Rumaki (Bacon-wrapped Chicken Liver and Water Chestnut)
Rumaki is a pūpū (hors d'œuvre) of faux-Hawaiian origin. Its ingredients and method of preparation vary, but usually it consists of water chestnuts and pieces of chicken liver wrapped in bacon and marinated in soy sauce and either ginger or brown sugar. This recipe is a classic (1940s–1960s) US party appetizer recipe, proving that anything wrapped in bacon tastes good—even chicken liver. But you can opt for…
Ingredients
Marinade
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
- 2 tbsp dry sherry
- 1 tsp sugar
Assembly
- 12 slices bacon, halved crosswise, or 8 slices, cut in thirds
- 12 oz (~350 g) chicken livers, halved
- 12 canned water chestnut slices, halved
Steps
- Combine soy sauce, ginger, sherry and sugar in a small bowl. Add chicken livers and water chestnut pieces. Marinate in refrigerator at least ½ hour.
- Place 1 chicken liver piece and 1 chestnut piece in the center of each bacon piece. Wrap and secure with a toothpick.
- Place on a broiler pan or shallow baking pan. Broil 5–6 inches from heat until bacon is crisp, 10–15 minutes. Or bake at 375°F, 20–25 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Notes from the original
- Add fresh sliced scallions to the combination above.
- Substitute sea scallops for the chicken livers and/or water chestnuts.
- Omit marinade and wrap bacon around smoked oysters, stuffed green olives, or pineapple chunks.
- Shrimp rumaki: 1 medium shrimp with 1 whole water chestnut and a piece of green onion, with or without the marinade.
- Substitute 1 tsp organic honey for the sugar, or a small amount of pineapple marmalade.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Rumaki (Bacon-wrapped Chicken Liver and Water Chestnut)” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-10-04, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.






