How to cook the most delicious slow cooker liver and onions. Take a trip down memory lane with this tender Crockpot liver recipe that comes with onions, a yummy gravy and plenty of mashed potatoes.
Made using the sauté and the slow cooker functions on the Ninja Foodi this is a winter favourite that never goes out of fashion.
Table of Contents
Liver In The Slow Cooker
When I create a new recipe for the instant pot, I will also get requests to make it a slow cooker recipe too.
That is why, as I update our instant pot liver and onions recipe, we are also making a delicious slow cooker version.
Liver and onions, whether cooked in the slow cooker or the instant pot represents one of my favourite recipes from childhood that my grandad would lovingly make for me.
Of course, when you make it yourself its never as good as it was when that relative made it for you, but it makes a close second and takes you back to childhood.
And whilst there are many people out there that are disgusted by the idea of liver and onions, there are people out there like me that love liver and onions whether it is liver in the slow cooker or the old school method.
Though I did get a new fan along the way, as Jorge loved his liver and onions and asked for more. Sofia ran out of the room though, so I got one new fan!
Are You New To The Slow Cooker?
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Can You Cook Liver In A Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can cook liver in a slow cooker, and it will work well in any slow cooker. You can do Crockpot liver and onions, or like us use a different slow cooker.
We love using the slow cooker on the Ninja Foodi because it also has a sauté and an air fryer button as well being a slow cooker meaning you don’t have to move the food from one machine to another to brown. Such as in our Ninja Foodi Pulled Pork.
Should Liver Be Cooked Fast Or Slow?
Its important you slow cook liver. If you don’t slow cook liver and cook it fast then it will be rubbery and tough and not even fit for the dog to eat.
But you can slow cook liver on either the high or the low setting on the slow cooker, or pressure cook liver and it will be delicious.
Do You Have To Fry Liver Before Putting In Slow Cooker?
We recommend that you brown the liver before cooking in the slow cooker. It adds extra flavour and makes for better slow cooked liver, but this is of course personal choice.
Though I always make sure I have a slow cooker with a sauté function and then it makes this job easier.
Or for liver and onions in the Crockpot you can often get a Crockpot that is allowed on the stovetop.
Can You Put Raw Onion In A Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can put raw onion in the slow cooker, just like you can with liver. But of course, if you want better flavour and texture on your onions, it is best to sauté the onions first, before adding in the other liver and onions slow cooker ingredients.
Do You Rinse Liver Before You Cook It?
Yes, its very important you rinse and liver before you place it into the slow cooker. This is done with milk and stops the liver from having a flavour that is too strong and also helps with the process of making your liver tender.
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Liver And Onions Slow Cooker Ingredients
There are 5 main ingredients for liver and onions in slow cooker:
Liver – Let’s start with plenty of beef livers or calf livers are even better. Though note, when buying livers from the butchers they often leak everywhere so double bag them especially if freezing. You would have laughed if you saw the mess mine once made.
Onion – Because it’s all about beef liver AND onions, we are adding plenty of red onion. We used four onions, but you can increase this if you like a lot of onion.
Milk. Then because it’s essential that you soak liver in milk before slow cooking you will need plenty of milk.
Potatoes – Of course, slow cooked liver, is not the same without plenty of mashed potatoes and we suggest serving with some of our instant pot no drain mash.
Stock – We also recommend having some beef stock in the slow cooker for this slow cooker liver and onions UK recipe. What we do that works for a lot of our beef recipes is to make instant pot beef stock cubes and then freeze them for later.
Beyond these 5 essential slow cooker liver ingredients we also recommend some tomato puree, garlic and a bit of seasoning.
Then for the kitchen gadgets that we have used in this recipe for liver in slow cooker it has just been our Ninja Foodi. We have this one and its wonderful for many types of slow cooker recipes and also great for easy old fashioned dinners.
Plus, we recommend you head over to our slow cooker recipes category as we have more than 100 tried and tested slow cooker recipes and have been using slow cookers for 18 years.
How To Make Liver In Slow Cooker?
- Soak. Before cooking liver, we recommend that you soak the livers in milk. This takes 2 hours, so we recommend you get this going as soon as possible. Then after soaking drain and pat dry.
- Sauté. Then just before you are ready to get cooking, peel, and slice and then sauté your onions with some olive oil. You can do this in your slow cooker.
- Brown. Then brown the liver, add beef stock and add in the other liver ingredients.
- Cook. Then slow cook liver and onions for 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low.
- Finish. When the slow cooker is done, portion up and then serve with mashed potatoes.
And I am sure you can see now how simple and easy this recipe for liver and onions this is why you should be doing the same.
How Long To Cook Liver In Slow Cooker?
We recommend that you slow cook liver and onions for 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low. We find that there is no difference in tenderness between cooking on low or high, so whichever suits your time better.
Slow Cooker Liver, Onion & Gravy
If you would like to make slow cooker liver and onions and serve with gravy, then there is an easy way to make that happen.
When you are done, add a scoop of mashed potatoes to the onion and stock and stir. It will then naturally thicken without the need for gravy granules.
Listen To Slow Cooker Liver & Onions
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More Old Fashioned Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Macaroni Pudding
- Slow Cooker Braised Steak & Onions
- Slow Cooker Bacon Ribs
- Slow Cooker Bacon Chops
- Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie
- Slow Cooker Minced Beef Cobbler
Your slow cooker liver and onions recipe is below, note you can print it out with or without photos, adjust servings, or click between metric and imperial depending on where you are in the world.
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Slow Cooker Liver And Onions
Ingredients
- 4 Large Red Onions
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 800 g Beef Livers
- 1 Litre Whole Milk
- 480 ml Instant Pot Beef Stock
- 3 Garlic Cloves peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree/Paste
- 1 Tbsp Dried Mixed Herbs
- 1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
- Handful Fresh Bayleaves
- Instant Pot No Drain Mashed Potatoes
- Salt & Pepper
Kitchen Gadgets
Instructions
- Two hours before cooking load the livers into a bowl with milk and soak. This will help with the taste and texture. Then drain the liver from the milk.
- Peel and thinly slice lengthways the onions and place into the slow cooker with olive oil and sauté until the onions have softened.
- Pat dry, the livers to remove excess milk and season generously with salt and pepper. Then trim into strips.
- Add the livers to the onions in the slow cooker and brown the liver on all sides. If it’s sticking too much add extra olive oil.
- Once browned, press cancel on the sauté and deglaze with the beef stock and add in the puree, garlic, and the seasonings. Mix well and make sure the beef livers are covered in stock.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker on cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours. Remove the bay leaves. Next dish up your liver and onions and serve with mashed potatoes.
Notes
Nutrition
Can’t make it now? Then save it for later!
Saying a Tbsp of mixed herbs can’t get any more vague. What sort of herbs??? An Italian mix? Maybe a Mexican mix or perhaps an Indian mix??? If an Indian mix which ones? There are a plethora??
Hi Theresa,
The mixed herbs we mean are oregano, thyme, basil, marjoram 🙂
Love your air fryer cook book and all your advice and recipes for air fryer and slow cooker for an amateur not far from 90
We are really happy you are enjoying the cookbook and loving the advice and recipes John this is the reasons why we do what we do, just to help make the gadgets easier to use 🙂