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Abstract Background The impact of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection on postoperative recovery of patients who underwent liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uncertain given the lack of sufficient evidence. Aim To investigate the impact of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection on postoperative recovery of patients who underwent liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Patients who were pathologically diagnosed with HCC and underwent elective partial hepatectomy in Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2022 and April 2023 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The patients were divided into two groups based on their history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rehabilitation parameters, including postoperative liver function, incidence of complications, and hospitalization expenses, were compared between the two groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce confounding bias. Results We included 172 patients (58 with and 114 without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection) who underwent liver resection for HCC. No significant differences in the rehabilitation parameters were observed between the two groups. After PSM, 58 patients were selected from each group to form the new comparative groups. Similar results were obtained within the population after PSM. Conclusion Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection does not appear to affect postoperative rehabilitation, including liver function, postoperative complications, or hospitalization expenses among patients with HCC after elective partial hepatectomy.