Try this ultra flavorful way to make dim sum chicken feet right at home! This simple braised chicken feet recipe comes out amazing tender and delicious.
Braised chicken feet are an extremely popular dim sum dish in Asian countries (also called Chi Zhi Feng Zhao or fermented black bean pheonix claws in Cantonese) and are absolutely amazing when cooked correctly. It's one of my favorite things to order when at dim sum with my friends!
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.
Jump to:
- More Chicken Feet Recipes
- Are Chicken Feet Good for You?
- How to Prepare Chicken Feet
- How to Brine Chicken Feet
- How to Braise Chicken Feet
- How to Stir Fry Chicken Feet
- How to Eat Chicken Feet
- Expert Tips
- How to Serve Chicken Feet
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- More Chinese Inspired Recipes
- Recipe
- 💬 Comments
More Chicken Feet Recipes
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Are Chicken Feet Good for You?
Chicken feet are incredibly good for you. They are collagen packed food (like chicken bone broth or beef bone broth) which is easily absorbed into the body and helps promote joint health and healthy skin.
Read more about the health benefits of chicken feet.
The Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Chicken feet are usually not available at your local grocery store. I find mine at the Asian grocery store - they almost always have them. You may also be able to get them at your local butcher.
The shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) can be substituted with dry sherry. However, I really like the flavor the shaoxing wine provides.
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.
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.
Chili bean sauce is a fermented chili and bean sauce. It is slightly spicy and has an amazing flavor. You can also substitute broad bean paste if you have some leftover from recipes like Mapo tofu or tantan ramen.
The recipe also calls for soy sauce (you can use light or dark soy sauce - whichever you have), cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and ginger.
How to Prepare Chicken Feet
There are a few steps to take when cooking your spicy chicken feet (AKA chicken paws) to ensure they come out tender and delicious. First, cut off all the claws and scrub them well under cold water.
We then are going to blanch them quickly in boiling water to get rid of any scum. Pour the chicken feet in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain and rinse thoroughly. Also, if they still have the yellowish skin on, you should be able to easily peel it off after blanching.
How to Brine Chicken Feet
Next, we brine them for an extra boost of flavor, as well as to help tenderize the skin and cartilage.
Pour a boiling pot of 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. Drain and set aside for braising.
If you're strapped for time, you CAN skip this step and still get great results.
How to Braise Chicken Feet
The next step is the braising process, or slow cooking in a seasoned liquid to break down the cartilage and make them melt-in-your-mouth tender chicken feet.
Add the ingredients for the braising liquid and the chicken feet to a Dutch oven or a large pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
Drain, reserving the liquid for other uses if desired.
How to Stir Fry Chicken Feet
Lastly, we do a quick stir fry to coat them in a chili black bean 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.
Heat the cooking oil in a skillet or a wok (learn how to season your wok) 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!
How to Eat Chicken Feet
The most common way to eat chicken feet is using chopsticks, but if you're like me and aren't quite dexterous enough, you can embarrass your friends and family and use your hands.
Whether you use your hands or chopsticks, pick up the chicken paw and bite it between the bones at the tip of the foot. Suck the skin and flesh off the bone and spit the bones out. There will be small bones so be careful.
Continue, using the same process until you're up at the pads of the feet. Do the same thing - suck the bones to get all the skin and flesh off and spit out the bones.
Remember, don't eat the bones or nails!
All that said, eating chicken feet isn't all that graceful - be ok making a small mess, especially your first time!
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 Shaoxing wine.
- Substitute oyster sauce for the sugar in the sauce if you want less sweet and more umami flavor (I prefer the sugar, but many other recipes call for oyster sauce so the option is out there).
How to Serve Chicken Feet
- Serve it with this Chinese Fried Rice to make it a meal or part of a larger Chinese food fest!
- Dim sum style chicken feet are often served as part of a dim sum meal - serve it with these other dim sum staples:
- Siu Mai
- Har Gow (shrimp dumplings)
- Sticky rice lotus leaves
- Fried green beans
- Rice noodles rolls
- Chinese BBQ pork
- Egg tarts
- You can also just serve them as a meal with some of this tangy sushi rice or Jasmine rice (pressure cooker)
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Everything but the bones and nails (which we already trimmed during the preparation) can be eaten.
Chicken feet make amazing bone broth. The broken down collagen from the braised chicken feet add an extra depth to the broth.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or a skillet/Dutch oven.
Leftovers can also be frozen. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat using the same instructions as above.
More Chinese Inspired Recipes
- Soy sauce chicken
- Shrimp lo mein
- Mongolian beef
- Kung pao chicken
- Chinese braised pork belly
- Browse ALL Chinese Recipes!!
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Recipe
The Best Chinese Chicken Feet Recipe for Dim Sum
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken feet claws removed
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Brine
- 4 star anise
- 4 cloves
- 2 bay leafs
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- ½ cinnamon stick
- ½ cup Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
- 3 cups boiling water
Braising Liquid
- ½ 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
- First, cut off all the claws and scrub them well under cold water.
- Pour the chicken feet in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain and rinse thoroughly. Also, if they still have the yellowish skin on, you should be able to easily peel it off after blanching.
Brine Chicken Feet
- Pour the boiling water over the aromatics and let sit for 20 minutes.Â
- Add the sherry and about 6 ice cubes to cool the brine.Â
- One cooled, let the chicken feet sit in the brine for at least 2 hours. Drain.
Braise Chicken Feet
- Add the braising liquid ingredients and chicken feet to a large sauce pan.Â
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
- Drain, reserving the liquid for other uses.
Stir Fry Chicken Feet
- Heat the fat in a skillet over medium heat.Â
- Add the chicken feet and sauce ingredients.Â
- Stir fry until chicken feet are well coated with sauce, and sauce has thickened to desired consistency, about 10 minutes.
How to Eat Chicken Feet
- Whether you use your hands or chopsticks, pick up the chicken paw and bite it between the bones at the tip of the foot. Suck the skin and flesh off the bone and spit the bones out. There will be small bones so be careful.
- Continue, using the same process until you're up at the pads of the feet. Do the same thing - suck the bones to get all the skin and flesh off and spit out the bones.
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).
- Â 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 Shaoxing wine.
- Substitute oyster sauce for the sugar in the sauce if you want less sweet and more umami flavor (I prefer the sugar, but many other recipes call for oyster sauce so the option is out there).
Nutrition
Theresaq says
this was absolutely deliciuos. I made the chicken feet in my Instant Pot. I used Korean black bean paste instead of Chinese black bean sauce, and used Chinese chili-garlic condiment. I fried the mixure in some oil, added stock from the feet to loosen it up, added the cooked feet and let it sautee until the liquid thickened into a lovely sauce. I will definitely be making these again!
Danielle says
I'm so glad you liked it! I've been meaning to try them in the Instant Pot as I'm sure it makes it super convenient! Love the idea of using the stock in the sauce.
cheryl says
hi danielle i want to make this recipe for dinner but i don’t have the chili and black bean sauce what can i use to as substitute? thank you
Danielle says
Cheryl - honestly, those 2 things are the most important ingredients for the sauce. You could try using chili garlic sauce instead with just some soy sauce or hoisin sauce, but I've never done it that way before. Let me know if it works out!
Michael D says
Danielle, I just want to say this is a fantastic recipe. The flavours are legit and it's actually good both chilled AND warm/hot. For a more chewwy/bitey sensation when eating, eat it after it's been refrigerated overnight. It still tastes amazing!
I don't understand how people are saying this is a really involved recipe, when the steps aren't even all that difficult to follow? Oh well! They're missing out!
Danielle says
Thanks so much Michael! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Veronica says
Brilliant recipe! Thank you
Danielle says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Amalia says
Danielle,
I’ve tried your recipe and wow the taste so amazing and authentic.
And it is not hard at all, it just take times.
Thank you so much for this.
Danielle says
That makes me so happy to hear - glad you enjoyed it!
Michael Katz says
The recipe was a bit involved but very easy to follow. And well worth the effort! Thank you for the super clear directions.
These chicken feet are truly delicious and authentic to Hong Kong style dim sum. I will recommend this to everyone. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your dish!!
Five stars!
Danielle says
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed them! There are definitely a number of steps involved, but I always thinks it's totally worth it! Thank you for your kind comments 🙂
Michael Katz says
I used your sauce with braised tofu! OMG
Danielle says
What a great idea!
Alice says
Hi Danielle, this looks delish and I can't wait to try it out! What do you use the braising liquid for?
Danielle says
Thanks! I like to use it to replace chicken broth in soups and stews. I just refrigerate, then scrape the solidified fat off the top and use it.
Lynn says
Been collecting chicken feet to attempt on this menu but what can substitute black bean sauce and chili bean sauce as my family can't take broad bean and spicy stuff?
Danielle says
You can just replace the chili bean sauce with the black beans sauce. I've never tried this before, but it should work. The chili bean sauce is an important part of the ingredients, so you will use some of the flavor that goes along with it. Let me know how it turns out!
Lizzie L says
Hi Danielle. I enjoyed reading all the comments and watching your video. I can't wait to make this for my 98 year old father who loves to suck on them there bones. Have you ever made this in an Instant Pot?
Danielle says
So glad you enjoyed watching it! I've never tried making them in the Instant Pot before, but it's definitely on my list to try!
Bri says
Just cooked your recipe tonight. It was DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing it with the rest of us!
Danielle says
I'm so glad you liked it!!
Winn says
Love Love me some Chicken Feet! My dad took us to dim sum every Sunday. He was a foodie for sure! Great recipe. But I am too lazy to go through the brining process. Have you tried "Baiyun Chicken Feet"? One of my favorites as well. It is a cold dish. You can google. Plenty on the internet 白云鸡脚 . Just use google translate for English.
Danielle says
I have not tried that - I will definitely check it out! I love new recipes with chicken feet 🙂 Thanks so much!
Barb says
To me these recipes are too involved. I don't have any idea how my mother made them but I know she didn't go through all of this! I always liked them when I was a child and wish I knew how to fix them the way she did. If you haven't figured it out...I hate to cook!
Danielle says
My boyfriend is the same way, he does not like to cook. I totally understand!
Deborah says
Ah........so many memories and before I comment on this recipe, I really must share a very funny story about this topic......
I grew up one of 8 kids in North Dakota, and boy were times hard back than. Needless to say my parents believed in nose to tail consumption long before most chefs embraced it. I ate what was put in front of me and or what I helped plant, grow, catch, clean and or prepare and chicken feet were one of those items. However much I loved them, I never did eat them again after leaving home.
So lets fast forward 12 years into my adult life, and I was living and working in Miami, FL. Due to distance and expense my kids didn't spend much time with their grandparents, and it crushed my mother. One summer, I finally relented, and agreed to allow my two daughters, to spend 3 weeks with my folks but I could not be there....My eldest was 13 and the youngest 5-1/2.
After arranging the logistics as to how they would safely travel between the two states, off they went. On their 3rd day there, I received a frantic call from my mother at work during lunch hour....in the back ground, I could hear my youngest crying hysterically. After a few minutes, I finally understood what the problem was......and asked to speak to her.
Jo gets on the phone and before I can say a word....all I could hear were screams of "they're eating hands they're eating hands". As a 'special treat" my mother had prepared a pot of CF for lunch, and as she reached into the pot with the tongs to serve, Jo the youngest took one look at what was coming out of that pot, and started to scream.....no matter what my mother said to calm her, Jo was convinced they were about to eat "hands" and she wasn't having any of it....LOL
So in memory of my "parents" and a food I once did love, I'm going to prepare these on Saturday...
Danielle says
This is such a great story LOL! I've had that reaction from people on more than one occasion too 🙂 I love the idea of "nose to tail" consumption. And chicken feet are soooo delicious! I hope you get to try these Deborah!! Thanks for visiting 🙂
Kevin says
Just like the chicken feet at the restaurant! Awesome recipe!
Healthy World Cuisine says
We had to comment on this post of course! Hong Kong style chicken feet. Never thought I would see this recipe outside of HK. Hope your week is going well. Sharing of course!
Danielle@wenthere8this says
LOL! I absolutely love chicken feet since my friend introduced me to them years ago. I order them every time we have dim sum. Thanks for sharing!