Chicken Liver Pate

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for chicken liver pate, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Chicken Livers – Traditional French pate recipes often use duck or goose liver, which you can do if you can find it. But since fresh chicken liver is much more accessible and less expensive, I went that route.
• Unsalted Butter – I used grass-fed butter, but ghee, schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), or duck fat work, too.
• Heavy Cream – When I tried pate in France, it was so smooth and creamy, and the server mentioned that they add a splash of heavy cream to it. So, that’s my secret ingredient in this chicken liver pate recipe, too. You could also use coconut cream for a dairy-free option; I do like it, but the flavor is better with the dairy version.
• Water – I used water to simmer, but you can certainly swap out the water for Cognac, sherry, or brandy, if you’d prefer a more traditional flavor. And then you can repurpose it to make my steak Diane. 😉
• Aromatics – Garlic and shallots add mild sweetness and flavor. You could use just one or the other, but in my opinion both together taste best. Sometimes I take a shortcut and substitute 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic for the fresh garlic cloves.
• Seasoning – Fresh thyme leaves, sea salt, and black pepper. Feel free to substitute 1 teaspoon dried thyme in place of the tablespoon of fresh thyme, or use other fresh herbs.

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How To Make Liver Pate

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Trim the livers. Just cut away the white connective tissue.
2. Saute the aromatics. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and shallots. Cook until their aroma fills your kitchen… mmm.
3. Add the chicken livers, salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally. The livers are done when they are light brown on the outside and barely pink inside. Leave the pan covered for 5 minutes with the heat off, then drain off the liquid.

4. Blend the chicken liver pate. Transfer everything from the pan to a blender or small food processor. Puree, gradually adding the cream and more butter, until smooth. If needed, add more salt and pepper to your taste.
5. Cover and chill. Transfer the pate to ramekins, or a bowl also works. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, with plastic flush against the top, and secure with rubber bands. Refrigerate until firm. I like more fresh thyme for garnish.

Serving Ideas

This chicken liver pate is smooth, savory, and spreadable, so it’s perfect for… well, spreading! The easiest way to eat it is to simply on top of crackers. (I like almond flour crackers as shown in the photo above, homemade cheese crackers, or flax seed crackers.) You could even serve it as part of a Christmas charcuterie board.

You can also opt for bread or toast, like French restaurants usually do. For healthier options, try my coconut flour bread, chewy almond flour bread, or toast some flaxseed bread.