Rumaki is a retro appetizer that brings the wow factor with its unexpected combination of flavors and textures. Tender chicken livers and crisp water chestnuts are wrapped in bacon and baked to perfection with a sweet soy glaze.
Classic Rumaki Recipe
Rumaki is a classic appetizer that fans of chicken livers will love and a fun retro appetizer to serve at any gathering. To make Rumaki, bite-size pieces of chicken livers and water chestnuts are wrapped in bacon, basted with a sweet teriyaki glaze, and baked to crispy perfection. Each bite has a bit of sweet, savory, and crispy deliciousness in it.
I remember Granny making these back in the 60’s and 70’s. This is a popular appetizer from that time where the use of teriyaki sauce and water chestnuts was considered unusual and exotic. For some of us, it reminds us of dinner parties that our parents hosted, where this hors d’oeuvre (yes, that is what we called appetizers back then) was served.
Folks, it was super fashionable back in the day!
What is the Origin of Rumaki?
Despite its “exotic” ingredients, Rumaki is an American creation. The first appearance of this dish was in the 1940s and is credited to Victor Bergeron, the founder of famed tiki bar chain, Trader Vic’s (though Bergeron claimed it was a Chinese recipe he discovered in Hawaii).
You don’t see this classic rumkaki recipe served as much these days. Instead, I see similar dishes, such as dates wrapped in bacon or bacon wrapped water chestnuts (minus the chicken livers).
We’re not shying away from the chicken livers though! While dates or anything else wrapped in bacon is delicious; we are sticking with the original.
Even as a kid, I loved the taste of bacon, chicken livers, and water chestnuts. So, when I decided to make and serve rumaki at our recent holiday dinner, I was truly excited. I wondered if I would still love it.
I did. There were a few left on the platter when it was time for dinner, so I scooped them up, put them in a container, and refrigerated them for my own treat for later.
Now to be honest, I do not love dealing with chicken livers, though I love the result. But I did my duty, and it was worth the effort!
–Sara
Ingredients
- 12 strips bacon, cut in half (use a thin slice bacon)
- 24 slices of water chestnuts
- 24 pieces of chicken liver
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar
Kitchen Tools Used
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Instructions
To Prep: Soak wooden toothpicks in a bowl for water for an hour.
- Drain chicken livers and cut into 24 bite-sized pieces. Place chicken livers and water chestnuts in a medium bowl and add about 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir and let marinate at least an hour. Drain again when ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper.
- Lay a half a piece of bacon flat on a cutting board. Place one water chestnut and piece of chicken liver on top, in the middle of the bacon. Wrap bacon around the water chestnut and liver and secure with a wooden toothpick. Place on prepared pan. Repeat until all the chicken livers are prepared and are on the pan.
- Bake until the bacon is crispy, about 20-25 minutes. Best enjoyed immediately.
Prep Tips
- Substitutions – If you’re not a fan of chicken livers, or want to prepare some of this recipe without then, feel free to make it with dates, just the water chestnuts, or even pineapple chunks.
- Sauce – You can make your own sauce (like we did) or use a prepared teriyaki sauce instead of the soy sauce/brown sugar mixture.
- Serve With – These crispy bites are delicious all on their own, or you can serve with extra teriyaki sauce, homemade barbecue sauce, or hot sauce (like sriracha) for dipping.
Rumaki Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Rumaki (Bacon Wrapped Chicken Livers)
Equipment
- Baking pan
- Wooden toothpicks
- Parchment paper
- Mediu bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken livers
- 1 can water chestnuts
- 1 pound thin sliced bacon cut slices in half
- 2 TB brown sugar
- 2 TB soy sauce
Instructions
- Soak wooden toothpicks in water for an hour.
- Drain chicken livers and cut into 24 bite-sized pieces.
- Place chicken livers and water chestnuts in a bowl and add about 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir and let marinate at least an hour. Drain when ready to use..
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking pan with foil or parchment paper.
- Lay a half a piece of bacon flat. Place a water chestnut and piece of chicken liver on top, in the middle. Wrap the bacon around the water chestnut and liver and secure with a toothpick. Place on prepared pan.
- Repeat until all the chicken livers are prepared and are on the pan.
- Bake until the bacon is crispy, or about 15-20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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