Adding beef liver to a simple meat sauce is the easiest, sneakiest, and most versatile way to incorporate more organ meats into your diet. I use this beef liver meat sauce recipe for a number of things such as spaghetti, lasagna, moussaka, and more! It is nutrient-dense and delicious and a great thing to have on hand in the freezer.

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I may not have any authority sharing a meat sauce recipe but I thought it was worth providing my easy way of incorporating organ meats into our diet. With simple ingredients and by following uncomplicated and forgiving steps, you’ll be able to have a stock of beef liver meat sauce on hand for anything you desire.

We like a chunky meat sauce, especially for spaghetti and lasagna. However, you can also use crushed tomatoes for a smoother sauce.

When making any kind of sauce, I like to make batches. This saves time and effort in the kitchen and is always nice to have prepared food in the freezer during busy seasons!

You can use this meat sauce for all kinds of recipes. Our favourites are for spaghetti and lasagna made with homemade egg noodles! Whenever I make this recipe, I make a double batch. That way I can use half for that day’s dinner and leave the other half to cool down and then freeze in a Ziploc bag for another meal for another day. I also find the freezer portion tastes even better!

Beef Liver Cubes

To make this recipe, I would first recommend you make some beef liver cubes. Making these ahead of time makes the process a whole lot easier and cleaner! I always have a bag of beef liver cubes on hand to add whenever I cook a dish with ground meat. Simply add a 2oz beef liver cube per pound of ground meat. This ratios allows you to reap the benefits of beef liver without it overpowering your meal, no one will even know it’s in there!

Why Beef Liver?

Beef liver is highly valued in many cultures around the world. In traditional diets and indigenous cuisines, liver was often prized as a nutrient-rich food that provided essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and folate. Because of its nutritional value, it was commonly used to support general health, a healthy pregnancy and the development of robust babies.

The Benefits of Beef Liver for General Health

Beef liver is often called a superfood because it’s packed with nutrients that can greatly benefit your health. Here are some simple reasons why adding liver to your diet can be a good idea:

Loaded with Nutrients: Liver is full of important vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin D, and B vitamins. Liver especially high in vitamin B12, which is great for your energy and helps keep your blood and nerves healthy .
Great Source of Iron: Liver is rich in a type of iron that your body can easily absorb. This can help prevent and treat iron deficiency anemia, which makes you feel tired and weak .
High in Protein: Liver provides a lot of high-quality protei n, which is essential for building and repairing tissues, making hormones, and supporting your immune system .
Good for Your Brain and Liver: Liver is one of the best sources of choline, a nutrient that supports brain function and helps your liver process fats effectively .
Contains Antioxidants: Liver has antioxidants like glutathione, which help protect your cells from damage and support your body’s natural detox processes .
Supports Vision and Skin Health: Liver is extremely rich in vitamin A, which is important for maintaining healthy vision, skin, and immune function.

How Much Liver Should I Eat?

A healthy and sustainable amount of liver consumption for an adult would be around 2-4 oz a week and 1-2 oz per week for a child. These liver cubes are around 2oz which makes it easy to calculate your intake. Aim to use 1-2 liver cubes per adult that you’re cooking for per week. If you want to add liver to your children’s diet, simply share your liver-enriched food with your children and they will reap the benefits from their usual portion of the meal!

How To Use Beef Liver Meat Sauce

Spaghetti

We like to use this beef liver meat sauce for spaghetti. This fresh sauce pairs perfectly with homemade egg spaghetti noodles, topped with a hard aged cheese.

Lasagna

Lasagna is also a fan favourite. I like to make my own noodles and ricotta to pair with the beef liver meat sauce. It all comes together in perfect harmony and no one knows that it has organ meats in it

Moussaka

Moussaka is a Greek dish made with eggplants, ground lamb, and topped with a béchamel sauce. It requires a couple extra steps and attention when making the béchamel sauce but it’s definitely worth it! If you wanted to make it the traditional way, simply swap the pork and beef out in this recipe and replace it with ground lamb while still including the liver. It is a delicious treat of a meal!

Materials You’ll Need

A Large Pot

Cutting Board

Sharp Kitchen Knife

Wooden Spoon

Prepared Ingredients You’ll Need

1 tbsp Olive Oil

3-4 Minced Garlic Cloves

1 Diced Onion

1 Cup Diced Bell Peppers

1 lb Thawed Ground Beef

2-4 oz. Ground Liver (1-2 Liver Cubes)

3 oz. Tomato Paste

1/4 Cup Red Wine (optional)

1 Can Tomatoes (16 oz. Crushed or Diced)

1/4 Cup Freshly Chopped Herbs or 1 Tbsp Dried Herbs (equal amounts basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme)

Salt & Pepper To Taste (around 1 tsp each)

How To Make Simple Beef Liver Meat Sauce

Prepare all ingredients.

Heat your large pot on medium-high heat.

Heat your oil in the pot and then add minced garlic, diced onion and bell peppers. Cook until tender, around 5-7 minutes.

Add your ground beef and ground beef liver to the pot. Cook until meat is evenly browned and crumbly. Liver cubes can be added from frozen and will cook as they thaw in the heat.

Optional: Once your meat is cooked through, add red wine to the pot. Let it cook until it’s reduced, around 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato paste, fresh or dried herbs, salt, pepper, and mix together.

Add canned tomatoes, undrained. Let simmer for a couple hours until reduced to the desired consistency. The longer it simmers, the more flavourful!

Once it reaches your preferred consistency, feel free to do a final tweak of spices and salt, then serve it how you wish.

Notes

For a chunkier sauce, use diced tomatoes. For a smoother sauce, use crushed tomatoes.

In the photos, I made a double batch of this meat sauce!

I like to make a double batch of this recipe. Use half for dinner and freeze the other half for another meal. It saves time and the sauce tastes even better!

Sometimes, if I’m making lasagna, I will make two small lasagnas with a single batch of meat sauce. Bake one for dinner and cover the other in tin foil and freeze for another day.

If you have a large family or are feeding many people, you might make a double batch and use the whole thing!

Simple Beef Liver Meat Sauce

Bronwyn Case

Adding beef liver to a simple meat sauce is the easiest, sneakiest, and most versatile way to incorporate more organ meats into your diet. I use this meat sauce recipe for a number of things such as spaghetti, lasagna, cabbage rolls, and more! It is chunky and delicious and a great thing to have on hand in the freezer.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 20

Ingredients

2 tbsp Olive Oil
3-4 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Diced Onion
1 Cup Diced Bell Peppers
1 lb Thawed Ground Beef
2-4 oz. Ground Liver 1-2 Liver Cubes
3 oz. Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Red Wine optional
1 Can Tomatoes 16 oz. Crushed or Diced
1/4 Cup Freshly Chopped Herbs or 1 Tbsp Dried Herbs equal parts basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme
Salt & Pepper To Taste around 1-2 tsp each

Instructions

Gather all your ingredients and prep them: mince the garlic, dice the onion and bell peppers, and have your ground beef, and ground beef liver ready (liver cubes from frozen can be used).
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add a splash of oil to the pot, then add the minced garlic, diced onion, and bell peppers. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
Add the ground beef and ground beef liver to the pot. Cook until the meat is evenly browned and crumbly. The liver cubes will thaw and cook as the meat browns.
Optional: For added depth of flavour, pour in a splash of red wine once the meat is cooked through. Allow it to reduce for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the tomato paste, fresh or dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine the flavours.
Add the canned tomatoes with their juices to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired thickness. The longer it simmers, the more flavourful the sauce will become.
Once the sauce has reached the perfect consistency, taste and adjust the seasoning with more spices or salt if needed.
Your rich and hearty meat sauce is ready to be served! Pair it with your favourite pasta or use it in other dishes.