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How To Cook Liver Pudding

YES Liver Pudding is Delicious, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, flavorful and spiced! Serve with eggs, waffles or pancakes for the perfect breakfast! First, though, you have to know how to cook Liver Pudding!

Liver Pudding is a favorite Classic Southern Dish! It is made from pig liver, head parts, and cornmeal and spiced with sage, salt and pepper! Liver Pudding is affordable and delicious and a perfect substitute for breakfast sausage!

a white plate of liver pudding with two slices on the plate and another part slice, fork holding piece

how to cook scrapple

WHY THIS RECIPE FOR HOW TO COOK LIVER PUDDING WORKS

  • It showcases the spiced pork meat with a crispy edge and soft center
  • Makes use of bacon grease to add more flavor! 
  • Shows you how to put a crispy edge on a delicious piece of meat IN HOW TO COOK Liver Pudding! 

Cook Liver Pudding Like This…

STEP 1. Slice the loaf of Liver Pudding into pieces for frying. 

cutting the raw liver pudding into slices

how to cook scrapple

STEP 2. Mix up your breading and lightly coat the pieces to ready for frying (heat up your pan).

a slice of liver pudding breaded and ready to fry

how to cook scrapple

STEP 3. Gently place the pieces into the hot frying pan and cook for about 10 minutes (5 on each side).

four slices of liver pudding frying in the pan

how to cook scrapple

STEP 4. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot!

four slices of cooked liver pudding on a paper towel

how to cook scrapple

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) 

WHAT IS Liver Pudding?

According to my friend Wikipedia, Liver Pudding is made from pork liver and meat that is cooked and then mixed with cornmeal and spices and formed into a loaf. 

WHAT DOES Liver Pudding TASTE LIKE? 

I think Liver Pudding tastes a lot like Scrapple and sausage. It has a deeper more liver taste however. 

WHAT IS Liver Pudding MADE OF? 

According to the Neese’s website, Liver Pudding is made of: Pork Broth, Pork Livers, Cereal (Corn and Wheat Meal), Pork, Salt, Spices, Caramel Coloring

IS Liver Pudding AND LIVERMUSH THE SAME THING? 

They are very similar and often called the same thing depending on what region of the southern United States you are from. 

Liver Pudding VS SCRAPPLE

Personally, I think the taste is very similar. Scrapple is a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe and Liver Pudding originated in the South. Is that the biggest difference? I’m not sure, but I enjoy both and think they taste pretty similar. 

Additionally, if you enjoy sausage, you will probably like Liver Pudding. It’s only a slightly different flavor and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 

HOW DO YOU EAT Liver Pudding? 

With a smile on your face and a fork in your hand! Unless, of course, you’ve made a breakfast sandwich with it, in which case you just use your fingers. 

Seriously though, you eat Liver Pudding the same way you eat sausage generally.

IS Liver Pudding RAW? 

The Liver Pudding that I purchase from Neese’s sausage company is not raw, it is precooked. Check the outside of the package that you have purchased.

HOW DO YOU USE Liver Pudding?

Liver Pudding comes in a loaf or block form. Cut a slice, dredged in seasoned flour and then fry till crispy on the outside. The Liver Pudding that I am using here is already precooked, so… you could eat it right from the package. 

HOW TO BAKE Liver Pudding IN THE OVEN

Yes, bake Liver Pudding. All you really need to do is slice off a ½ inch thick slice, place it on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10 minutes on one side and another 10 on the other side. 

HOW LONG IS Liver Pudding GOOD FOR?

Once cooked, like sausage, you will want to consume your Liver Pudding within an hour or two. Refrigerate unused Liver Pudding and it will be good for about 5 days in the refrigerator.

Check the expiration date on the package of Liver Pudding to understand when the package expires. How To Cook Liver Pudding

CAN I FREEZE Liver Pudding? 

To Freeze Cooked Liver Pudding, place it in a bag, label it, squeeze out the air and place in the icebox. It will be good for 3-6 months.

Yes! To freeze unused raw Liver Pudding place it in a bag, label it,  and place in the cold box. It will be good for 6 months to a year.

WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH MY Liver Pudding? 

Lots of great dishes work with Liver Pudding!

four slices of liver pudding on white plate with blue, white and yellow napkin

how to cook scrapple

TIPS and TRICKS 

  • Liver Pudding is pre-cooked. You can eat it from the package if you want (but we recommend frying it to add great flavor!)
  • I use a light coating of wondra flour to give mine an exceptional crispy crunch BUT if you don’t have this, a little flour (all purpose or self rising, either one) will work too. If you don’t have any of those, just fry it a little and it will still be good.

YA’LL BE SWEET AND HELP ME OUT, OK?

Leave me a 5 STAR  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Comment below. Reader comments are the best. I answer right back!

a white plate of scrapple with two slices on the plate and another part slice, fork holding piece

How to Cook Liver Pudding

This recipe shows you how to get a nice crispy crust on your liver pudding and how to make a seasoned breading. 
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cooking liver pudding, how to cook liver pudding
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 458kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb liver pudding cut into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slabs
  • 1 cup instant flour such as Wondra
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbs bacon grease
  • 2 Tbs whole butter

Instructions

  • Cut 4 ¼ inch slices of the scrapple and lay on a clean paper towel (this helps remove moisture).
  • In a large bowl, mix the Wondra flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper and mix well, set aside.
  • In a 10” cast iron skillet, heat the bacon grease and butter until hot and a drop of water spatters enthusiastically.
  • While the pan is heating, very carefully dredge the scrapple slices in the wondra flour.  Pat the flour into the scrapple gently.
  • Lay each piece of scrapple into the hot oil after it is dredged in the flour.  Fry as many as 3-4 at a time.
  • Cook for 3 minutes per side without disturbing during cooking, turn the pieces very gently.
  • Remove to a clean paper towel to drain.

Notes

  • It is ok to leave the cayenne pepper off is you do not like a little hot flavor in  your food.
  • Make sure to use the kosher salt and not table salt.  
  • If using table salt, reduce to “just a pinch” The wondra flour makes a nice crispy exterior, if you use regular flour, it is ok, the edges just might not be as crusty.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
How to Cook Liver Pudding
Amount Per Serving
Calories 458 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 12g60%
Cholesterol 77mg26%
Sodium 754mg31%
Potassium 179mg5%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 2590IU52%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @loavesanddishes or tag #loavesanddishes!

Wendi is the writer, CEO and dishwasher at Loaves and Dishes! When not in the kitchen or behind the computer, you can find Wendi serving on International Food Conference Boards, Speaking at various conferences, Leading and Cooking for the local Arts Council's "Taste of Stokes" events or donating home cooked goodies to various local non profits such as the Danbury Songwriters and Stokes Partnership for Children. Wendi is also a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree and serves on her town's board of councilmen.

Recipe Rating




Andrew Rhodes

Friday 17th of March 2023

We moved from NC (the south) back at the end of 2018 to Colorado. I like the change in weather since we had been on the East coast for a couple of decades. But Colorado has no Neese's liver pudding. Yes, I know, commercial instead of homemade. Still, we like it a LOT. The past year, Neese's website had "Out of stock". Finally, deciding to escalate, I called. It turns out Neese's no longer accepts online orders by website. You have to call to order, and because of stock, might have to be on a waiting list.

But I did ask about whether I could freeze what I ordered so I could order a large number and have some to last without ordering multiple over time since they ship next day, not frozen. They don't recommend freezing the whole package at once because, as they explained, it's made with corn meal and when thawing, the liver pudding can get a little mushy. They recommend slicing it, then freezing it in the sliced form.

I see you mention about freezing uncooked portions. Have you tried freezing an entire 1 pound block or only sliced? And you say "cold box" instead of freezer. I looked up "cold box" on Bing and there is a thing called a "cold box" but wanted to be sure whether you were just saying "cold box" instead of "freezer" or if you really meant something else.

I want to properly store what I get for a long term, if it survives not being eaten within 2 months, it will be lucky. :) But based on how much I ordered, it will take longer than a week.

P.S. Yes, I am a cold liver pudding eater. I eat it on sandwiches which requires Duke's Mayo, an absolute MUST brand of mayo. :)

Thanks.

Wendi Spraker

Sunday 19th of March 2023

Hi Andrew, Boy you threw me for a loop there, I've never heard of eating cold liver pudding! I'll admit a guilty pleasure of throwing the Molotov cocktail of "NO, HELLMANS!!" just for fun. Personally, I like Dukes for some applications and Hellmans for others but my all time favorite is Kewpie Mayo, sadly, can only get it at the Asian grocery and it is quite expensive. Believe me, I am a total supporter of Neeses and it makes me sad that the fine people of Colorado don't have this pleasure! I'm gong to side with Neese's on this, and if they say don't freeze it whole then don't freeze it whole. Just cut it into slices and freeze it first. A little work but if it preserves the goodness, then totally worth it! Probably, cold box is a local colloquialism that I'm using there. You know, I live in the backwoods of NC, so... well, you get it.

Kathleen Carlton

Saturday 10th of July 2021

That's how I cut up a pine apple takes less than 10 mins and soooo worth it.

Wendi Spraker

Monday 12th of July 2021

great!

jim l nashwinter

Thursday 3rd of June 2021

as a penn.dutchman?I grew up on scrapple;at 75 still love this simple food?The taste is so great:It was a poor folks dish;but thank god I was poor;;

Wendi Spraker

Thursday 3rd of June 2021

"poor food" is some of my favorite food! I've been considering putting some of my SPAM recipes up on my website, they are good and inexpensive and taste like home. :) Thanks for leaving a comment!

Pat

Wednesday 21st of April 2021

Great recipe! I love it for breakfast.

Wendi Spraker

Sunday 25th of April 2021

That's fantastic Pat!

Morty

Tuesday 16th of March 2021

I made it and it turned out perfect!

Wendi Spraker

Wednesday 17th of March 2021

Terrific Morty! Thanks for coming back and leaving a comment.

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