Southern Soul Food Liver Dressing Recipe
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Liver may get a bad rap for its strong flavor, but when it’s seasoned the Southern soul food way, it becomes exceptionally rich and downright delicious! Southern soul food liver dressing is a flavorful tradition, passed down through generations who knew how to make every part of the meal count. With tender beef liver, golden cornbread, and a medley of soulful herbs and seasonings, this dish takes humble ingredients and transforms them into pure holiday comfort.
It’s rich, savory, and deeply Southern. The kind of dressing that tells a story with every bite. Crispy at the edges, moist and hearty inside, liver dressing is a holiday staple in many Black households, especially on Thanksgiving tables where soul food shines brightest. One spoonful and you’ll know this isn’t just dressing. It’s heritage served with love!
Easy Southern dressing with liver
Southern soul food liver dressing has a bold, savory flavor that’s hearty and earthy from the tender, well-seasoned beef liver, balanced by the sweetness of golden cornbread and the warmth of classic herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary.
The cornbread gives it a soft, comforting texture, while the edges bake up slightly crisp. Each bite delivers that soulful depth you can only get from slow-cooked Southern cooking. Hearty, seasoned, and unmistakably home.
Ingredients
Southern liver dressing starts with golden, cubed cornbread as the base, enriched with tender, flavorful chopped beef liver that brings a deep, savory richness. Butter, onion, and celery create the classic Southern flavor foundation, while a curated blend of herbs and seasonings adds warmth and soul. Beef stock and eggs bind it all together, making a dressing that’s moist, hearty, and packed with down-home comfort.
How to make cornbread with liver
- Make the homemade cornbread to use as the bread cubes for the dressing.
- Season the beef liver, air fry it, then simmer it with the vegetables, seasonings, herbs, and broth.
- Combine the simmered mixture with the egg, parsley, and cornbread.
- Bake the dressing covered initially, and then uncover it to finish baking.
Achieving a crispy crust
During the second phase of baking, leave the dressing uncovered so the top can brown and develop a beautiful, crisp crust. This step creates that irresistible contrast between the golden, crunchy surface and the moist, flavorful interior.
For even more richness, top the dressing with a few pieces of butter before baking. As it melts, the butter helps the surface brown while adding an extra layer of flavor and that perfectly crisp, soul-satisfying texture.
What to serve with Southern liver dressing
Serve this soul food liver dressing alongside your Thanksgiving turkey or a pineapple-glazed ham, paired with Southern candied yams, collard greens, or creamy mashed potatoes. Together, they create a holiday feast full of comfort, flavor, and tradition, perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings.
How to prep ahead
You can easily prep soul food liver dressing ahead to save time on the big day. Simply cook the liver, sauté the onion and celery, and cube the cornbread in advance, then store each component in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble.
On the day of serving, mix all the ingredients together with the egg and parsley, then bake. This way, you’ll have all the soulful flavor with far less holiday cooking stress!
Equipment
- 8″ cast-iron skillet
- Electric mixer: handheld or stand optional – for making the cornbread
- Air fryer for the liver (or optionally use a cast-iron skillet)
- medium-sized saucepan
- Medium-sized mixing bowl
- 8″ baking dish
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cornbread
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal medium grind
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar optional
- ⅔ cup cream cheese preferably whipped cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Ingredients for the soul food liver
- 1 pound beef liver slightly frozen (about 4 pieces of liver)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Ingredients for the liver dressing
- ¼ cup butter unsalted
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 tablespoon thyme dried
- 1 tablespoon rosemary dried
- 1 teaspoon sage ground
- ¼ cup parsley fresh and finely chopped
- 1 cup beef stock or beef broth
- ½ cup beef stock or beef broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Instructions for the homemade cornbread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the 4 tablespoons of butter in the cast-iron skillet. Melt the butter in the oven for approximately 5 minutes.
- While the butter melts, combine the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar) with the cream cheese and heavy whipping cream in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Pour the melted butter from the skillet into the mixing bowl, then mix all the ingredients together.
- Pour the cornbread mixture into the skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Once the baking time is complete, let the cornbread cool for about 10 minutes.
- Slice the bread lengthwise, then cut it across into 1-inch cubes, and set them aside.
Instructions for making the soul food liver
- Start with slightly frozen pieces of liver, as they can be slippery and difficult to handle when completely thawed.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Use this mixture to season both sides of the liver.
- Next, mix together flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper in another small bowl. Coat the slightly frozen liver pieces in this flour mixture.
- You can cook the liver either in a cast-iron skillet or in an air fryer. If using an air fryer, spray the cooking basket/tray and the top side of the flour-coated liver with cooking spray (I used an olive oil spray).
- Air fry the liver at 360 degrees F for 2 minutes, then flip the pieces and air fry for an additional 2 minutes on the other side. This brings the total cooking time to 4 minutes in the air fryer.
- Remove the liver from the air fryer.
- Remove the liver from the air fryer and chop it into small, bite-sized pieces. Set the pieces aside. (It’s normal for the meat to still appear red or pink inside, with the flour remaining white; it will finish cooking in the next steps.)
Instructions for the liver dressing
- Grease a baking dish and transfer the reserved cornbread cubes to the greased dish. Set the cornbread cubes aside.
- In a saucepan, sauté the ¼ cup of butter, chopped onion, celery, thyme, rosemary, and sage.
- Stir to coat the vegetables in the herbs and melted butter, then sauté until they soften and turn slightly brown.
- Add the chopped liver to the simmering mixture along with the beef stock, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine.
- Remove the liver and herb mixture from the stovetop and set aside.
- Allow the mixture to cool until it is safe to touch, then combine it with the egg. This prevents the egg from cooking and scrambling due to residual heat.
- While the liver and herb mixture is cooling, beat the egg and parsley in a medium-sized bowl.
- Pour the egg and parsley mixture over the cubed cornbread in the set-aside baking dish, and gently fold in the mixture evenly with the bread cubes.
- Then, pour the cooled liver and herb mixture into the cornbread and egg mixture, evenly distributing it with your pour.
- Cut the 1 tablespoon of butter into small pieces and scatter them evenly on top of the dressing.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown, then serve warm and enjoy! Optionally, serve with gravy on top.
Nutrition
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