🇭🇺 Májas Hurka – Traditional Hungarian Liver & Rice Sausage
Májas Hurka is a traditional Hungarian cooked sausage made with pork liver, rice, onions, and aromatic spices. It is a classic part of Hungarian home cooking and is often served warm with potatoes, pickles, and mustard.
Food-safety note: Because this recipe uses liver and sausage filling, use fresh ingredients from a reliable source and cook the finished sausage thoroughly. A food thermometer is the safest way to verify doneness.
🍽️ Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 45–60 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6–8
Cuisine: Hungarian
Course: Main Course
🛒 Ingredients
For the Hurka
500 g pork liver
500 g pork shoulder or fatty pork
200 g white rice
2 large onions, finely chopped
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1–1½ teaspoons salt, to taste
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, optional
250–350 ml pork broth or cooking liquid
Natural pork casings
For Serving
Boiled potatoes
Sauerkraut
Pickled cucumbers
Mustard
Fresh bread
Sautéed onions
👩🍳 How to Make Májas Hurka
1. Prepare the Rice
Rinse the rice under cold water.
Cook it in lightly salted water until partially cooked. It should still have some firmness because it will continue cooking inside the sausage.
Drain and allow it to cool.
2. Cook the Pork
Place the pork shoulder or fatty pork in a large pot.
Cover with water and gently simmer until tender.
Reserve some of the cooking liquid for later.
Allow the cooked pork to cool slightly before processing.
3. Prepare the Liver
Clean the pork liver and remove any tough membranes.
Cut it into smaller pieces.
For a traditional preparation, the liver is gently cooked or blanched before being finely chopped or minced.
Avoid overcooking it, as liver can become dry and tough.
4. Cook the Onions
Heat a little of the pork fat or cooking fat in a skillet.
Add the chopped onions.
Cook over medium-low heat for approximately 8–10 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.
Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
🥣 5. Make the Filling
Finely mince or grind the cooked pork and prepared liver.
Place them in a large bowl.
Add:
Cooked rice
Fried onions
Garlic
Hungarian paprika
Marjoram
Black pepper
Caraway, if using
Salt
Mix thoroughly.
Gradually add the reserved pork broth until the mixture becomes moist and soft but not runny.
Taste a small amount of the cooked mixture and adjust the seasoning before filling the casings.
🌭 6. Fill the Casings
Rinse the natural pork casings according to the package instructions.
Using a sausage stuffer, gently fill the casings with the liver-and-rice mixture.
Don’t pack them too tightly because the rice expands during cooking.
Twist into individual sausage portions.
If you notice large air pockets, gently prick them with a clean sausage needle.
🍲 7. Poach the Hurka
Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer.
Carefully place the filled sausages into the water.
Poach gently rather than boiling vigorously, as strong boiling can cause the casings to split.
Cook until the sausage is thoroughly cooked through.
For food safety, check the center with a food thermometer rather than relying only on cooking time.
🔥 8. Finish in the Oven
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F.
Place the cooked hurka in a lightly greased baking dish or on a baking tray.
Bake for approximately 15–20 minutes, turning once, until the casing becomes lightly browned.
For an especially crisp exterior, you can finish it under the oven’s grill/broiler briefly while watching it carefully.
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