Duck liver is one of the most celebrated delicacies in the world of gastronomy. It holds a special place in gourmet cuisine, yet it’s surprisingly easy to prepare. So get ready to impress dinner guests with these ten low-carb duck liver recipes that can elevate any evening.

With duck liver, not only will you be serving a nutrient-dense superfood, you’ll have the pleasure of enjoying this delicacy without any of the added carbs that you would typically encounter at a restaurant.

From classic preparations to delightful innovations, let’s explore the exquisite world of duck liver with these crowd-pleasing recipes.

What’s So Great About Duck Liver?

Duck liver is packed with an abundance of macro and micronutrients. It’s an excellent source of healthy fats, copper, iron, B vitamins, and a highly absorbable form of vitamin A called retinol. ^[1]

Before we roll out the recipes, we’ll look a little deeper into the nutritional factors that make duck liver a highly beneficial food.

Vitamin B12

One of nature’s most potent sources of vitamin B12, duck liver contains 2250% of your RDV of this essential vitamin. While very high in vitamin B12, toxicity is not an issue as the body will eliminate excess B12 through the urine and store a fraction in the liver for later use.

Vitamin B12 is integral for maintaining cognitive health, supporting our nervous system and metabolism, and for the production of DNA and red blood cells. ^[2]

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for immune function, normal cell regeneration, and vision. ^[3]  Duck liver contains 1330% of your RDV per 100 grams, making it one of nature’s most potent sources of this vital nutrient. ^[4]

Acute and chronic vitamin A deficiencies can lead to increased inflammation of the cornea and even blindness, as well as increased susceptibility to infectious disease, especially among children. ^[5]

Vitamin A absorption is key in supporting a healthy immune system via the thymus gland, the organ between your lungs that produces white blood cells. The word thymus is derived from the Greek word meaning “soul” and was believed to be the site of the soul in the body. ^[6]

While this may be up for debate, the thymus gland does in fact, play a vital role in our immunity by improving metabolic rate, supporting heart health, and even improving intestinal barrier function. ^[7]

Now let’s take a look at all the low-carb ways you can serve up this delicious superfood.

1. Easy Seared Duck Liver

This recipe is simple yet full of flavor. The high-heat sear gives the liver a great crisp on the outside while maintaining its silky interior texture. Serve over arugula with a few dashes of high quality vinegar and salt to taste for an elegant addition to any meal.

Or if you’re practicing a carnivore diet, lose the greens and vinegar, salt it up, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. ghee
• 2 duck livers (or more), cut into 2-inch pieces
• high-quality balsamic vinegar
• salt

Instructions:

• Heat a small saute pan on medium-high until hot.
• Add ghee and heat until it melts. Remove pan from heat, add livers carefully.
• Return pan to flame and cook livers about 90 seconds on each side or until they turn brown. Baste with melted ghee and make sure livers do not stick to the bottom.
• Remove from heat, sprinkle with salt and drizzle a little high quality balsamic vinegar over it. Enjoy immediately!

Serves 2

2. Low-Carb Duck Liver Pâté

You’re probably most familiar with trying duck liver as a pâté or spread. Pâté is believed to have originated in Medieval France as a means of preserving meat and later became popular among the royalty. Today, it remains one of the best approaches to serving up this nutritious organ meat.

Ingredients:

• ¾ lb. duck livers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 tbsp. black peppercorn
• salt to taste

Find the entire recipe at Ditch the Carbs.

3. Bacon-Wrapped Duck Liver Skewers

These grilled bacon-wrapped skewers are the perfect keto appetizer for an al fresco meal. They are packed with smoky flavor, while the bacon helps to keep the liver intact over the grill.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. duck livers (rinsed, cut, and patted dry)
• one dozen strips thinly sliced bacon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

You can follow the whole recipe at Serious Eats.

4. Keto Duck Liver and Onions

With less than seven carbs per serving, this easy skillet take on your traditional liver and onions is a simple weeknight go-to!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. liver
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 whole onion chopped into thin slices
• 3 tbsp. Butter

See the full recipe at Ketogenic.

5. Pan-Seared Duck Liver with Smoked Bacon

Low-carb and high flavor, you can’t go wrong with adding some savory herbs to boost the tasting notes of this one pot meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. duck liver
• 1 large onion
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 6 slices smoked bacon
• ¼ cup fresh herbs (sage and/or thyme)
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp. Ghee, butter or duck fat

Find the full recipe here.

6. Duck Liver Stew

Craving something a bit more hearty? Look no further than this exceptionally spiced duck liver stew. Simply substitute the chicken liver for duck liver (in the link below) and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. duck liver
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 1 tbsp. Paprika
• 1 tbsp. Turmeric
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• ½ onion, diced
• ½ can diced tomatoes
• ½ cup water
• 2 tsp. chicken bouillon
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• green onions for garnish

Follow the full recipe at The Top Meal.

7. Oven Baked Liver and Beef Meatballs

Perhaps not your grandma’s recipe, but a just-as-tasty (and low-carb) alternative.

This keto approach to the classic meatball recipe will make your kitchen smell like heaven, drawing the crowds from far and wide. Swap out the chicken liver for duck liver and have a ball!

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, finely minced
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 4
• 2 lbs. fatty ground beef or pork
• ½ lb. duck liver, finely chopped
• ½ cup Keto breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. ground turmeric
• ½ tsp. ground paprika
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Read the full recipe at Serious Eats.

8. Foie Gras Butter

Did someone say foie gras butter on seared steak? Yes, please!

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ lb. foie gras cubes
• 4 oz. best quality unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ tsp. Kosher salt
• ⅛ tsp. finely ground pepper
• ⅛ tsp. ground cloves
• ⅛ tsp. Nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp. ground ginger

Feel free to follow the full recipe here.

9. Stir-Fried Liver with Oyster Sauce

Umami is the name of the game here. The oyster and soy sauce bring a delightfully complex flavor to a relatively simple recipe. This recipe is not to miss if you want to spice up your weeknight menu.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. oyster sauce
• ½ tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp. rice wine
• 1 tsp. almond flour (optional thickener)
• 3 tbsp. tallow or ghee
• 10 oz. liver, cut roughly into 2-inch segments
• 2 scallions, cut into 1-inch segments
• ginger, 1-inch piece thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Find the full instructions here. We’ve swapped out some ingredients to keep this recipe low-carb yet full flavor.

10. Crispy Sesame Duck Liver

Nutty and aromatic, this dish is sure to impress the foodies at your table. Great to serve over a salad of your choice.

Ingredients:

• ½ lb. duck liver, trimmed and cleaned of all sinew
• 1 dash of soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. sesame seeds
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tbsp. ghee or butter

We’ve swapped out some ingredients for a more keto-friendly approach. For instructions and prep, check out the full recipe here.

10 Low-Carb Duck Liver Recipes: The Bottom Line

Whether you’re entertaining friends or looking to add variety to your weeknight meal plan, these ten low-carb duck liver recipes showcase the many flavorful approaches to preparing this nutrient-packed superfood.

From traditional pate and bacon-wrapped skewers to savory meatballs, duck liver can be as versatile as it is nutritious.

A great source of vitamin A, B12, healthy fats, and complete protein, this vital organ meat helps boost brain function, immunity, metabolic rate, and normal cell growth. So have fun exploring these low-carb recipes.

Article Sources

• 1. Chen, Xi et al. “Effect of Various Dietary Fats on Fatty Acid Profile in Duck Liver: Efficient 1 Conversion of Short-chain to Long-chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids 2.” (2016).
• 2. Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
• 3. Reboul E. Absorption of vitamin A and carotenoids by the enterocyte: focus on transport proteins. Nutrients. 2013 Sep 12;5(9):3563-81. doi: 10.3390/nu5093563. PMID: 24036530; PMCID: PMC3798921.
• 4. Duck Liver Nutritional Value And Analysis
• 5. Gerster H. Vitamin A--functions, dietary requirements and safety in humans. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 1997;67(2):71-90. PMID: 9129249.
• 6. Anatomy, Head and Neck, Thymus
• 7. He C , Deng J , Hu X , Zhou S , Wu J , Xiao D , Darko KO , Huang Y , Tao T , Peng M , Wang Z , Yang X . Vitamin A inhibits the action of LPS on the intestinal epithelial barrier function and tight junction proteins. Food Funct. 2019 Feb 20;10(2):1235-1242.

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