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These Braised Chicken Feet rival any dim sum restaurant, braised in a flavorful braising liquid then stir fried in the most amazing umami packed sauce, you’ll definitely want these on your menu!
Chicken feet, while they may seem a bit strange to eat, are just incredible. When brined and braised, they become the most delicious morsels of deliciousness
Braised Chicken Feet is an extremely popular dim sum dish and is absolutely amazing when cooked correctly.
Consisting predominantly of skin and cartilage, once you can get past the idea of eating chicken feet, you will surely be amazed by how absolutely awesome they are. Plus, it feels great knowing that we are making use of all the parts of the chicken.
Now this recipe is not difficult to make, but there are a number of steps involved. We clean them, brine them, braise them and then do a quick stir fry in the best sauce ever.
Is it Healthy to Eat Chicken Feet?
They are actually quite good for you. They are packed with collagen which is easily absorbed into the body and helps keep joint healthy and skin glowing. Learn more about the health benefits of chicken feet.
The Ingredients
Chicken feet are usually not available at your local grocery store. I find mine at the Asian grocery store – they almost always have them. However, you can buy chicken feet online as well if you can’t find them elsewhere.
The shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) can be substituted with dry sherry. However, I really like the flavor the shaoxing wine provides. Buy shaoxing wine (affiliate link).
The full list of ingredients, along with links to purchase them, can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Below is an explanation of some of the lesser known spices.
What is Star Anise?
Star anise is a seed pod that come from a Chinese evergreen shrub. The pod is star shaped and the flavor is remnant of licorice. It’s very strong and we typically only use a small amount in dishes. It is used in a lot of Chinese cooking, and can be found in dishes like this Twice Cooked Pork or this Roasted Duck. Buy star anise (affiliate link).
What is Black Bean Sauce?
Black bean sauce is a savory sauce made with fermented black beans, chilies, garlic, soy sauce and other seasonings. It has a deep, incredible flavor and is great used in dishes like Twice Cooked Pork (yes we love this dish around here!). Buy black bean sauce (affiliate link).
What is Chili Bean Sauce?
Chili bean sauce is a fermented chili and bean sauce. It is slightly spicy and has an amazing flavor. Buy chili bean sauce (affiliate link).
Step By Step Instructions
There are a few steps to take when cooking your chicken feet to ensure they come out tender and delicious. First, cut off all the claws and scrub them well under cool water.
We start by brining them for an extra boost of flavor, as well as to help tenderize the skin and cartilage.
The next step is the braising process, or slow cooking in a seasoned liquid to break down the cartilage to make them melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Lastly, we do a quick stir fry to coat them in the most amazing sauce. Seriously, the most amazing sauce. By this time, the chicken feet have been cooked to a suck-off-the-bone tender status and the sauce is just the icing on the cake.
How to Brine Chicken Feet
Pour boiling water over the aromatics and let sit for 20 minutes. Add the sherry and about 6 ice cubes to cool the brine.
Don’t add the chicken feet until the brine has cooled – we’re not trying to cook them here…at least not yet.
One cooled, let the them sit in the brine for at least 2 hours. We brine the them to help tenderize them and add flavor before braising. I don’t recommend skipping this step.
Once they have had adequate time to brine, drain them.
How to Braise Chicken Feet
Add the ingredients for the braising liquid and the chicken feet to a large sauce pan.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer over medium-low heat for 2 hours.
Drain, reserving the liquid for other uses. DON’T FORGET TO RESERVE THE BRAISING LIQUID! This stuff is like gold.
How to Stir Fry Chicken Feet
Heat the cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken feet and sauce ingredients.
Stir fry to coat the chicken feet, cooking until the sauce has thickened to desired consistency, about 10 minutes. The sauce should evenly coat each chicken foot.
They are great served as an appetizer, as dim sum, or as a main meal!
Are Chicken Feet Good for Bone Broth?
Yes, yes yes! The broken down collagen from the braised chicken feet add an extra depth to the broth, while the wine, anise and scallions from this recipe add to the intense umami flavor. Learn how to make stock from chicken feet.
Expert Tips
– Be sure to cut off the claws and rinse the feet well before starting;
– Don’t skip the brining as it helps gives the chicken feet flavor as well as tenderizing them;
– Let the brine cool to room temperature before adding the chicken feet – if it’s too warm it will start to cook them;
– You can substitute broad bean paste for the chili bean sauce (you may have bought broad bean paste for recipes like this Mapo Tofu and have some left over);
– If the sauce is too thin when stir frying, pour in a little cornstarch slurry until the desired thickness is reached. To make a cornstarch slurry, mix 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
– Substitute dry sherry for the Shoaxing wine.
Do You Eat the Bones in Chicken Feet?
No. Everything but the bones and nails (which we already trimmed during the preparation) can be eaten.
Make it a Meal
– Serve it with this Simple Fried Rice;
– As an appetizer for these Salt and Pepper Chicken Thighs or this Twice Cooked Pork;
– Sichuan Green Beans or Stir Fried Bok Choy.
More Chinese Inspired Recipes
- Tangerine Chicken
- Roast Duck
- 5 Spice Braised Oxtails
- Sichuan Green Beans
- Browse ALL Chinese Recipes!!
Did you make this Braised Chicken Feet Recipe? Leave me a quick comment below and let me know how it turned out!
The Most Delicious Braised Chicken Feet
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken feet claws removed
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Brine
- 4 star anise
- 4 cloves
- 2 bay leafs
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
- 3 cups boiling water
Braising Liquid
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 scallions
- 2 star anise
- 4 cups chicken broth
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons black bean sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili bean sauce
- 2 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Trim the nails off the chicken feet and scrub the feet well under cool water.
Brine:
- Pour the boiling water over the aromatics and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Add the sherry and about 6 ice cubes to cool the brine.
- One cooled, let the chicken feet sit in the brine for at least 2 hours. Drain.
Braise:
- Add the braising liquid ingredients and chicken feet to a large sauce pan.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 2 hours.
- Drain, reserving the liquid for other uses.
Stir Fry:
- Heat the fat in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken feet and sauce ingredients.
- Stir fry until chicken feet are well coated with sauce, and sauce has thickened to desired consistency, about 10 minutes.
Video
Expert Tips:
- Be sure to cut off the claws and rinse the feet well before starting;
- Don't skip the brining as it helps gives the chicken feet flavor as well as tenderizing them;
- Let the brine cool to room temperature before adding the chicken feet - if it's too warm it will start to cook them;
- You can substitute broad bean paste for the chili bean sauce (you may have bought broad bean paste for recipes like this Mapo Tofu and have some left over);
- If the sauce is too thin when stir frying, pour in a little cornstarch slurry until the desired thickness is reached. To make a cornstarch slurry, mix 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Substitute dry sherry for the Shoaxing wine.
Nutrition
