Chicken Liver (Giblet) Stuffing

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5 out of 5 Stars by 6 readers!

The traditional East Indian stuffing for Christmas meals consist of a chicken liver and bread pudding that’s stuffed into the chickens’ cavity before roasting. Here’s how to make this delicious homemade liver stuffing that’s sometimes called a giblet stuffing.


My favorite dish ever is the chicken liver pudding. It’s also called a chicken liver stuffing, or a giblet stuffing, or a liver pudding, or a giblet stuffing, or a Christmas pudding.

What is liver pudding? Or what is liver stuffing?

It’s a simple dish made of leftover bread, chicken liver, other giblets, and veggies that is used to stuff the cavity of a chicken or any other bird or animal for big dinners. When it’s made without the bread, it’s called liver pudding, and when it’s made with the bread, it’s called liver stuffing. But the names are quite often used interchangeably.

We use liver pudding to stuff chickens or ducks for Christmas dinner, or weddings, big birthdays and anniversaries, and other times of the year. It’s also the perfect dish to have for any important family function! As important as foogias (balloon bread) and varias (donut-shaped bread).

How do you use the liver stuffing? The liver stuffing is filled into the open cavity of the chicken or other birds, the chickens’ legs are then either tied together or stitched to close it, and the chicken is roasted in the oven.

Liver pudding or pig stuffing is not that difficult to make, but tastes amazing! A dish we’ve loved for tiffin for work, and for family picnics, and for almost every other event! Try it yourself, and you’ll see why.

Chicken liver stuffing on a white plate.
Liver pudding

What Ingredients do you need to Liver Stuffing?

You’ll need a lot of ingredients. Firstly, the chicken liver and bread slices or loaves. We also add the chicken hearts and stomachs sometimes. A few veggies like onions, carrots, green peas, and tomatoes. Fresh spices including green chilies, ginger, garlic, mint and curry leaves, fresh coriander, and other spices namely garam masala (a mix of spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods, and peppercorns), chili powder, pepper powder, and turmeric.

You will also need sour limes, oil for frying the bread cubes, and water to cook the liver. Apples, raisins, and roasted cashews are optional to richen the chicken stuffing dish.

How to make Liver Stuffing?

To make the liver stuffing, the first thing you need to do is boil the chicken liver, hearts, and stomach till cooked. When it has cooled down, cut the liver into small pieces. This can be done the previous day or a few days before as the entire cooking process is a bit long. That’s one of the things that make it worth it!

Also, remember to keep the liver broth, don’t discard it! You can use it later instead of water while frying the stuffing.

Full chicken giblets - hearts, livers and stomachs on a blue chopping board.
Chicken hearts, stomachs, and livers
Chicken giblets - hearts, livers and stomachs on a blue chopping board.
Giblets ready to be chopped
Chopped cooked liver pieces in a plate.
Chopped liver

Boil carrots and green peas and when cool, dice the carrots into small pieces. Depending on when you plan on making the dish, you can prepare this a few hours in advance or the previous day as well.

Bolied carrot pieces and green peas on a orange cutting board.
Carrots and Peas

Next cut the bread or loaf slices into one-inch cubes. Fry these bread cubes in oil or ghee and keep them aside for later use. You want the bread fried, but not too much. They should be semi-crunchy, but not nearly as crunchy as croutons.

White and brown bread slices on a orange cutting board.
Bread Slices to be diced
Cut pieces of white and brown bread in a plate.
Cut bread pieces
Oil in a vessel.
Oil in a vessel
Fried bread pieces in an aluminium vessel.
Bread fried in oil
Fried pieces of bread in a plate.
Fried bread pieces

Once your bread is done, move on to the veggies. Finely chop the onions, chilies, ginger, and garlic and set aside for later. Dice the tomatoes into small pieces. Chop the mint and curry leaves and fresh coriander fine. Cut the sour limes into halves and set aside for later.

Onions, tomatoes, coriander, chillies, ginger, garlic and sourlimes.

Fresh ingredients
Chopped onions, ginger, garlic and chillies on a plate.
Chopped onions, chilies, ginger, and garlic
Cut sourlimes, tomatoes and mint on a white plate.
Cut sour limes, tomatoes, and mint

The optional add-ons are apples, raisins, and cashews. We always add them because they make the dish a whole lot richer.

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Deseed and cut the apple into fine pieces and remove any sticks or seeds from the raisins. Break the cashews into smaller pieces, and if you want more flavor, roast them.

Apple and diced apple along with raisins and roasted cashews on a orange chopping board.
Raisins, cashews, and apple

After all the ingredients have been prepped, start with the cooking process. Heat oil or ghee in a kadai (deep round vessel or pot). Add the onions, chilies, ginger, and garlic, and saute these ingredients for a few minutes.

Sauteed onions, chillies, ginger and garlic in a vessel.
Fry onions, chilies, ginger, and garlic

When the onions have slightly browned, add in the tomatoes and allow to simmer for a while. After the tomatoes add in the chopped chicken liver, boiled carrots, and peas. You can also add small pieces of bacon or salami, but this is optional. Mom adds it sometimes, but mostly she doesn’t. Mix all the ingredients well and allow to cook.

Tomatoes along with chopped onion, chillies in a vessel.
Add tomatoes
Liver pieces, carrots and peas added to the onions in the vessel.
Add cut liver, carrots, and peas

After a few minutes, add in the spices; turmeric, pepper powder, chili powder, and garam masala, and of course mix again. In our cuisine, we mix a dozen or two dozen times, or maybe more!

Turmeric, chilli powder, pepper powder and masala added on top if mix cooked vegetables in a vessel.
Add the turmeric, pepper, chilli powder and garam masala.

After mixing the spices, add the liver broth. Follow that with the diced apples, raisins, and roasted cashews. Lastly, add in the fried bread pieces and mix well.

Mix vegetables and liver in a vessel with gravy.
Add liver broth, apples, raisins, cashews
Fried bread added to the cooked ingredients in a vessel.
Add fried bread to the mix

Once all the ingredients have been mixed together, add the fresh coriander. Last but not the least, squeeze the sour lime juice onto the bread and liver stuffing.

Fresh chopped coriander and mint leaves added to the fried bread in a vessel.
Add the chopped coriander, mint and curry leaves

After a few more minutes of cooking or frying, whatever you call it, your giblet stuffing is ready for use! Stuff this bread pudding in a whole chicken or pigling for a roast. The normal procedure is to fill the cavity of the bird or pigling and tie it up. The chicken or pig is then roasted. Once ready, the stuffing tastes a lot different because of the juices from the chicken, duck, or pigling. It really tastes amazing!

And if like us, you always make extra chicken stuffing; you can always eat this liver pudding as a meal by itself. I get mom to make the chicken liver stuffing on its own quite often. It’s just delicious!

I love it cold out of the fridge too! Tastes even better as a leftover snack covered with lime juice!

Liver stuffing served on a white plate on a golden tablecloth.
Sumptuous Liver pudding
Liver stuffing served on a white plate.
Liver stuffing ready for use
Chicken liver stuffing on a white plate.

Chicken Liver Stuffing – Giblet Pudding

Abby
The traditional East Indian stuffing for Christmas meals consist of a chicken liver and bread pudding that's stuffed into the chickens' cavity before roasting. Here's how to make this delicious homemade liver stuffing that's sometimes called a giblet stuffing.
5 out of 5 Stars by 6 readers!

Click the stars to add your rating! Left you don’t like it, right you love it!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Course Christmas, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, British, East Indian
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 431 kcal
Gluten free icon on Abbysplate website.
No added sugar icon on Abbysplate website.
Offal icon on Abbysplate website.
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Ingredients
  

Fried bread Cubes

  • 600 g Bread Slices
  • 200 ml Oil or Ghee

To Boil

  • 500 g Chicken Liver
  • 400 ml Water For the liver
  • 250 g Carrots
  • 250 g Green Peas
  • 250 ml Water For the carrots and green peas.

To Chop

  • 6 Onions
  • 4 Tomatoes
  • 2 Inch Ginger
  • 15 Garlic Cloves or Garlic Flakes
  • 6 Green Chillies – Fresh
  • 10 Tablespoon Fresh Coriander Leaves Chopped
  • 3 Tablespoon Mint leaves Chopped
  • 3 Tablespoon Curry leaves Chopped

Spices

  • 1 Tablespoon Turmeric Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Pepper Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala

For Taste

  • 3 Sour limes Sliced in half
  • 2 Tablespoon Salt

Optional

  • 1 Apple Chopped
  • 200 g Raisins
  • 100 g Cashewnuts Roasted and broken in pieces
  • 250 g Hearts Boil with the Chicken Liver
  • 250 g Stomach Boil with the Chicken Liver

Instructions
 

For Bread Crumbs

  • Cut the bread slices into 1-inch cubes and fry till brown in oil or ghee. Keep aside for later.
    Fried bread pieces in an aluminium vessel.

Slice and dice and keep ready to use later

  • Boil the chicken liver for about 20 mins, let it cool and then cut into small pieces. (Can do this a day in advance.) Also retain the liver broth. (Also boil the hearts and stomachs int he same pot if adding them.)
    Chopped cooked liver pieces in a plate.
  • Boil Carrots and Peas. Once cool, dice the carrots into small pieces.
    Bolied carrot pieces and green peas on a orange cutting board.
  • Dice the tomatoes and finely chop the onion, chillies, ginger and garlic.
    Chopped onions, ginger, garlic and chillies on a plate.
  • Finely chop the mint and curry leaves and also the fresh coriander sprigs.
    Cut sourlimes, tomatoes and mint on a white plate.
  • Cut the sour limes in half and keep for later.

Optional

  • Chop an apple into fine pieces and set aside.
    Apple and diced apple along with raisins and roasted cashews on a orange chopping board.
  • Roast the cashews and set aside.
  • Remove any twigs or seeds from the raisins and set aside.

To cook the Chicken Liver Stuffing

  • Heat oil or ghee in a Kadai (deep round vessel).
    Sauteed onions, chillies, ginger and garlic in a vessel.
  • Add onions, chillies, ginger, and garlic, and saute all for a few minutes.
  • When the onions have slightly browned, add in the tomatoes and simmer for a while.
    Tomatoes along with chopped onion, chillies in a vessel.
  • After the tomatoes, add in the chicken liver, boiled carrots, and peas. Optionally, also add the chopped hearts and stomachs.
    Liver pieces, carrots and peas added to the onions in the vessel.
  • Once this is mixed well add the spices and cook for a few minutes.
    Turmeric, chilli powder, pepper powder and masala added on top if mix cooked vegetables in a vessel.
  • Next, add the liver broth and the apple, raisins and cashews and mix well.
    Mix vegetables and liver in a vessel with gravy.
  • After this add in the fried bread crumbs. You can add a little at a time so the pot does not get too full. It also helps to mix it well with the other ingredients, aka liver pudding masala.
    Fried bread added to the cooked ingredients in a vessel.
  • When finally done, add the chopped coriander, mint and curry leaves and mix well.
    Fresh chopped coriander and mint leaves added to the fried bread in a vessel.
  • Sprinkle the sour lime juice over the entire dish.
  • And the liver pudding is ready to eat or to stuff a bird or pig!
    Liver stuffing served on a white plate on a golden tablecloth.

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Notes

  • Boil the chicken liver, hearts, and stomach, and cut into pieces when cool. This can be done a day in advance. Do not discard the liver broth.
  • Boil the carrots and peas before starting the final cooking process.
  • Dice and chop the veggies and greens, and keep ready before cooking.
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Stuff You Might Want to Use

All Natural Slate Cutting Board
King Arthur Baking - Country Bread Knife
Aluminium Kadai
Stainless Steel Spoon

Nutrition (Per Serving)

Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 902mg | Potassium: 608mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6783IU | Vitamin C: 140mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 7mg

Disclaimer: Nutrition Information per serving is estimated by a third party software based on the ingredients used, and is for informational purposes only. It will vary from product to product, based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients. Please consult the package labels of the ingredients you use, or chat with your dietician for specific details.

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What’s perfect about this Liver Stuffing recipe

  • It can be eaten as a whole meal on its own.
  • Chicken liver has some great nutritional value.
  • It can be used as stuffing for roast chicken, piglings, turkey, and ducks.
  • This liver pudding recipe uses giblets, or should I say offal. Isn’t that endearing enough to some of us?

Cooking Tips & Tricks

  • Boil the liver and cut it the previous day. This will save a lot of time on the actual cooking day.
  • Boil and dice the carrots and peas ahead of time too.
  • Cut and fry the bread slices or leftover loaves before starting with the veggies.
  • Add the fried bread pieces to the cooked liver mixture a little at a time so that the pot does not get too full. It also helps to mix it well with the other ingredients of the liver pudding masala.
  • Our recipe works for about 15 to 16 people, so reduce the quantity by the number of family and friends you want to serve.
  • You can add a cup of boiled rice to the stuffing. It’s part of the traditional recipe, but we skip it. I prefer the taste without!
  • You can follow the same recipe with other birds – turkey, duck, or even with piglings.
  • Serve the chicken stuffing with some delicious homemade currant wine to up your traditional quotient!
  • Other chicken recipes you might try are kasuri methi, chicken tope, mustard chicken, chicken soup, and chicken gizzard.
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What you want to know About Making liver Giblet Stuffing

What Is Giblet Stuffing?

Stuffing is a mix of giblets, bread, veggies and spices used to fill in the cavity of a bird such as chicken, turkey, duck, or even a pigling.

What Is Traditional Stuffing Made Of?

It varies from region to region; however, most include bread, rice and cavity organs.

What Are Giblets?

Giblets are the edible organs of a bird such as heart, liver, gizzard, and the neck that are often used in various dishes.

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