How to Cook Chicken Feet

Co-authored by Alex Hong

Last Updated: October 26, 2024

Chicken feet dishes have found their way into the cuisines of multiple countries, but the Chinese dim sum version is one of the most well-known on a global scale. This time-consuming cooking process involves deep frying, brining, and braising the chicken feet before finally coating them in a flavorful sauce.

Ingredients

Preparing

Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 lbs (900 g) chicken feet
1 Tbsp (15 ml) salt
1 qt (1 L) cold water

Frying

1 qt (1 L) vegetable oil or peanut oil

Brining

1 cup (250 ml) boiling hot water
6 star anise
4 slices ginger, 2 inches (5 cm) long
1 cinnamon stick
6 dried bay leaves
6 cloves
2 tsp (10 ml) salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) rice wine
1 qt (1 L) cold water

Braising Broth

2 qt (1 L) water
1/3 cup (80 ml) rice wine
2 star anise
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 inch (2.5 cm) piece ginger, sliced

Sauce

2 Tbsp (30 ml) oyster sauce
2 Tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) black bean sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) rice wine
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground white pepper
2 small chile peppers, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 ml) cornstarch
2 Tbsp (30 ml) cold water

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Preparing

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1
Clip off the nails. Use kitchen shears or a heavy cleaver to cut the toenails off the end of each chicken foot.^{[1]
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- If desired, you could also separate the palm of the foot from the connecting leg bone by cutting them apart at the joint.^{[2]
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  Research source} Both parts can then be prepared and cooked in the same manner. Doing this can make it easier to fry the chicken feet, but it will also change their distinctive appearance.
2
Wash the feet in salt water. Stir 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of salt into 1 qt (1 L) of cold water. Dunk the chicken feet in the salt water and scrub them clean using your fingers.
- Rub the feet together while submerged to help scrub off any dirt or debris.
- Peel away any scaly, yellow outer skin. If you cannot pick away these spots, you can use kitchen shears to cut them away.
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3
Rinse and dry thoroughly. Remove the chicken feet from the salt water and rinse well under cool, running water. Drain and dry the feet completely using clean paper towels.
- It's very important to completely dry the feet after rinsing them. If excess water remains, you may encounter more splattering when you start frying the feet.
- After drying the feet, set them aside on a clean plate while you prepare the frying oil.

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Frying

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1
Heat the oil. Pour 1 qt (1 L) of vegetable or peanut oil into a large Dutch oven. Set it on the stove and bring the oil to a heat of 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).^{[3]
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- If you don't have a Dutch oven, use a large wok, heavy-bottomed saucepan, or deep fryer.
- It's best to check the heat of the oil with a fryer thermometer or candy thermometer, but if you don't have one, check by dropping a cube of white bread into the oil. When the oil is hot enough to use, the bread should turn golden in approximately 10 seconds.
2
Fry until golden brown. Carefully drop several chicken feet into the hot oil using long tongs or cooking chopsticks. Fry the feet for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they appear golden brown in color.
- The oil will likely splatter, so it's best to work carefully. Shield yourself with the lid of the pot while placing each chicken foot directly into the oil. Do not drop the feet from a height.
- While the feet cook, rest the lid on top of the pan, angling it so that a small gap remains open.
3
Drain on paper towels. Carefully remove each finished chicken foot from the hot oil and transfer it to a plate or bowl lined with clean paper towels.
- Note that you could also drain the chicken feet on brown paper bag material as long as it's clean prior to use.
4
Repeat as needed. Fry and drain the remaining chicken feet in this manner, working in small batches.
- You should only work with three to four feet at a time. When you add the feet to the oil, the temperature of the oil drops. As long as the pan is not overcrowded, the temperature drop shouldn't be too severe, but the oil in a packed pot will cool and may not fry the legs correctly.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Brining

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1
Combine most of the brine ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the boiling water, star anise, ginger, cinnamon stick, dried bay leaves, cloves, and salt. Stir the brine together until the salt fully dissolves.^{[4]
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- You can prepare the brine before or after frying the chicken, depending on whichever you find easier. If you prepare it beforehand, however, loosely cover it and let it sit aside at room temperature until you're ready to use it.
Dunk the fried chicken feet in the bowl of chicken brine. Make sure that the brine evenly covers all the feet. Leaving chicken to brine will help impart more of the flavors and keep the meat juicy.
3
Add the remaining brine ingredients. Pour the rice wine and cold water into the same bowl as the brine and chicken feet, then stir gently to combine the ingredients.
- The cold water should be nearly as cold as ice water. The low temperature will quickly drop the temperature of the brine and the chicken feet, thereby halting the cooking process.
4
Refrigerate for 2 hours. Loosely cover the bowl and place it in your refrigerator. Allow the brine to marinate the chicken feet for at least 2 hours.
- After 2 hours pass, don't be alarmed if the chicken feet look puffy. This is normal and can actually improve the final texture of the dish.
Pour the contents of the bowl through a colander. Set the chicken feet aside and discard the excess brine.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Braising Broth

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Place the water, rice wine, star anise, spring onions, and ginger in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Set the pan on the stove over medium-high heat and bring the broth to a steady boil.^{[5]
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2
Add the chicken feet. Carefully place the chicken feet into the boiling broth, lowering them directly into the water instead of dropping them from a height.
- After adding the chicken feet to the braising broth, allow the liquid to reach a full boil again.
- Once the braising broth reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low, dropping the broth to a gentle simmer.
3
Cook until tender. Partially cover the pan and allow the chicken feet to cook until they feet tender. This should take 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
- Periodically check and stir the chicken feet as they cook in the braising broth.
- When ready, you should be able to easily pierce through the fleshy side and straight to the bone using a standard fork.
4
Drain the liquid. Strain the contents of the pan through a colander. Collect 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the cooking liquid and all of the chicken feet.
- After reserving the 1/2 cup (125 ml) of liquid, discard the remaining broth.

Part 5

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Serving with Sauce

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1
Combine the sauce ingredients and reserved broth. Place the 1/2 cup (125 ml) of reserved braising broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, black bean sauce, sugar, rice wine, white pepper, chile peppers, and garlic in a large wok. Place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Stir and heat the sauce until it reaches a full boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Allow the sauce to continue simmering.
2
Whisk together the cornstarch and water. While the sauce simmers, whisk together to 1 tsp (5 ml) of cornstarch and 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of cold water until a thin slurry forms.
- Immediately pour and whisk this slurry into the sauce. Continue whisking and simmering the sauce until the slurry is fully incorporated.
3
Add the chicken feet. Toss the chicken feet into the simmering sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken feet are warm throughout.
- Note that the sauce should also thicken during this time. When ready, it should be thick and sticky enough to cling to the feet.
Transfer the sauce-covered chicken feet to serving platters and enjoy them immediately, if desired.
5
Alternatively, save and steam the following day. If you want to give the flavors more time to blend together, you can refrigerate the chicken feet and reheat them the following day before serving.
- Transfer the sauce-covered chicken feet to a steam-proof plate. As soon as they cool to room temperature, cover the plate and chill the chicken feet in your refrigerator.
- The next day, set a steamer basket over a stockpot of boiling water and place the plate of chicken feet inside. Heat the chicken feet through for 10 to 15 minutes.^{[6]
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- Serve the reheated chicken feet while they're still hot.

Community Q&A

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Question

How many minutes should I boil chicken feet to make it tender?

RebelWarriorGirl

Community Answer

Boil for five minutes then drain, rinse, and cut off and discard the tips of the claws; after which, you drain the chicken feet completely.

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