced garlic cloves for the garlic powder. Fry the onions and garlic in a little butter before adding them to the pâté – this will soften them and improve their flavor.
• This pâté is mildly spiced. If you want it more heavily spiced to hide the taste of liver, double the onion powder, garlic powder and thyme. Or use liberal amounts of other spices of your choice.
• If you have any leftover cooked liver from making liver and onions recipe, feel free to use it in the recipe. Add any leftover onions too – they can be easily blended in.
• Don’t skimp on the butter – that’s what will make this pâté creamy and spreadable. Instead of butter you could also use heavy cream – if you do, skip the milk, you won’t need it.
• Duck and goose livers are also great for pâté. They will work beautifully in this recipe if you want to use them.
• Rabbit livers are very similar to poultry livers and will make a great pâté if used in this recipe.
• If you are starting with chicken livers from your home butchered birds and you would like to learn how to prepare them for cooking, check out this post.

How to Make Chicken Liver Pâté at Home (Step-by-Step)

Serving Suggestions: How to Eat Pâté

Here are some ideas for simple and no fuss serving of your homemade chicken liver pâté. I just grabbed what I had on hand and made some liver pâté sandwiches and cut some carrot and cucumber sticks to dip into the pâté.

Pâté is also great served with crackers or spread on hot biscuits. For packed lunches, you could also make some sandwiches by spreading sourdough bread slices with pâté instead of butter and then arranging some sliced pickles or pickled onions on top, then closing with another slice of sourdough spread with pâté.

Storage FAQs

How long will it last in the fridge?

It will be fine stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure you keep it in a jar with a lid or a covered container, or it will dry out.

Can liver pate be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze it for 3-4 months. I have never had any issues with the texture changing after it has thawed. If you defrost it and notice the texture isn’t as before, give it a good stir – it should become normal again. I put my liver pâté into little jars and defrost only what I can use in the next few days.

Conclusion

Organ meats deserve a comeback, and I’d love to help you bring them back to your table. If you’d like to keep learning simple, traditional ways to cook real food for your family, join my newsletter community. You’ll get new recipes, kitchen tips, and access to my exclusive library of homestead resources to support your journey.