Are you looking for new ways to incorporate organ meats into your diet? Sadly, the tradition of eating organ meats and utilizing as much as possible from animals (including bones and gelatin) has fallen out of favor in our modern culture and many people may have never had the pleasure of eating liver, heart, or other types of offal. Nose-to tail-eating and not letting any part go to waste not only respects the animal, but it also provides your body with an incredible amount of nourishment that is difficult to obtain elsewhere. Certain critical nutrients, such as Co-Enzyme Q10, vitamin B12, and vitamin A, are found in incredibly high doses in organ meats. Traditionally, organ meats were never discarded or thought of as disgusting the way we treat them now — in fact they were some of the most prized parts of an animal. 

To get into the details of the health benefits of including organ meats in your diet is beyond the scope of this post. This is meant to be a recipe resource. The majority of these recipes do contain additional information about the organ or odd bit that they feature. If you would like to learn more I’ll leave you with a few links: Meat, Organs, Bones, and Skin; The Health Benefits of Consuming Organ Meats; The Benefits of Organ Meats; and The Liver Files.

In an effort to help you start to include more organ meats and odd bits in your diet, I’ve compiled this huge list of paleo-friendly recipes that cover the whole animal: organs, bones (for broth), bony/cartilaginous/meaty bits (necks, tails, trotters, etc.) and gelatin (derived from skin/hides, bones, and connective tissue). If you are squeamish about getting started with organ meats, check out the very first section, which features recipes that hide their flavor so you don’t even know they are present in the recipe. These recipes give you the nutrition from the organs without the taste. Later, you can experiment with recipes in which the flavor of the organs is prominent. Trust that, over time, you will become accustomed to their unique flavors and learn to appreciate and enjoy them without trying to mask them with other ingredients. You may even start to crave them! 

And eating nose-to-tail isn’t just about savory dishes like plates of liver and onions or bowls of chili with hidden ground heart; it includes dessert, too! Gelatin can be used in a wide variety of desserts (not just homemade Jell-O!) Check out the end of the post for a nice variety of dessert recipes that utilize gelatin.

Finally, if YOU have a recipe that you would like to see included in this round-up post, please tell me! I will be adding to this post over time to make it as comprehensive a resource as possible for tasty recipes that utilize the whole animal. At the time of publication, there are actually 128 recipes here, and I can’t wait for it to grow to 200!

• Slow Cooker Cuban Picadillo (hidden heart, liver, kidney) — The Curious Coconut

• Oh Yes, It’s Taco Night (hidden liver)  —  Divine Health from the Inside Out

• Asian-Infused Lettuce Wraps (hidden liver)  —  Divine Health from the Inside Out

• Hidden Beef Liver Burgers  —  Hollywood Homestead

• Paleo Liver Bacon Meatballs  —  The Nourished Caveman

• Beef Heart Meatloaf Muffins (hidden heart)  —  Real Food RN

• Love Your Body Chili (with hidden liver)  —  Food Your Body Will Thank You For

• Nutrient Dense Meatloaf (hidden liver)  —  Holistic Squid

• Magical Chili (hidden heart and/or liver)  —  Holistic Squid

• Ultimate Beef and Liver Chili  —  Mommypotamus

• Beef and Liver Burgers  —  A Girl Worth Saving

• Mama’s Ultimate Chuckwagon Chili  —  Nourishing Joy

• Easy Paleo Baked Meatballs (with hidden liver)  —  Real Food Guide

• Beef “Plus” Chili For a Crowd (hidden heart, liver, kidney)  —  Cultured Palate

• Nourishing Chicken Nuggets (hidden liver)  —  Natural New Age Mum 

• Beef and Kidney Shepherds Pie  —  Salixisme

• How to Integrate Organ Meats (raw liver pills tutorial)  —  It Takes Time

• How to Sneak More Liver Into Your Diet  —  Divine Health from the Inside Out

• Using More of the Animal  —  Learning and Yearning

• How to Eat More Organ Meats  —  Chris Kresser

• Powerhouse Pregnancy Foods Your Doctor Probably Forgot to Mention  —  The Provision Room

• How to Make Liver Pills  —  Modern Alternative Mama

• DIY Liver Pills  —  An Organic Wife

• The Easiest Way to Eat Liver, No Taste, No Fuss  —  Empowered Sustenance

• Raw Liver Shooters  —  Holistic Squid

• My 4 Favorite Ways to Eat Liver  —  Holistic Squid

• How to Eat Beef Liver Without Tasting It  —  Kitchen Stewardship

• Sneaky Way to Make Kids (and me) Eat Liver  —  Intoxicated On Life

• Paleo Liver and Mushrooms   —   Paleo Diet Basics

• Indian Spiced Liver   —   Paleo Diet Basics

• Chicken Liver Rumaki   —   Divine Health From the Inside Out

• Crispy Chicken Livers (uses raw milk)   —   Divine Health From the Inside Out

• Liver, Bacon, Goat Cheese Patties   —   Fast Paleo

• Beef Liver with Fig, Bacon, and Caramelized Onion Compote  —  The Healthy Foodie

• Potatoes with Bacon and Liver  —  Nourished Kitchen

• Bayou Dirty Rice (if you do white rice)  —  Mommypotamus

• Fegato con le cipolle (liver with onions)  —  The Nourished Caveman

• Paleo Liver Dumplings  —  The Nourished Caveman

• Leber Berliner Art (Liver Berlin Style)  —  Modern Primitive Eats 

• Beef Liver Latkes — The Curious Coconut

• Cajun-Spiced Chicken Livers with Bacon and Onion — The Curious Coconut

• Spicy Chicken Liver Pate  —  GAPS Diet Journey

• Zenbelly’s Chicken Liver Pate — The Curious Coconut

• Rich and Creamy AIP Beef Liver Pate with Blueberry Jelly — The Curious Coconut

• Simply Divine Chicken Liver Pate  —  Divine Health From the Inside Out

• Liver Pate (beef)  —  Cultured Palate

• Double Bacon Liver Pate  —  Common Sense Homesteading

• 5 Tips for the Best Liver Pate  —  Real Food Carolyn

• $5 Dish: Delicious, Flavorful Pate (Liver at its Best)  —  The Nourishing Gourmet

• GAPS Liver Pate  —  Gutsy

• Chicken Liver Pate  —  Holistic Squid

• French Pate Meatloaf  —  The Nourished Caveman

• Chopped Chicken Liver Pate  —  Yummy Inspirations

• Three Pates to Satisfy Every Palate  —  Nourishing Joy

Learn more about Co-Enzyme Q10, your heart, and eating heart from this great post by Divine Health from the Inside Out — Co-Enzyme Q10: The Heart Health Nutrient

• Heart Healthy Chili  —  Divine Health from the Inside Out

• Easy Beef Heart Steak  —  The Nourished Caveman

• BBQ Chicken Livers and Hearts  —  The Nourished Caveman

• Moroccan Heart Stew  —  The Nourished Caveman

• I Heart Stew  —  Primal Kat

• Braised Grass-Fed Beef Heart (sub a paleo flour for the brown rice)  —  The Polivka Family

• Moroccan-Inspired Lamb Heart Stew  —  The Paleo Mom

• Asian Chicken Hearts  —  South Beach Primal

• Slow Cooker Chicken Hearts Stroganoff  —  South Beach Primal

• Simply Beef Hearts — South Beach Primal

• Beef Heart Jerky  —  Real Food RN

• Peruvian Anticuchos: Marinated Beef Heart Stir Fry or Kebabs — The Curious Coconut

• Slow Cooked “Heart on Fire”  —  Mark’s Daily Apple < — The first organ meat recipe I made!

• Beef Tongue Creole  —  South Beach Primal

• Beef Tongue with Rosemary Mustard Reduction  —  The Paleo Mom  

• Tender Beef Tongue with Onions and Garlic  —  Mark’s Daily Apple  

• How to Cook Beef Tongue — The Curious Coconut

• Szechuan Style Beef Tongue  —  Real Food RN

• Corned Beef Tongue with Horseradish Cream Sauce  —  Nourishing Joy

• Spicy Shredded Beef Tongue  —  PALEOdish 

• Beef Tongue with Cajun Gravy  —  Cave Girl Eats

Sweetbreads (plus Rocky Mountain Oysters)

• Grilled Sweetbreads  —  Lisa’s Counter Culture

• Sweetbreads  —  Nose to Tail at Home

• Crispy Sweetbreads  —  Yes to Yummy    

• Can You Lend Me a Gland? Offal Good Sweetbreads with Sauce  —  Primal North

• Sweetbreads with Butter and Mushrooms  —  Offaly Tasty

• Sweetbreads and Rocky Mountain Oysters  —  Jeremy’s Paleo Dining

Head Cheese and Brain Recipes

• Head Cheese  —  Mark’s Daily Apple

• Head Cheese with Rosemary and Carrots — Adventures in Cooking

• Lamb’s Brain Terrine  —  Nose to Tail at Home

• Lamb’s Brain, Endive, and Shallots  —  Nose to Tail at Home

• Brains and Eggs — Scrumptious Chef

• Tacos de Sesos (brain) — Guia de Tacos (I couldn’t find a recipe in English — sorry!)

• Maghaz Masala (brain curry) — Titli’s Busy Kitchen

Kidneys

• How to Prepare a Kidney  —  Gutsy

• Paleo Steak and Kidney Pie  —  The Paleo Mom

• Lamb Kidneys – why (and how) you should eat them!  —  Following My Nose

• Beef Kidney Biscuits  —  Nourish Paleo Foods 

• Beef Kidney with Mushrooms and Garlic  —  Critical Mas

• Beef Kidney in Red Wine Sauce  —  Food, Fitness, and Fotografia

• Sauteed Beef Kidneys  —  Nutty Kitchen

Chicken Gizzards

• Paleo Gizzards Soup  —  Paleo Porn

• Slow Cooker Chicken Gizzards  —  Fast Paleo

• Paleo Fried Chicken Gizzards  —  Rising Moon Nutrition

Miscellaneous

• How to Cook Beef Tendon for Soup and Ultra Rich Broth — The Curious Coconut

• Paleo Pork Neck Bones Recipe  —  Paleo Porn

• Oxtail Stew  —  Paleo Porn

• Paleo Short Ribs with Oxtails  —  Paleo Porn

• Lazy Girl’s Beef Cheeks  —  Primal Kat 

• Cinnamon-Braised Beef Cheeks  —  The Paleo Mom 

• Lamb Neck Stew  —  Paleo Parents

• Paleo Braised Oxtail over Rutabaga Mash  —  Paleo Cupboard

• Stewed Oxtail  —  Food Snob 2.0

• Chinese Crockpot Pork Trotters  —  The Clean Palate

• Beef Bone Broth  —  My Heart Beets

• Rich Bone Marrow Broth — South Beach Primal

• Herb and Garlic Chicken Feet Stock  —  The Nourished Caveman

• Using the Whole Chicken: Chicken Stock  —  Ever Growing Farm

• Making Chicken Bone Broth: From Basic to Adventurous  —  Holistic Squid 

• How to Make Bone Broth  —  Zenbelly

• 7-Day Bone Broth — Real Food RN

• Chicken Feet Bone Broth — Real Food RN

• Homemade Chicken Stock — Whole Simple Life

• How to Make Gelatin-Rich Bone Broth — Hollywood Homestead

• How to Make Oxtail Bone Broth to Build Bone Health — The Natural Living Site

• Beef Broth — Deductive Seasoning (OMG I love her blog name so much, it makes my inner science geek go “squee!”)

• Chicken Broth — Deductive Seasoning 

• Immune-Boosting Turkey Broth — The Urban Ecolife

• How to Make a Nourishing Beef Bone Broth — The Urban Ecolife

Learn More About Gelatin

• The Benefits of Gelatin + Homemade Grape Jello — Girl Meets Nourishment
• Gelatin – Your New Best Friend — eat.play.love…more
• Why I’m Putting Gelatin in My Coffee (plus 20 additional recipes/uses!) — Libby Louer

Gummies and Homemade “Jell-O”

• Raw Citrus Homemade “Jell-O” — The Curious Coconut
• Homemade Vitamin C Gummies — eat.play.love…more
• Homemade Fruit Snacks — An Organic Wife
• Healthy Sour Kiwi Gummies — Happy HealthNut
• Kombucha Jello — GNOWFGLINS
• Turmeric Gelatin — It Takes Time
• Homemade Strawberry Lemonade Gummy Bears and Lemon Gummy Bears— Hollywood Homestead
• Orange Lemon Jello Stars — Girl Meets Nourishment
• Orange Cream Layered Jigglers — Girl Meets Nourishment
• Easy Strawberry Fruit Snacks — Raia’s Recipes
• Pumpkin Pie Gummies — Raia’s Recipes
• Kefir and Fruit Gelatin Dessert — Real Food RN
• Kombucha Fruit Gummies — Real Food RN
• Healthy Gummies for Cold, Flu, and Sleep — Real Food RN
• Homemade Fruit and Veggie Gummy Snacks — Live Simply
• Homemade Elderberry Gummies: Vitamin C Treats — Naturally Mindful
• Jello Flu Shots — Common Sense Homesteading
• Gerson Gummies — Libby Louer
• Healthy Halloween Eerie Gummy Leeches and Worms — Oh, the Things We’ll Make!
• Healthy Halloween Spooktacular Gummy Eyeballs — Oh, the Things We’ll Make!

Desserts

• Chocolate Custard (dairy-free) — GNOWFGLINS
• Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milk Panna Cotta — Matthew’s Puzzle
• Chocolate Milk You Can Live On! (with gelatin) — My Lamp is Full
• Cranberry Mint Mousse — Happy HealthNut
• Immune-Boosting Elderberry Jigglers — Rooted Blessings
• Homemade Gummy Vitamins — Nourishing Joy
• Peppermint Mocha Pots de Creme — Happy HealthNut

Other Recipes (Smoothies, Baked Goods, Velveeta)

Why are there baked goods here??! Well, gelatin can be used as a substitute for eggs! Perfect if you have an allergy or are following the autoimmune protocol. 

• Homemade Healthy Velveeta — An Organic Wife
• Real Deal Marshmallows — An Organic Wife
• Silky Banana Bread Bites — 20 Something Allergies
• Paleo Peach Cobbler — Paleo Gone Sassy
• Paleo Egg McMuffins — Paleo Gone Sassy
• Paleo Banana Pancakes with Gelatin — Paleo Gone Sassy
• Super Coffee — Girl Meets Nourishment
• Coconut Berry Smoothie or Popsicles — Divine Health From the Inside Out

More Resources

If you really want to get in-depth with learning more about organ meats and how to utilize the whole animal, check out these books from my affiliate partner Amazon. Please note that in the cookbooks, you will have to make substitutions in some of the recipes if you adhere to a strict grain- or gluten-free, dairy-free, or legume-free diet. But, if you are following such a diet, you’re probably pretty used to making those substitutions by now 🙂 Also note that if you are from the US, the recipes may seem a bit foreign in Fergus Henderson’s book, but it is lovely and inspirational regardless. 

Recommended Sources for Organ Meats

I am a huge proponent of eating meat from animals that were raised humanely, allowed to eat a species-appropriate diet, and who lived their lives outdoors on pastures and wooded areas. Supporting this sort of farming is good for you and the animals: the meat is much healthier for you to consume and the animals are allowed to lead happy lives eating the foods they are designed to eat (cows are not designed to eat corn only, and in fact they die if they are fattened up on corn for more than about 3-4 months. They suffer numerous health problems being forced to eat a diet of corn). The animals are also allowed to express their unique instinctual behaviors (chickens are not vegetarians! They like to forage for bugs and sometimes even small amphibians or reptiles. And pigs like to root around outdoors in the ground for tasty tidbits). 

It is especially important to source your organ meats from grass-fed cows, sheep, and goats, and from pasture-raised poultry and pork. The good news is that you can often find these cuts sold for a real bargain, especially if you contact your local farmers. I’ve procured tongues and hearts for $1/lb and even been given kidneys and sweetbreads for free by farmers who didn’t want them and didn’t think any of their customers wanted them, either. Use Eat Wild to locate pasture-based farmers in your area and get in touch with them to see what they can offer. Now, as organ meats are gaining in popularity, some farmers are charging more for theirs, but they are still an incredible buy due to the nutrient density.

If you don’t have local farms, you can order online. Here are several sources that I recommend. I am an affiliate for US Wellness Meats but not the others. 

Slanker’s Grass-Fed Meats –> http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/buy_meat_online.htm
White Oak Pastures –> https://whiteoakpastures.com/store/Thompson