Liver pâté (Pate Gan) is the secret to a perfect Bánh Mì. After hunting in Germany and failing, I recreated the silky, savory Vietnamese version at home—spread it thick and taste the magic!
Why Vietnamese Liver Pâté is Something Special
Liver pâté came to Vietnam during French colonial times—and, like much of our cuisine, we made it uniquely ours. What started as a French spread became a silky, savory staple in almost every Bánh Mì.
If you’re in a hurry and just want to get cooking, feel free to jump into the recipe card.
French colonization isn’t something to romanticize—but culinary treasures like Cà Phê Sữa Đá (iced coffee), Cà Phê Trứng (egg coffee), and liver pâté are legacies worth savoring.
I’ve even written a whole post about French-Vietnamese fusion dishes—there’s so much more to it than just Bánh Mì and coffee.
Ingredients
Liver: Traditionally pork, but we’re using chicken livers—they’re milder, easy to find, and cook beautifully.
Milk: Soak livers 20–30 minutes to remove any strong odor and give a smoother taste.
Five-spice powder: The key to that distinctive Vietnamese flavor.
Crispy fried garlic & shallots: Store-bought crispy onions work well if you’re short on time.
Ground pork: Classic Vietnamese pâté blends liver and pork—more liver for bolder flavor, more pork for a gentler taste.
Bread: Plain or sandwich bread helps firm up the pâté—the more bread, the firmer the texture.
Onion: adds natural sweetness and aroma
Seasonings: Chicken powder, salt, black pepper, sugar
Butter & Laughing Cow cheese: Optional, but my personal tip for extra creaminess.
Pork belly slices or bacon: Traditional, but optional if you prefer the pâté without extra meat.
A bit of cooking oil.
Instructions
Step 1 – Prep the liver & bread: Remove tough tissue/fat from liver; cut pork livers into bite-sized pieces. Soak liver in milk 30 min–overnight, then rinse. Soak bread in leftover milk 15 min to soften.
Step 2 – Cook the liver: Heat oil, fry shallots ~30 sec, then garlic until golden. Remove, keeping 2 tbsp oil. Fry liver ~7 min until slightly pink. Season with chicken powder & five-spice powder. Set aside.
Step 3 – Cook pork & combine: Melt butter, sauté onion until fragrant. Add ground pork, cook until just done. Mix in cooked liver and soaked bread. Add salt, pepper, chicken powder, sugar to taste. Cool 30 min.
Step 4 – Blend the pâté: Process mixture with fried aromatics, crispy onions (optional), and cheese (optional) until smooth. Transfer to container and chill.
Step 5 – Optional steaming: Place pâté in a mold, cover. Steam 1 hr on medium-low (or 7 min in Instant Pot).
Helpful Tips
👉 Don’t overcook the livers.
Cook them just until they’re no longer pink in the center—any longer, and they can turn bitter or dry. We want tender, not tough!
👉 Steam, chill, then serve.
For that perfect pâté texture with a hint of pink inside (just like in Vietnam!), steam the blended mixture, then let it cool completely before chilling it in the fridge. It firms up beautifully and slices like a dream.
👉 Taste and tweak the seasoning.
Once everything’s blended together, give it a taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking—more salt, more pepper, maybe a splash of fish sauce if you’re feeling adventurous.
👉 Seal it to keep it silky.
To keep the pâté from drying out, pour a thin layer of melted butter on top before chilling. Traditional Vietnamese recipes often use thin pork fat or bacon to line the mold, but I skip that step to keep things a bit lighter.
👉 Store smart.
Portion the pâté into smaller servings and pop them into zip-top freezer bags. They freeze well for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, just defrost what you need—easy!
Delicious Ways to Serve Vietnamese Liver Pâté
Bánh Mì – No Bánh Mì is complete without a generous smear of liver pâté, some chả lụa, đồ chua (pickled veg), and a slather of house mayo.
Bánh Mì Charcuterie Board – A total showstopper for parties! Think baguette slices, pâté, Vietnamese cold cuts, pickles, and all the fixings.
Bò Né – The ultimate breakfast skillet: sizzling beef, sunny-side-up eggs, juicy xíu mại (Vietnamese meatballs), and a dollop of pâté. Dip your bread and thank me later.
Pâté Chaud – Buttery, flaky meat pies stuffed with pork and pâté. These are French-Vietnamese magic in snack form.
Bánh Mì Que – A specialty from Hải Phòng: slim, crispy baguettes filled with pâté, pork floss, and fermented chili sauce. Small but packed with flavor!
Sticky Rice (Xôi) – Common Vietnamese breakfast. Add pâté on top for a savory, satisfying start to the day.
Xôi Mặn – This savory sticky rice with Chinese sausages and scallion oil is next-level when paired with pâté.
Fall in love with more authentic Vietnamese foods
(Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli Bowl)
(Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls)
(Vietnamese Sizzling Pancakes)
(Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl)
Very Best Vietnamese Liver Pâté for Banh Mi
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor
- 2 non-stick pans
Ingredients
- 1 lbs chicken or pork livers (500g)
- 0.9 lb ground pork (20% fat) (400g)
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp minced shallots (optional)
- 2 tbsp store-bought crispy fried onions (optional)
- ¼ tsp Vietnamese 5-spice powder
- ½ large onion (sliced or chopped)
- 1 stick butter (8 tbsp / 100g)
- 5 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 wedges Laughing cow cheese (optional)
- 2½ tsp chicken powder (adjust to your taste)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
- ½ tbsp sugar (adjust to your taste)
- 1½ tbsp black pepper powder (adjust to your taste)
- 2 slices sandwich bread (optional)
- 1½ cup full-cream milk (375ml)
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
- To prepare the livers, remove the tough connective tissue or yellow/white fatty parts. Cut them into bite-sized pieces if you use pork livers.
- Soak the livers in whole milk for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight. Strain and rinse the livers thoroughly to remove any remaining milk.
- Soak the sandwich in the leftover milk to soften it (about 15 minutes).
Cook the pâté:
- In a pan, heat cooking oil. Once hot, add minced shallots and stir-fry for approximately 30 seconds. Then, add minced garlic (be cautious as garlic can easily burn).
- Once the shallots and garlic turn golden and crispy, remove them quickly from the oil to prevent burning. Keep around 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan and add the livers.
- Cook the livers for around 7 minutes or until cooked but still slightly pink inside. Season the livers with chicken powder and five-spice powder. Set them aside.
- In another pan, melt the butter and cook the sliced onion until it becomes fragrant. Add the ground pork and stir-fry until it is just cooked. Next, add the cooked livers and the soaked sandwich to the ground pork. Stir the mixture until everything is well-combined.
- Season it with salt, chicken powder, black pepper, and sugar according to your taste. Let the mixture cool down for 30 minutes.
- Once the mixture has cooled, transfer it to a food processor. Add the fried shallots and garlic (including the oil), fried crispy onions (if available), and laughing cow cheese (optional) to the food processor.
- Process the mixture until it reaches your desired smoothness. Adjust the texture of the pate according to your preference.
- Transfer it to a container and refrigerate it to allow it to firm up before serving.
Steam the pâté (optional):
- To enhance the flavor and texture further, Vietnamese tradition often steam the pate for about 1 hour on medium-low heat or 7 minutes using an Instant Pot on low pressure.
- Before steaming, transfer the pate to a mold and cover it with cling film or aluminum foil to prevent water from getting in.
- After steaming, let the pate cool down. Then, chill it in the fridge before serving.
Notes
- Avoid overcooking livers to keep them from turning bitter and dry.
- For the perfect Vietnamese pâté with a touch of pink inside, let it cool completely after steaming and chill in the fridge before serving.
- Season the pâté to your liking once all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- To prevent the pâté from drying out, add a layer of melted butter on top. In traditional recipes, pork fat or bacon usually lines the mold, but I skipped this step for a healthier version.
- When storing the Vietnamese pâté, divide it into smaller portions and store in Zip-Top Freezer Bags. Keep in the freezer for about 3 months and defrost the desired amount when needed.
