Name: Chicken Liver Mousse with Bacon Jam
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 140 min
Ingredients: 1/2 pound chicken livers; 1 1/2 cups milk (for soaking the chicken livers (optional)); 4 tablespoons butter (divided into 2 parts); 1 shallot (chopped); 1 garlic clove (chopped); 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1/4 cup brandy; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1 tablespoon cream cheese; 5 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled); 1 large yellow or white onion (sliced); 1 tablespoon butter; 1/4 cup coconut sugar ((substitute brown sugar)); 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper; 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 1/4 cup maple syrup

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Light, creamy, rich and just absolutely decadently delicious, this Chicken Liver Mousse recipe is also incredibly easy to make and the perfect way to impress your guests.

crostini with acon jam and chicken liver mousse on top

This recipe was originally published in April 2018. It has been updated for photos and content.

Plus, bacon jam guys. Oniony, bacony, salty sweet goodness complements the mousse perfectly. You need this in your life.

For those of you that don't love liver, don't worry, the liver flavor is cut with delicious flavors such as garlic, shallots, brandy, cream cheese, and then lightened up with a generous amount of cream.

Talk about being fancy though. Your friends and family will never know how easy this is. They'll think you spent hours making it...but you really spent less than 30 minutes.

And it's super easy to make in advance like this dried beef dip or cranberry jalapeno dip.

Jump to:

Ingredients
Step By Step Instructions
Expert Tips
More Ways to Use Chicken Parts
Favorite Appetizers to Impress
Recipe
💬 Comments

What is the Difference Between Chicken Liver Mousse and Pate?

Pate tends to be much thicker and heavier, while the mousse has been lightened up with cream and/or egg whites to give it a creamier, lighter texture. The mousse is also beaten to give it an airier texture.

Ingredients

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Chicken livers should be easy to find at your local grocery store. If you can't find them, ask the butcher. They should have them.

Other ingredients like garlic, cream, shallot and cream cheese should all also be easy to find.

This recipe does call for brandy (like we use in these oven roasted chestnuts), and I highly recommend it. While you can technically leave it out, the flavor won't be the same.

Ingredients for Bacon Jam:

The bacon jam adds a sweet, tangy flavor that complements the chicken liver mousse perfectly.

Step By Step Instructions

First, you'll want to soak the chicken livers in milk for 2 hours up to overnight; it softens the flavor a bit and makes them more tender. This step isn't mandatory if you're strapped for time, but I like to do it.

Drain the livers and rinse them well under cool water. Do this whether or not they were soaked in milk beforehand.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the chicken livers a few minutes on each side until they are just barely pink in the middle, but cooked through. It should take about 5 minutes.

Remove them from the skillet and set them aside. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet with the garlic and shallots. Saute for about 3-5 minutes, or until soft.

Add the chicken livers back to the skillet along with the brandy and cream cheese and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until much (but not all) of the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove from heat and place in a blender. I recommend letting the livers cool for a bit at this point to avoid a messy chicken liver explosion.

cooked chicken livers and cream in a blender

Once cooled, add the cream, starting with ¼ cup, and puree. Add more cream as needed if the mixture is too thick.

Store it in a sealable jar in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

jar of chicken liver mousse with some spread on pieces of bread

This light and creamy French style chicken liver mousse is best served chilled with bacon jam.

How to Make Bacon Jam

First, fry up 5 pieces of bacon and crumble into small pieces.

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they start to caramelize, about 10 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring often. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until mixture has become thick and glossy. Make you you stir periodically to prevent the sugar from burning.

Store in a sealable container in the fridge for up to one week.

I recommend serving the chicken liver mousse on a thinly sliced French baguette topped with homemade bacon jam.

pieces of crostini read with jam and liver mousse

Servings Suggestions

Let it sit at room temperature for serving;
Serve it with a crusty baguette, crackers, toast, etc.
Drizzle the mousse with honey;
Top with toasted pecans, almonds or hazelnuts (my favorite);
Serve with a side of cornichons, pickled onions, mustard and/or fruit preserves;
Really guys, the bacon jam is my favorite accompaniment for this...

Expert Tips

If you're making this in advance, pour a thin layer of smaltz (rendered chicken fat), olive oil, bacon fat or duck fat over the top of the mousse in a jar. This helps to keep it from oxidizing.
Add additional cream if the mousse is too thick.
Add additional salt to taste at the end. I use a minimal amount of salt in the recipe as everyone's tastes preferences are different.
For extra creamy mousse, strain it through a sieve or cheesecloth.