How to Eat Chicken Feet

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

Chicken feet are a delicacy in Asian countries and can be found in bulk at almost all Asian markets. Chicken feet are loaded in flavor and can be both crispy and delicate in texture, which makes them perfect for deep-frying to use in various traditional Asian dishes. Before you begin to cook with chicken feet, be sure to remove the toenails and wash the feet under water to remove any loose skin, or you might end up biting into something that is a little too crunchy.

Ingredients

Deep-Fried Chicken Feet

  • 1 lb (450 g) of chicken feet
  • 1 tsp (4.2 g) of salt
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) of soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp (15 g) of sugar
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup (128 g) of flour
  • 1 qt (900 ml) of vegetable oil

Braised Dim Sum Chicken Feet

  • 2 lb (900 g) of chicken feet (about 20 feet)
  • 1 qt (900 ml) of vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves and green onions
  • 2 Thai chili peppers
  • 1 tsp (4.2 g) of salt
  • 1 tsp (4.2 g) of sugar
  • 1 inch (2.5 cm) of ginger root
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of soy sauce
  • 1 ⁄ 2 tablespoon (7.4 ml) of oyster sauce
  • 2 star anise
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Cleaning Chicken Feet

PDF download Download Article
  1. If your feet are store-bought and packaged, you only need to wash each foot under tap water for a few seconds. Then, set them to the side one by one. [1]
    • If your feet are fresh, soak them in a pot of tap water for about an hour to get rid of any excess dirt and other contaminants.
  2. Don't boil the water; instead, bring it to a near-boil and let it stay hot without bubbling over. Using tongs, drop each foot into the pot of water and then remove them after about half a minute to make the peeling process easier. [2]
    Advertisement
  3. Remove each nail after they have been softened with scissors by cutting through each toe at the first joint, as this is where the nail ends. If the nails have been softened enough, then you can remove them with tweezers instead and keep more meat on the foot. [3]
  4. After you have removed the nails from each toe, you can peel the scaly skin away from the meat in a smooth motion back toward the knee. It should come off all at once if it was soaked and simmered correctly, but if not, you can take a small knife to carve it away instead. [4]
    • The scaly skin and nails of the feet are inedible, even for making something like stock, so just throw these away.
    5. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Making Deep-Fried Chicken Feet

PDF download Download Article
  1. Combine 1 lb (450 g) of chicken feet, 1 tsp (4.2 g) of salt, 2 tbsp (30 ml) of soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15 g) of sugar, and 3 smashed cloves of garlic to a large saute pan. Then, add just enough water to cover the ingredients. [5]
    • Use the back of a spoon or a knife to crush the cloves, but do not chop them up. These supplemental ingredients are used to simmer the chicken feet in a delicious medley of flavors and won't be added to the deep fryer.
  2. Turn the heat all the way up and allow the water to rapidly boil. Turn the heat all the way down as soon as it boils and let it simmer in the pan for 2 hours, or until the chicken feet are tender when poked with a fork. [6]
    • It may take less than 2 hours for the chicken feet to become tender, in as little time as an hour, so be sure to continuously check them with a fork so they don't overcook.
  3. Put the boiled feet onto a baking pan to cool for a few minutes, during which you can whisk together 2 eggs and 1 cup (128 g) of flour into a batter in a large bowl. [7]
    • Save the left-over water if you want to make chicken feet stock later on, as this can save you some preparation time.
  4. It doesn't really matter which method you use to heat up your vegetable oil, but if you want to have an authentic experience in Asian cuisine, you should use a wok for the best results.
  5. Take each chicken foot and coat it in the batter you prepared, then set them to the side on a large plate or in a bowl until you have covered every foot.
  6. In small batches, deep fry the feet for about 3 to 5 minutes, and watch for the feet to turn golden-brown. You can store the finished ones in a warm oven to maintain their temperature. [8] When they are all deep-fried, they are ready to be served!
    • Sprinkle some salt over the chicken feet or add chili oil and soy sauce for extra flavor.
    7. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Preparing Braised Dim Sum Chicken Feet

PDF download Download Article
  1. Add about 1 tsp (4.2 g) of salt and 1 tsp (4.2 g) of sugar to a full pot of water and bring it to a rapid boil. You can use a dash of rice vinegar to prevent the color of the chicken feet from darkening, but it is not necessary. [9]
  2. Gently drop 2 lb (900 g) of chicken feet to the water after it has reached a boil, and let it sit for about 2 minutes. Then, drain the water and leave the chicken feet in the pot. [10]
  3. Try to cover all of the chicken feet with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of soy sauce and 1 ⁄ 2 tablespoon (7.4 ml) of oyster sauce, then let them marinade for about 30 minutes with the heat off. [11]
  4. Deep fry the feet for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until they look to be golden-brown in color. Deep fry them until they are dry, which is when the oil on the feet stops sparkling. [12] Set the feet on a plate to cool and dry further.
    • Afterward, you can let the feet soak in a pot full of ice water for 4 hours to achieve a "tiger-skin" effect, which makes the skin of the feet look stripey. This is only for aesthetic purposes.
    • You can use a deep fryer for this step instead of a wok, but no matter what you choose, be sure to cover it as you do not want to get covered in hot oil while you fry the chicken feet.
  5. Finely chop 2 garlic cloves, 2 green onions, 2 Thai chili peppers, 1 inch (2.5 cm) of ginger, and 2 star anise with a chef knife, and set them to the side in a bowl or on a plate. [13] Be careful when handling Thai chili pepper, as it can burn your eyes if you rub them during preparation.
    • Wear latex gloves while you chop the chili — these can be taken off and thrown away, preventing you from accidentally rubbing your eyes or your nose with chili bits.
  6. Don't add the other ingredients yet, as you need to let the chicken steam first so they can effectively absorb the other flavors — and they take longer to cook. [14]
  7. Try to evenly pour the chopped ingredients all over the chicken feet, and let the mix steam for another half an hour. [15]
    • Avoid opening the steamer at any point during the steaming process or you will let out the trapped heat and it will take much longer to achieve an even cook.
  8. Remove the chicken feet and chopped ingredients from the steamer when they're done, and add them to a large saute pan with 1 cup (240 ml) of water. Saute the mixture for 15 minutes. [16] This will braise the chicken feet and create a thick sauce to serve alongside the meal. [17] Serve them hot!
    • If you want a thicker sauce, turn the heat up to the max in the last minute or so.
    9. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Eating Chicken Feet Correctly

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's recommended to avoid using western cutlery when eating chicken feet as they don't allow you to manipulate the food as easily as with chopsticks or with your hands. [18]
    • You can eat everything on the foot except bones and nails, so be sure to clean the feet before you start cooking.
  2. Aim to bite the chicken foot at the joint of the toe, and suck the meat, skin, and sauce off of the bone in your mouth. Spit out the bone, and continue up to the next joint and to the next toe.
    • If you don't get quite enough meat by biting at the joint, feel free to bite off the whole toe at once. It's only recommended to start with joints to get a taste and see if the chicken feet taste good to you. [19]
  3. When you have finished with the toes, you can move onto the meatiest part of the foot: the pad. Start by sucking off its skin and cartilage, and then gnaw around the bone of the foot to get to the delicious and savory meat.
    • You can spit bones discretely into a bowl (one is usually provided at restaurants) when you are done with the foot. [20]
    4. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Things You'll Need

      Deep-Fried Chicken Feet

      • Wok or deep fryer
      • Saute pan
      • Chef knife

      Braised Dim Sum Chicken Feet

      • Wok or deep fryer
      • Steamer
      • Chef knife
      • Latex gloves (optional)
      • Large pot

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      Warnings

      • Be sure to cook the feet to an internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C) to kill any bacteria or contaminants in the meat.
        Thanks
        Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
      • Be sure to thoroughly clean and de-nail the chicken feet before using them in any recipe. The nails are inedible, and loose skin can get hard and unappetizing.
        Thanks
        Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1


      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Boil Chicken for Your Dog
      How to
      Make KFC Original Fried Chicken
      How to
      Tell if Chicken Is Done: Using a Food Thermometer & Other Signs
      How to
      Clean Chicken Livers
      How to
      Cook Cornish Game Hens
      How to
      Reheat a Rotisserie Chicken
      How to
      Apply Dry Rub to Chicken
      How to
      Cut Chicken Breast Into Strips
      How to
      Butcher a Chicken
      How to
      Get Rid of Chicken Mites
      2 Easy Ways to Make Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo)
      How to
      Brown Chicken
      How to
      Cut Chicken Thighs
      How to
      Parboil Chicken
      Advertisement

      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cooking, check out our in-depth interview with Derricka Clayton .

      References

      1. ↑ https://delishably.com/meat-dishes/How-to-Clean-Chicken-Feet-Before-Cooking
      2. ↑ https://delishably.com/meat-dishes/How-to-Clean-Chicken-Feet-Before-Cooking
      3. ↑ https://delishably.com/meat-dishes/How-to-Clean-Chicken-Feet-Before-Cooking
      4. ↑ https://delishably.com/meat-dishes/How-to-Clean-Chicken-Feet-Before-Cooking
      5. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/11/deep-fried-chicken-feet-recipe.html
      6. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/11/deep-fried-chicken-feet-recipe.html
      7. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/11/deep-fried-chicken-feet-recipe.html
      8. ↑ https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/11/deep-fried-chicken-feet-recipe.html
      9. ↑ https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dim-sum-chicken-feet/
      1. ↑ https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dim-sum-chicken-feet/
      2. ↑ https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dim-sum-chicken-feet/
      3. ↑ https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dim-sum-chicken-feet/
      4. ↑ https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dim-sum-chicken-feet/
      5. ↑ https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dim-sum-chicken-feet/
      6. ↑ https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dim-sum-chicken-feet/
      7. ↑ https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dim-sum-chicken-feet/
      8. ↑ https://www.chinasichuanfood.com/dim-sum-chicken-feet/
      9. ↑ https://www.travelgluttons.com/how-to-eat-chicken-feet/
      10. ↑ https://www.travelgluttons.com/how-to-eat-chicken-feet/
      11. ↑ https://www.travelgluttons.com/how-to-eat-chicken-feet/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      If you want to eat chicken feet, first soak them in a pot of hot water for 30 seconds to make it easier to remove the skin and nails. Then, pull off the nails with tweezers and remove the scaly skin. To deep fry the feet, combine them in a sauté pan with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 3 crushed garlic cloves. Cover the ingredients with water and simmer the pot for 2 hours. Once the feet have finished boiling, heat a quart of vegetable oil and make a batter out of flour and eggs. Dip each foot in the batter and deep fry them until they’re golden brown. When it comes to eating the feet, use chopsticks or your hands for better grip. Additionally, bite off each joint before sucking the meat off the bone. For tips on how to make braised dim sum chicken feet, read on!

      Did this summary help you?
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 48,195 times.

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement