Braised liver and onions with crispy bacon and a rich gravy is a gloriously old-fashioned meal that begs for some buttery mashed potatoes.
This recipe focuses on slowly braising the liver in an oven, but it also contains instructions for an Instant Pot pressure cooker and a slow cooker.
Old Fashioned Liver and Gravy
Offal has most definitely fallen out of favour, and possibly because of that, I have delayed putting one of my favourite recipes here on Krumpli.
As a result, I am delighted to offer you what I think is one of the tastiest meals you can eat and let’s face it... One that is extremely frugal.
I have always loved this dish, and I emphatically believe that if you are going to take the life of an animal, use all of the beast!
Slow-cooked liver and onions in onion gravy with crispy bacon take me back to my childhood. It was everywhere, from school dinners to my Nan's dinner table.
For those of you who love this type of food, you really must check out my faggots and mash, pan-fried lambs liver & port onions, devilled kidneys, kaleji masala or liver curry, pan fried calves liver and chicken balmoral recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best type of liver to use?
As far as I am concerned, pork or beef (ox) liver works best for this recipe.
Beef liver has a slightly sweeter flavour and has a slightly less aggressive "offal" flavour.
Can I use lamb liver?
I would not braise lamb liver; it benefits from very quick cooking and being left a little bit pink in the middle. The subtler flavours get lost in this recipe, and it could also become a little tough.
Can I use chicken livers?
Again, much like lamb liver, chicken livers benefit from quick cooking and their flavours get lost in this recipe.
If you like chicken liver, you should check out my quick chicken liver stew.
Why do you soak the liver in milk, and can I skip this step?
Soaking the liver in milk reduces some of the "front-end" bitterness that many people find objectionable.
I do not mind it at all and will often skip this step if I am using pig liver. However, it enhances the sweeter tones in beef or ox liver.
What's the best cooking method for this recipe?
I have added oven-braised, Instant Pot and Slow cooker instructions for this recipe. If I had to choose the best way, then I would say oven braising is my favourite way to make this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Gravy-braised liver and onions with bacon is glorious served with mashed potato and some garden peas, and that's how I have served it here.
Other mashed veggies work well too; swede and carrot mash is superb if you are using pig liver, and celeriac mash is great with ox liver.
If mash ain't your thing, then some buttered new potatoes are superb with the rich onion gravy in this recipe.
It also pairs really well with buttered cabbage or even some garlic asparagus.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Oven.
- A shallow bowl for soaking the liver.
- Kitchen paper.
- 28cm or 11" Frying pan (with a lid). You can improvise a lid with foil.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Kitchen tongs.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Braised Liver and Onions Recipe with Bacon
Ingredients
- 350 g Beef (Ox) or Pork Liver 12oz
- 250 ml Milk 1 Cup
- 2 Large Onions 400g
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 10 Rashers Smoked Streaky Bacon 175g
- 25 g Butter 2 tablespoon
- 375 ml Beef Stock 1½ Cups
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 1 teaspoon Marmite
- 3 tablespoon Flour
- 1 teaspoon Dried Sage
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
Oven Braising Instructions (See Video Below the Recipe):
- Slice the liver and trim it of any fat or sinew. Place the liver in a shallow bowl, pour over the milk and allow it to soak for an hour.
- Whilst the liver is soaking, cut the onions in half, peel them and then cut them into 5mm (¼) thick half-moon shapes.
- Add the cooking oil to a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium heat, then toss in the onions and caramelise them for 50-60 minutes. They will need stirring occasionally and if there is a heavy build-up of "fond" on the base of the pan, add a splash of water and stir until it has evaporated.When the onions are nicely caramelised, and the liver has been soaking for an hour, remove them from the pan and set them aside.
- Cut 6 of the rashers of bacon into thin batons.
- Remove the liver from the milk and pat dry, then dredge season it with the salt and pepper and dredge it in the flour.
- Return the pan to a medium-high heat and add the butter, and when the butter begins to foam, quickly sear off the liver on both sides. You will need to do this in 2-3 batches, then set aside.
- Add the bacon batons to the pan and fry them until they begin to crisp up.
- Return the onions to the pan, add the tomato puree and dried sage, then cook for a minute or two.
- Pour in the beef stock, stir in the marmite and return the liver and any resting juices to the pan.
- Spread out the liver in the pan, cover with a lid and cook in the oven at 150°C or 300°C for 60 minutes.
- Sandwich the slices of bacon between two baking trays and bake in the oven with the liver for 40-45 minutes. Time this so that it is finished at the same time as the liver. Then serve
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Soak the liver in the milk as above.
- If you want caramelised onions (which I would advise), you also need to do steps 2 and 3 from above on the stovetop because you cannot get the saute temperature low enough on the Instant Pot. However, you can just sweat down the onions on saute mode of the IP if you wish, then remove them
- Add the butter to the IP, then sear the liver on both sides and then remove.
- Add in the sliced bacon and cook for 5 minutes, then throw in the onion and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Sandwich the slices of bacon between two baking trays and bake in the oven at 180°C or 350°C for 30-35 minutes.
- Return the liver to the pan and add the stock, tomato puree and sage along with any resting juices.
- Seal the Instant Pot and cook on manual mode, high pressure for 5-minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Follow the instructions for steps 1-9 from the oven-braised instructions. Then transfer all of the seared ingredients to a slow cooker.
- Deglaze the pan with the stock and pour it into the slow cooker, then cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.
A
Friday 6th of February 2026
Can I use anything instead of Marmite?
Brian Jones
Wednesday 11th of February 2026
Hi... Marmite is there as a subtle seasoning, the flavour is not very pronounced within the gravy. You could omit it, or add something like an anchovy fillet or two, which would provide a similar but different "umami" punch, or a bit of Bovril, which will amp up the beefiness of the gravy, Worcestershire sauce, Hendersons relish or mushroom ketchup will add a little acidity and a hint of umami punch.
Enjoy
Brian :)
Charlie
Thursday 15th of January 2026
This looks good, Brian!
I have had liver cooked plain, but my mom always dipped it in a
egg, flour, egg, breadcrumb mix. She then lightly fried it in
the pan for three to four minutes on each side. Turns out moist
and tender. Can serve with gravy on the side.
I make this for my kids and grandkids, and they love it.
I'll try your recipe; you try mine? :~)
Brian Jones
Wednesday 11th of February 2026
Hey Charlie... I've eaten and cooked breaded liver many a time, I usually use beef liver, I've been meaning to add it here for a very long time... my head is awash with things that I should cook and add here, there are already 950ish or so recipes, and I still struggle with so many ideas and so little time ;)
I hope you enjoy this, it's very similar to what my Mom and Nan cooked for me when I was growing up, and I was always one of those kids that always loved it!
Brian
Jim
Sunday 4th of February 2024
"Instant Pot Instructions (See Video)"
For the life of me, I can't find a video or a link to one....what am I missing?
Brian Jones
Monday 5th of February 2024
The video is right below the recipe, although I have this recipe scheduled for a reshoot next week and I will be replacing the video with an oven braised version.
If you are using and ad-blocker it may prevent the video appearing.
All the best
Brian
Peter Sanders
Wednesday 20th of September 2023
Made this for about the sixth time last night (in a pressure cooker). It was wonderful. Brings memories of mum doing it about 60-70 years ago - all through our youth. Cheap n cheerful then, I suppose, but it’s a lovely, lovely meal. Tastier that a lot on more modern meals. Maybe I’ll try and do breast of lamb next? Thanks for the recipe.
Brian Jones
Sunday 1st of October 2023
Glad you like it Peter, thanks for taking the time to let me know :)
Cookie McCookCook
Saturday 8th of July 2023
I have made this twice now. Liver is just ok to me, but the man likes it. First attempt was not bad; he really liked it. I did really like the broth though. Second attempt, I soaked the liver in the milk overnight by accident. OH.MY.GOD. Served over spaetzle. I used beef liver and added the peas. Thank you for a keeper!