Chicken Livers with Onions: Easy Spanish Tapa, Silky & Rich (62) 2026

Chicken livers with onions, or higaditos de pollo encebollados, is one of the most beloved tapas in Spain. Tender chicken livers are sautéed until golden and then simmered with sweet, slow-cooked onions, white wine, and brandy for a dish that's both economical and packed with flavor.

This version stays close to the traditional bar-style recipe, with a touch of bay leaf and nutmeg that deepens the sauce. The onions melt into a rich, glossy gravy that's perfect for dipping crusty bread into — you'll want plenty of it on the table.

It's the kind of home-style cooking that comes together in under an hour with simple pantry ingredients. Serve it as a main course with bread and a salad, or set it out as a tapa for sharing — either way, it disappears fast.

Ingredients for Chicken Livers with Onions

This recipe serves 4 people as a main course or tapa.

• 500 g chicken livers
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 onions
• 30 ml olive oil
• Salt
• 1 bay leaf
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 100 ml white wine
• 100 ml brandy

How to Make Chicken Livers with Onions Step by Step

1. Clean and cut the chicken livers

First, clean 500 g of chicken livers. If you bought them whole, remove any veins or impurities. Then cut them into even chunks and keep them in the refrigerator until needed.

2. Slice the garlic and onions

Slice 2 garlic cloves and cut 2 onions into fine julienne strips. Keeping the onions thin helps them soften evenly and melt into the sauce later.

3. Poach the onions with bay leaf

Heat 30 ml of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat — it should be hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and onions with a little salt to help them sweat and soften. Add 1 bay leaf and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until the onions are soft and sweet.

4. Sauté the chicken livers

Remove the softened onions from the skillet and raise the heat. Add the chicken livers with a little salt, freshly ground black pepper, and 1 pinch of nutmeg. Sauté until browned on the outside but still pink inside.

5. Combine the livers with the onions

Once the livers are browned, return the poached onions to the skillet and stir everything together so the flavors begin to meld.

6. Add the wine and brandy and reduce

Pour in 100 ml of white wine and 100 ml of brandy. Stir the livers and onions together and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until most of the alcohol has evaporated and the sauce has reduced slightly.

7. Serve

Serve the chicken livers with onions hot, with plenty of bread on the side. They work equally well as a main course or as a tapa to share.

Tips for the Best Chicken Livers with Onions

Keep the livers juicy

Don't overcook the livers during the initial sauté — they should be golden outside and still slightly pink inside. They'll finish cooking in the wine and brandy sauce, staying tender and juicy.

Adapt to your pantry

This recipe is very flexible: you can adjust the amount of onion, skip the bay leaf, use dry white wine or fino sherry, or add a splash of chicken broth if you like a looser sauce. It adapts to what you have on hand.

Serve with plenty of bread

The sauce is one of the best parts of this dish, so bring crusty bread to the table to mop it up. A simple green salad or roasted potatoes make good accompaniments for a main course.

30 Top Recipes I Keep Coming Back to at Home

Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a go-to rotation that covers cozy comfort plates, well-known dishes from around the world, and sweets that please a crowd.

When a rich, indulgent treat is what I'm after, my picks are usually this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a luscious Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And on days when I want something fruity and cozy, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is the one I reach for.

Mornings and lighter plates call for these airy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe, a hearty Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe, or these bright Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And for a gluten-free staple I can keep on hand, this no-fuss Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe does the job.

Tapas and Mediterranean cooking are a mood I return to often, and I tend to cycle through this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, these crackly Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, a velvety Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a cool Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This chilled Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe also makes the table when I feel like something a bit more elevated.

Come lunch or a slow dinner at home, I'm quick to suggest this warming Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, a time-honored Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, a deep-flavored Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and silky Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. When hunger runs bigger, I'll bake this Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, a homey Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the deeply comforting French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

Street-food cravings and party spreads usually mean this saucy Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe, golden Salchipapas recipe, a punchy Mexican Pork Carnitas recipe, or these crisp Korean Hobak Jeon recipe. These simple Air Fryer Zucchini Rings recipe also work nicely as a light starter or snack.

And when guests are coming and drinks are part of the plan, dinner often gets paired with a cool Original Cuban Mojito recipe, a strong Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a jug of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To fill out the spread, I like setting out this zesty French Remoulade Sauce recipe alongside, or ending with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Even More Tasty Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy

After years of trying, tweaking, and remaking dishes in my own kitchen, I've come to see that the ones that stick around are built on straightforward steps, methods you can trust, and serious flavor.

What follows is the set of recipes I keep circling back to—whether it's a fast plate just for me or a bigger spread for the people I love.

On the sweet side, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is one I turn to when I want something that feels fancy without much fuss. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better texture in desserts comes in handy, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

For something light and uncomplicated, I'll usually reach for the timeless Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. And for heavier comfort plates, my usual picks are the filling Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the velvety Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the speedy weeknight go-to One Pot Pasta Recipe.

I'm just as happy sharing dishes with roots in other countries, like the genuine Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crunchy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and Spain's own Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another area I use all the time, since it cuts down on effort while still giving you excellent results. The ones I make most are Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a baked pasta classic can still be creamy, cheesy, and completely satisfying without any gluten.

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