One of the most famous Czech soups is liver dumpling soup. I will show you a simple recipe for making homemade chicken liver dumplings from scratch. They are absolutely delicious!
➜ About liver dumplings for soup
Czechs add liver dumplings to soups based on clear broths, mainly beef or chicken ones. Clear beef broth with liver dumplings is a popular dish in Czech cuisine. It is a traditional first course for holiday meals.
FUN FACT: In some families, liver dumplings are boiled separately in a large pot of salt water and added to the soup already cooked. This is because the dumplings can make the broth slightly muddy during cooking. On the other hand, dumplings cooked directly in the broth can boost their flavor. That's the reason why I personally boil the dumplings in the soup.
MY TIP: If you like Bohemian soups, try cesneska, traditional hangover garlic soup!
➜ Pronunciation
The Czech name for liver dumplings is "játrové knedlíčky." To give you an idea of how to pronounce this Czech word, I have recorded a short audio clip for you.
➜ Ingredients
To make Czech liver dumpling dough, you will need:
- Chicken livers; this organ meat is tender and contains very little gristle. Even if you are a cooking beginner, chicken livers are very friendly to prepare and clean before you use them for cooking. Another option is to use beef liver, but this needs to be cleaned well first. If you can't get liver in a regular store, try a local butcher.
- Garlic; fresh, peeled, and sliced
- Egg; it helps the liver dumplings to stick together and not fall apart while cooking.
- Breadcrumbs; made from dried French baguette or old white bread dinner rolls (more on this later in the article)
- Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature
- Dried marjoram, typical Czech spice that makes food a real Czech thing!
- Salt
- Black pepper; freshly ground
Prepare also clear chicken or beef soup into which you drop the dumplings to simmer.
✅ You'll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
➜ Instructions with photos
STEP 1: Rid the chicken livers of any visible white veins. Place them in a food processor and blend for a few seconds.
STEP 2: Add peeled and sliced garlic, an egg, dried marjoram, softened butter, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix again.
STEP 3: Transfer the mixture to the bowl, and add breadcrumbs. Stir until combined.
STEP 4: Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. Don't worry that the mixture is runny; it will get stiffer over time.
STEP 5: Shape the liver duplings. There are two possible ways:
Method 1: If you want beautifully round dumplings
Dump the mixture onto a work surface dusted with breadcrumbs. Quickly use your hands to form a cylinder. Dip your hands in water. Scoop out an equal amount of the mixture. Roll a ball between your wet hands about 1 ½ inch (4 cm) in diameter. Drop it into the simmering broth. Quickly proceed to shape the dumplings further.
Method 2: If you want to make dumplings quickly
Using two spoons dipped in water, scoop up the mixture and shape it as round as possible. Drop the dumpling into the simmering broth.
Here you see the difference between a hand-shaped round dumpling (left) and a spoon-shaped one (right):
STEP 5: Cook the dumplings in a simmering broth for about 5 minutes. During this time, the dumplings will come up to the surface.
➜ Serving
Serve the liver dumplings as part of the soup you cooked them in. Depending on their size, about 3-5 dumplings should go on a soup plate.
➜ Breadcrumbs for liver dumplings
Traditional Czech liver dumplings do not include flour but breadcrumbs. Czechs prepare breadcrumbs from dried plain white bread. A typical example is a French baguette, veka bread, rohliky bread rolls, or housky braided rolls.
Grind the dried white bread on a hand grinder with a cheese grating insert. For fine breadcrumbs, grind down the dry bread in a food processor.
➜ How to freeze liver dumplings
If you intend to make liver dumplings for a stock, boil them in salted water. Cool the just-cooked dumplings briefly in cold water - they will not dry out and will remain soft.
Once the dumplings have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container and freeze.
➜ Useful tips
- If the liver dumpling mixture is still too runny after 30 minutes, add a tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs, stir, and let rest for another 5 minutes.
- The mixture for the liver dumplings should be soft, not too stiff. Otherwise, the dumplings will also be tough and will tend to fall apart when cooked.
- The dough for liver dumplings should have a sharper taste. The broth or water will take away some of the flavors while boiling.
You'll also find this soup in Germany, which borders the Czech Republic to the west. Germans call the soup "Leberknödelsuppe" - literally translated as soup with liver dumplings.
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Liver Dumplings for Soup
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 7 ounces chicken livers
- 3 cloves garlic chopped and finely minced
- 1 medium egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs plus for dusting the work surface
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- ½ Tablespoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper ground
Instructions
- Remove any visible white veins from 7 ounces chicken livers. Place the livers in a food processor and blend for a few seconds.
- Add 3 cloves garlic, 1 medium egg, ½ Tablespoon dried marjoram, 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper to the food processor. Pulse a few times until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add ½ cup breadcrumbs. Stir until well incorporated.
- Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. Don't worry if it seems runny at first; it will thicken over time.
Shaping liver dumplings (2 methods):
- For beautifully round dumplings: Dump the mixture onto a work surface dusted with breadcrumbs. Quickly use your hands to form it into a cylinder. Dip your hands in water, scoop out an equal amount of the mixture, and roll it into a ball about 1 ½ inch (4 cm) in diameter between your palms. Drop the dumpling into simmering broth. Continue shaping the remaining dumplings in the same way.
- If you want to make dumplings quickly: Using two spoons dipped in water, scoop up the mixture and shape it as round as possible. Drop the dumpling into the simmering broth.
- Cook the dumplings in the simmering broth for about 5 minutes. During this time, the dumplings will rise to the surface.
Notes
- The basic recipe makes about 15-18 dumplings (depending on their size).
- SERVING: Serve the liver dumplings as part of the soup you cooked them in. Place about 3-5 dumplings on each soup bowl.
- If the liver dumpling mixture is still too runny after 30 minutes, add a tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs, stir, and let it rest for another 5 minutes.
- The dough for liver dumplings should have a sharper taste, as the boiling process in the broth or water will mellow some of the flavors.
Donna says
Fantastic! Quick question, do have a recipe for the broth?
Thanks for creating this.
And hello from Canada!
Petra Kupská says
Thank you! 🙂 I do have a recipe for beef broth. Unfortunately, I lack the time to take nice process shots, write the recipe down and publish it :/ You can find the basic broth recipe here: https://www.cooklikeczechs.com/rajska-omacka-czech-style-tomato-sauce/
However, I know root vegetables are not so common in the US. All I need is to make some research to introduce "friendly" and foolproof broth recipe 🙂
Mandi Olson says
I have been exploring my Czec heritage & have started expanding my cooking to include authentic recipes. I am so happy I found you & your recipes! I made the liver dumplings for the first time last night (Christmas Eve). They turned out just wonderful! I cannot wait to try more reipes!! Thank you! ❤️
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you so much for your comment and kind words, Mandi! I am delighted to hear that!
My best to you and your family.
Urich says
Can you freeze the liver balls raw? And cook them later when needed?
Petra Kupská says
Hi Urich, thank you for your comment. You can freeze these liver dumplings in their raw state. To prevent the dumplings from sticking to each other when freezing, it is a good idea to pre-freeze them stacked on a flat plate. After two hours, divide the dumplings into plastic bags or airtight containers and return them to the freezer. The dumplings will keep in the freezer for at least 3 months.
Joe says
I made this for my pregnant wife since the liver is high in vitamins and minerals. I will certainly be making it again.
Initially I had a hard time finding chicken liver, although beef liver is pretty common at my local grocery stores. I ended up finding chicken liver at a local Asian supermarket.
Petra Kupská says
Oh, I truly believe your wife enjoyed the food you made for her! The beef liver can also be used for this recipe, it just needs to be cleaned better than the chicken one.
Amber says
WOW. This dish was easy to make and absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing these recipes.
Petra Kupská says
I thank you for your lovely commment! 🙂
Ann says
Hello my Husband is from Prague I’m Scottish we live in the USA my mother-in-law came to visit us and made a lot of the dishes that are on your website but I would like to a roast duck my husband always made it now he can’t
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you for the comment, Ann. I am glad to hear that - hope your mother-in-law liked them! Here is the roast duck recipe:
https://www.cooklikeczechs.com/roast-duck-recipe/
Linda of Hajek descent says
Thank you so much for this recipe. My mom of Czech heritage used to make these but all I had was a list of ingredients, so I always guessed how much of what. They were always delicious, but I am so glad to have a real recipe. I just came back from two weeks in Prague and sadly never saw liver dumplings on any menu. Thank you so much.
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you for your comment, Linda! I am very happy that you appreciate the recipe. It is a shame, but I hope you enjoyed your stay in Prague nonetheless! 🙂
Let me know how the liver dumplings turn out when you make them!
Linda says
Thank you so much for this recipe. My mom of Czech heritage (Hajek) used to make these but all I had was a list of ingredients, so I always guessed how much of what. They were always delicious, but I am so glad to have a real recipe. I just came back from two weeks in Prague and sadly never saw liver dumplings on any menu. Thank you so much.
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Ahoj Linda, thank you for your comment and kind words - I appreciate them. Hope you enjoyed your stay in Prague - sorry to hear that, Czech restaurants usually have a daily, limited, offer of soups. 🙂
Greetings from the Czech Republic.
Tami says
Thank you for your recipe. I found one for liver dumplings but it was beef and not what I remembered from a small town restaurant in Mapleton Wisconsin that used to have chicken liver dumpling soup on their menus?
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you for asking, Tami. I think it might be liver rice ("jatrova ryze"), which is made from a similar mixture but with less breadcrumbs. The semi-liquid mixture is poured into the soup through a colander or a hand grater with large holes.
Cathy says
This tastes so much like the ones my Busha use to make. Lovely recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Hello Cathy, thank you for your feedback and kind comment!
Linda says
I enjoyed your recipe very much…thank you. I am wondering if you can freeze the soup with the dumplings in the broth and how best to reheat it?
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Hello Linda, you can definitely freeze the soup - I recommend heating it over a low flame or in the microwave. I hope that helps!
jlbs says
What would you suggest to use in place of breadcrumbs? I need to eat gluten free and bread is out of the question. Thank you.
Petra Kupská says
I am really sorry, but I can't think of another alternative to breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs in this recipe serve as a binding agent, so perhaps some kind of starch, like cornstarch, could work?
Lin Watson says
I have grown up LOVING liver dumplings, having a Czech mom and grandmother. Your recipe has given me tips to make this recipe easier than how my mom made them. She used to scrape the liver with a knife to use in the recipe, I now use a food processor. I didn't know to let it sit for 30 min to let it thicken, or to roll it into a log. Very helpful tips. I will be making them on a regular basis now, rather than as a rare gastronomic treat. Thank you Petra.
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
I love that my recipe could make family recipe a little easier to prepare. I am glad those tips were helpful for you.
Thank you for your kind words! 😊
Joyce Hrdlicka says
On the liver dumpling soup. My Mother always made liver dumpling soup for Christmas and a couple other times during the year.So of course when I married my husband it was my time to make Christmas dinner. Potato dumplings, sauerkraut and turkey,stuffed with our special stuffing. Liver dumpling soup was first on the menu, our soup would have liver dumplings with fine home made noodles. Delicious.Even when we had unczech friends for Christmas dinner they were served our soup. potato dumplings, sauerkraut
With turkey and pork drippings needed that on the kraut. Always cheese sauce over cauliflower.Boy those were some great meals. NOw at age 88 the hard work for dinner is over the younger ones are taking over.Still do make the sauerkraut for our meal.
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful memory. It sounds like your Christmas dinners were absolutely incredible, full of tradition, love, and amazing food. It’s wonderful that your family is carrying on the traditions, and how special that you still make the sauerkraut at 88. Wishing you and your family many more joyful and delicious celebrations! ❤️
Alice Ketchum says
Would it be enough to chop the liver very finely by hand? I can't remember how my mom made this recipe. Thanks.
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
Yes, chopping the liver very finely by hand works perfectly fine. Just be sure to chop it into a really fine mince so the dumplings hold together nicely. I hope it turns out just like you remember. Let me know how it goes! 😊
Clifford says
The most delicious way to serve liver that I have ever tasted! Americans are recently developing an aversion to organ meat and cheating themselves out of dinner bliss like this.
Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs says
I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Lili says
Love chicken livers! I'm not Czech but my late husband was and even having his mother live with us for a few months, she never made this dish, nor did I see it anywhere in CZ both times I visited. However, I myself have breaded chicken livers and like them that way, but now I'm anxious to try this dish ... sounds wonderful! Thank you so much!
Petra Kupská says
I think this one will be right up your alley—rich, comforting, and full of flavor. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!