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Chicken liver

Gallus gallus domesticus

Also known as Poultry liver, Chicken livers

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A small, soft organ meat with a milder flavour and finer texture than beef liver, which is why it dominates pâtés and parfaits. It cooks in minutes and turns grainy if pushed past medium.

Women's HealthImmune HealthEnergy & Metabolism

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Iron status

Women's Health
Moderate evidence

Has been studied for improving iron status. Chicken liver supplies heme iron at a high concentration, and interventions using liver-based foods report improved iron markers in iron-deficient groups.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Immune function

Immune Health
Limited evidence

Contains compounds associated with normal immune function, notably vitamin A, zinc and B12. The relevant human research concerns correcting deficiency in these nutrients rather than the food itself.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Energy metabolism

Energy & Metabolism
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for chicken liver improving energy levels. It is often described as a natural multivitamin, but no human trials test whether eating it changes fatigue or energy in people who are not deficient in the nutrients it supplies.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Chicken liver

Ask about Chicken liver

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Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories119 kcal6%
Protein16.9 g34%
Total fat4.83 g6%
Carbohydrate0.73 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water76.5 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.56 g8%
Monounsaturated fat1.25 g—
Polyunsaturated fat1.31 g—
Cholesterol345 mg115%
ALA (omega-3)0.0060 g—
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.475 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A3296 µg366%
Vitamin C17.9 mg20%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.7 mg5%
Vitamin K0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.305 mg25%
Riboflavin (B2)1.78 mg137%
Niacin (B3)9.73 mg61%
Pantothenic acid (B5)6.23 mg125%
Vitamin B60.853 mg50%
Folate588 µg147%
Vitamin B1216.6 µg691%
Choline194 mg35%
Minerals
Calcium8 mg1%
Iron8.99 mg50%
Magnesium19 mg5%
Phosphorus297 mg24%
Potassium230 mg5%
Sodium71 mg3%
Zinc2.67 mg24%
Copper0.492 mg55%
Manganese0.255 mg11%
Selenium54.6 µg99%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene56 µg—
Alpha-carotene11 µg—
Lycopene40 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash1.06 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Chicken, liver, all classes, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171060).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Avoid

    Preformed vitamin A in pregnancy

    Like other livers, chicken liver is dense in preformed vitamin A and falls under pregnancy advice to avoid liver and liver products because of teratogenic risk at high intakes.

  • Worth knowing

    Campylobacter in undercooked liver

    Campylobacter can be present inside the liver tissue, not only on the surface. Pâté made from livers seared pink in the middle has caused repeated outbreaks; the centre needs to reach a safe temperature.

  • Too much

    Purines and gout

    Organ meats are among the highest-purine foods measured and are specifically limited in dietary advice for people with gout or recurrent urate stones.

  • Interaction

    Vitamin K and anticoagulants

    Liver contributes vitamin K, so large swings in how often it is eaten can shift INR in people taking warfarin.