Round my house, we usually just call this the “bacon pâté”, but that’s a little misleading. This Chicken, Mushroom and Bacon Pâté is a bit of a mouthful in more ways than one and it’s the result of my ever expanding quest to make people who don’t think they like pâté… like pâté.
That quest started years ago now, back when I finally settled on the recipe I included in my cookbook, which I called “The Ultimate Liver Hater’s Pâté”, since it converted my very own live-in liver hater. I guess I could just have called him my husband. But try saying live-in liver hater three times fast. Way more fun.
I’ve made other recipes since then, but although I hate to admit it, this is the one that has toppled The Ultimate Liver Hater’s Pâté from its pedestal. That’s the power of a mushroom & bacon pâté. It’s got the salty-smoky creaminess goodness of the bacon and its glorious fat, as well as the savory meatiness of the mushrooms.
I know it might sound silly to call mushrooms “meaty”, but they’re really the key here in elevating the chicken livers into a more meaty, less liver-y flavor profile that makes this Chicken, Mushroom & Bacon Pâté a crowd pleasing favorite.
See that amazingly silky, whipped texture? That’s the loveliness that comes from the bacon. Traditional pâté recipes call for a lot of added fat – usually butter – but since this recipe gets all that and more from the bacon, it kind of brings its own unctuousness to the party. I guess that’s why we call it bacon pâté, despite the fact that there’s technically more mushrooms in the mix than bacon!
These photos show a full batch of Chicken, Mushroom & Bacon Pâté, which yields a little over 2 ½ cups (645 g / 22 ¾ oz), which is about 8 – 12 servings. That’s because I usually find it easier to make a big batch once and then save the rest for later than to make smaller batches more often.
But if you’re just dipping your toes in the nutrient dense powerhouse that is pâté, that much is probably overwhelming! So below I’ve included both a full batch recipe and a half batch recipe. The half batch will make a little over 1 1/4 cups (320 g / 11 oz), or about 4 – 6 servings. That way you can try out the recipe without committing to an intimidating amount of pâté!
I like to serve this Chicken, Mushroom & Bacon Pâté with super crunchy veggies like carrots, jicama and daikon, or refreshing veggies like cucumber and endive. It’s oddly lovely with sliced apples (I haven’t figured out why that works, but it does!) and of course it’s great with crispy things like plantain chips, plantain strips or sweet potato chips, too. This would also be great with my Lemon Garlic Plantain Chips!
Want to know more about the easy way I make and freeze single servings of pâté? This post will hook you up!
Looking for other pâté recipes? Here’s more than 21 AIP friendly pâté recipes!
PrintChicken, Mushroom & Bacon Pâté (half batch)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4 - 6. Makes a little over 1 1/4 cups (320 g / 11 oz) 1x
Ingredients
- ½ lb / 225 g chicken livers
- 3 oz / 85 g bacon (about 2 thick slices)
- 2 medium shallots
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 4 oz / 115 g cremini or white mushrooms
- 2 tbsp / 30 ml bacon fat or lard, divided
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tbsp / 30 ml chicken broth
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt or Himalayan salt
Instructions
- PREP: First, drain and trim your chicken livers. You’ll want to cut off and discard any fatty pieces or stringy membrane between the two halves of each liver. Trim off any other little pieces of fat, fibers or bile you find and discard. Put your trimmed chicken livers into a bowl and place them in the fridge until you need them later. Roughly chop the bacon. Cut the shallots in half, then peel and slice them, discarding the tops and bottoms. Peel and lightly smash the garlic cloves with the back of your kitchen knife. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel, then roughly slice them.
- SOFTEN: Add 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of the fat of your choice to a skillet over low-medium heat. Once the fat has melted and is hot, add the chopped bacon, shallots and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring often to avoid sticking, until the bacon is cooked through but not crispy and the shallots have softened. When you see that the fat from the bacon has rendered and the shallots have just started to take on a little color, remove the bacon and shallot mixture with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a bowl. Reserve for later.
- SAUTE: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of fat to the skillet. When the fat is hot, add the sliced mushrooms, thyme and rosemary. Cook the mushrooms, stirring and turning them occasionally, until they are golden, glossy and reduced in size enough to almost form a single layer, about 10 minutes. Remove the browned mushrooms with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the bowl along with the bacon and shallot mixture from earlier.
- SEAR: Add the chicken livers to the skillet in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until each side is opaque, lightly browned and just cooked through, about 3 – 4 minutes per side. There should still be a little pink at the centers of the livers. You don’t want to overcook them as that will create an unwanted bitterness.
- BLEND: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked livers to a food processor or blender. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and use the back of a spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits or herbs from the bottom. Pour the liquid and bits from the skillet into the food processor or blender, then add the reserved bacon & shallot mixture and the mushrooms reserved earlier as well. Process or blend, scraping down the sides a few times, until the pâté is smooth and creamy. Taste and add the salt, if needed.
- CHILL: Transfer the warm pâté mixture to a baking dish or assortment of small ramekins. You can either press a little plastic wrap into the top of the pâté or pour a little melted fat of your choice over the top to make an airtight seal. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.
- SERVE: I like to serve this Chicken, Mushroom & Bacon Pâté with super crunchy veggies like carrots, jicama and daikon, or refreshing veggies like cucumber and endive. It’s oddly lovely with sliced apples (I haven’t figured out why that works, but it does!) and of course it’s great with crispy things like plantain chips, plantain strips or sweet potato chips, too. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or up to 5 days if sealed with a layer of fat.
Chicken, Mushroom & Bacon Pâté (full batch)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 8 - 12. Makes about 2 ½ cups (645 g / 22 ¾ oz) 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken livers
- 6 oz bacon (about 4 thick slices)
- 4 medium shallots
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms
- 3 tbsp bacon fat or lard, divided
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp fine sea salt or Himalayan salt
Instructions
- PREP: First, drain and trim your chicken livers. You’ll want to cut off and discard any fatty pieces or stringy membrane between the two halves of each liver. Trim off any other little pieces of fat, fibers or bile you find and discard. Put your trimmed chicken livers into a bowl and place them in the fridge until you need them later. Roughly chop the bacon. Cut the shallots in half, then peel and slice them, discarding the tops and bottoms. Peel and lightly smash the garlic cloves with the back of your kitchen knife. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel, then roughly slice them.
- SOFTEN: Add 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of the fat of your choice to a skillet over low-medium heat. Once the fat has melted and is hot, add the chopped bacon, shallots and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring often to avoid sticking, until the bacon is cooked through but not crispy and the shallots have softened. When you see that the fat from the bacon has rendered and the shallots have just started to take on a little color, remove the bacon and shallot mixture with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a bowl. Reserve for later.
- SAUTE: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of fat to the skillet. When the fat is hot, add the sliced mushrooms, thyme and rosemary. Cook the mushrooms, stirring and turning them occasionally, until they are golden, glossy and reduced in size enough to almost form a single layer, about 10 minutes. Remove the browned mushrooms with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the bowl along with the bacon and shallot mixture from earlier.
- SEAR: Add the chicken livers to the skillet in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until each side is opaque, lightly browned and just cooked through, about 3 – 4 minutes per side. There should still be a little pink at the centers of the livers. You don’t want to overcook them as that will create an unwanted bitterness.
- BLEND: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked livers to a food processor or blender. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and use the back of a spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits or herbs from the bottom. Pour the liquid and bits from the skillet into the food processor or blender, then add the reserved bacon & shallot mixture and the mushrooms reserved earlier as well. Process or blend, scraping down the sides a few times, until the pâté is smooth and creamy. Taste and add the salt, if needed.
- CHILL: Transfer the warm pâté mixture to a baking dish or assortment of small ramekins. You can either press a little plastic wrap into the top of the pâté or pour a little melted fat of your choice over the top to make an airtight seal. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.
- SERVE: I like to serve this Chicken, Mushroom & Bacon Pâté with super crunchy veggies like carrots, jicama and daikon, or refreshing veggies like cucumber and endive. It’s oddly lovely with sliced apples (I haven’t figured out why that works, but it does!) and of course it’s great with crispy things like plantain chips, plantain strips or sweet potato chips, too. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or up to 5 days if sealed with a layer of fat.
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