Chicken liver is one of the richest food sources of iron available. A 3-ounce cooked serving delivers roughly 9.9 mg of iron, which exceeds the entire daily requirement for adult men and covers more than half the daily need for premenopausal women. Ounce for ounce, it outperforms most other iron-rich foods, including beef liver and red meat.
How Much Iron Is in Chicken Liver
A 3-ounce portion of cooked, simmered chicken liver contains 9.86 mg of iron. Scale that up to a 3.5-ounce (100g) serving and the number climbs to about 12.8 mg. To put that in context, the NIH recommends 8 mg of iron per day for adult men and women over 51, and 18 mg per day for women aged 19 to 50. A single serving of chicken liver can meet or nearly meet those targets.
For pregnant women, who need 27 mg of iron daily, chicken liver provides about a third of that requirement in one sitting. That concentration of iron is hard to match with any other whole food.
Chicken Liver vs. Beef Liver and Other Sources
Chicken liver contains roughly twice as much iron per serving as beef liver. A 4-ounce portion of braised beef liver has about 6.54 mg of iron, while a smaller 3-ounce portion of chicken liver delivers 9.86 mg. So even in a smaller serving size, chicken liver wins by a wide margin.
The type of iron matters too. Liver contains heme iron, the form found in animal tissue that your body absorbs far more efficiently than the non-heme iron in plant foods like spinach, lentils, or fortified cereals. Your gut typically absorbs 15 to 35 percent of heme iron compared to just 2 to 20 percent of non-heme iron. This makes chicken liver particularly effective at raising iron levels quickly.
Other Nutrients in Chicken Liver
Iron isn’t the only reason chicken liver stands out nutritionally. A 3-ounce serving provides about 14.3 micrograms of vitamin B12, which is several times the daily recommended amount for adults (2.4 micrograms). B12 works alongside iron to support red blood cell production, so getting both from the same food is a practical advantage for anyone concerned about anemia.
Chicken liver is also notably high in vitamin A and contains meaningful amounts of folate and protein. That combination of nutrients is part of why liver has traditionally been recommended for people recovering from blood loss or dealing with iron deficiency.
Vitamin A and Cholesterol: Worth Knowing
Chicken liver is extremely concentrated in vitamin A. While this is beneficial in moderate amounts, eating liver daily can push you past the tolerable upper intake level for vitamin A, which is 3,000 micrograms per day for adults. Too much vitamin A over time can cause headaches, nausea, and in severe cases, liver damage. One serving of chicken liver per week is a common and reasonable guideline. For children, keeping liver to no more than one portion per week is especially important, since their upper limits for vitamin A are much lower.
Cholesterol is the other consideration. A 3.5-ounce serving of chicken liver contains 631 mg of cholesterol, which is substantially higher than most other protein sources. For most healthy people, dietary cholesterol has a modest effect on blood cholesterol levels, but if you’re managing heart disease or have been advised to limit cholesterol intake, this is worth factoring into your weekly meal planning.
Getting the Most Iron From Chicken Liver
Cooking method doesn’t dramatically change the iron content of chicken liver. Whether you pan-sear, simmer, or braise it, you’ll retain most of the iron. What does affect how much iron your body actually absorbs is what you eat alongside it. Pairing liver with a source of vitamin C (tomatoes, bell peppers, citrus) can enhance absorption, while drinking coffee or tea with the meal can reduce it due to compounds that bind to iron in the gut.
If the taste of liver is a barrier, chicken liver tends to be milder than beef liver. It works well in pâté, chopped liver spreads, or sautéed with onions. Some people blend small amounts into ground meat dishes like meatballs or Bolognese sauce, which masks the flavor while still delivering the nutritional benefits. Even one serving per week can make a meaningful dent in your iron intake, particularly if you’re prone to low iron levels or follow a diet that’s otherwise light on red meat.