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Chicken feet. ?
I never, ever in a million years thought I would ever be touching a chicken foot in my kitchen. Outside – that’s a different story. But inside? In a kitchen? I know.. disturbing really.
Your first thought might be a cross of repulsive, disturbing, disgust… maybe you are grossed out by the thought… whatever your feelings are, they make the very best stock.
Chicken feet are bone, cartilage and tendons that result in a really nice, rich broth that is full of nutrient – minerals, collagen and glucosamine chondroitin.
Collagen is something we take as a family every day – collagen peptides in our milk as a powerhouse nutrient to help us keep a strong immune system, in addition to gelatin for making gummies at home. The BEST source of collagen is nutrient dense broth.
It’s not the easiest thing to prepare chicken feet for broth, especially when you have kids at home. They will forever remember coming up behind me at the counter for the rest of their lives – I’m almost certain of it.
To make chicken feet broth you will need to find chicken feet – you can ask your local butcher or, head to the Mexican market (or, any ethnic market for that matter). Those ethnic markets often times carry those non traditional parts that are almost forgotten in today’s cooking.
Or.. you can head to your local Farmer’s Market and talk to a local farmer – who are often a wonderful source for pastured poultry raised without antibiotics and fed a diet of worms, and bugs, or organic (soy free) feed.
If you purchase from a local farmer, you can request the chicken feet if you buy the whole chicken. If you are looking for a local farmer near you that offers pastured chickens, look no farther than Agrilicious – I know Phoenix has several.
How to Prepare Chicken Feet Stock
To make stock with chicken feet, you’ll first want to prepare the feet beforehand – although in many cases the chicken feet will already be prepared, if you are buying from a local farmer, they won’t… so you’ll need to do the work yourself.
To dress the chicken feet, rub them thoroughly with salt and scald them in boiling water – then plunge them in an ice bath. This will help you peel the yellow membrane from the feet, and chop the talons off at the first knuckle (unless you want to keep them on the foot).
You want to try to avoid blanching them for too long or you can overcook them – – making it hard to peel them later.
Just remember these steps:
- Clean thoroughly
- Rub salt on them
- Blanch them in boiling water, then plunge in ice water (avoid overcooking!)
- Peel the skin
- Remove the talons
Once you have accomplished that, then grab the Instant Pot ~from this point forward it is relatively easy to make. Feel free to add your own veggies along with the chicken feet in the pot to change the flavor – or, season on your preference.
You can season with any of the following to give more flavor:
- Ginger
- Chiles
- Vegetable scraps (leaves, peels) — this would be a great time to use asparagus ends, celery ends, kale stems, etc.
- Lemongrass
- Garlic
- Star Anise
Your Instant Pot will take 180 minutes to make the stock (what would normally take 4-12 hours by stove) – allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 30 minutes before skimming the fat and straining through a strainer before pouring into canning jars.
Refrigerate overnight and the broth will gel as it cools.
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Chicken Feet Stock (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Feet
- 10 C. water enough to cover
- Additional vegetable scraps, spices, herbs optional
- mesh strainer
Instructions
Prepare the chicken feet (as noted above)
Place the chicken feet in the Instant Pot and cover with 10 C. of water
Put the lid on the Instant Pot and close the valve to seal.
Set the timer for manual (high pressure) and 180 minutes.
Once the time has passed, allow the instant pot to release the pressure naturally for 30 minutes.
Refrigerate 24 hours or overnight.
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FAQs
Chicken feet have their own unique and wonderful flavor, and the added gelatin from the feet give whatever dish is made with the stock a luxurious feeling when eating it. Making stock from chicken feet has been a human activity for thousands of years.
Do you have to peel chicken feet for bone broth? ›
Chicken Bone Broth Ingredients
If the skin is still on, they will be a yellow color and you would need to remove that before you use them. Remove the skins by boiling them in water for about 10 minutes, allow them to cool and then peel and scrub that yellow skin off of the feet.
Is Instant Pot good for stock? ›
You will get as much richness and depth from this stock after 40 minutes under pressure as you would from 3 hours of simmering on the stovetop. Add the ginger if you want a little bit of heat and brightness—a nice addition to chicken soups and rice pilafs.
What are the benefits of chicken feet soup? ›
Chicken feet make a rich, flavorful and nutritious broth. Filled with immune boosting properties, it's very nourishing for your gut. There are also a multitude of health benefits for your skin, joints and bones. The feet are the most gelatinous part of the chicken and they contain a very large amount of collagen.
How many chicken feet per gallon of water? ›
Chicken Feet Broth Recipe
They are growing in popularity, along with organ meats, and some farmers report selling out when they go to market. However, many butcher shops are still happy to give them away. Two pounds of chicken feet will produce about a gallon of very gelatinous stock.
Is it healthy to eat chicken feet? ›
Chicken feet are a very nutritious snack that also boosts the immune system. This is because of the mineral content which is very beneficial to build health. It also contains collagen and some minerals such as copper, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and also calcium.
Is chicken feet high in collagen? ›
Chicken feet consist of skin, cartilage, tendons, and bones. Even without providing much meat, they're high in collagen — the most abundant protein in your body. This collagen content may help relieve joint pain, aid skin health, and prevent bone loss.
How do you prepare chicken feet to eat? ›
Season the chicken feet with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, green onion, Sichuan peppercorn, star anise, sugar, and 4 cups of water. Bring it to simmer, cover and let it cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the chicken feet should be ready to eat, rest it in the fridge for 1-2 hours or enjoy it right away!
What not to use in Instant Pot? ›
6 Things You Should Never Cook in an Instant Pot
- Creamy Sauces. If there's one food group you should avoid in the Instant Pot, it's dairy. ...
- Fried Chicken. The best fried chicken is crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside and perfectly golden brown. ...
- Cookies. ...
- Burgers. ...
- Pie. ...
- Steak.
Con– The Instant Pot uses steam under pressure to cook food and not everything is meant to be cooked in the Instant Pot. I attempted a crustless quiche which turned out well but it was too wet and moist to my liking and I prefer to cook it in the oven with dry heat.
It's absolutely possible to overcook Instant Pot bone broth.
Overcooked bone broth will taste bitter and I can't imagine it'd be very enjoyable. You'll want to boil the chicken feet for 5 minutes or so before using them in the Instant Pot. Boiling them just helps remove any impurities from the skin.
Why do Chinese eat chicken feet? ›
Chicken feet are tasty, but they also have cosmetic benefits. They contain a lot of collagen, which led Asians to believe that eating chicken feet will give them more youthful-looking skin. This is also the reason chicken feet and peanuts soup is popular among Chinese women who want to achieve glowing skin.
What do Mexicans use chicken feet for? ›
Chicken feet (also known as “patitas”) are a popular ingredient across Mexico, particularly in stews and soups. They are often steamed to become part of a main dish with rice, vegetables, and most likely another part of the chicken, such as the breast or thighs. The feet can be seasoned with mole sauce.
Are chicken feet good for high blood pressure? ›
Are they good for high blood pressure? Chicken feet are high in collagen content and based on the study by the researchers at Hiroshima University, collagen can reduce high blood pressure.
Is it OK to use chicken skin in stock? ›
As mentioned above, I leave the roasted chicken's skin intact for the stock. Some folks feel that chicken skin adds too much fat to the broth leading to an unpleasant mouthfeel. I can see how raw chicken might do this, but with roasted chicken much of the fat has been rendered.
Are chicken necks good for making stock? ›
Home cooks and professional chefs know Chicken Necks and Backs are the best cuts for making outstanding chicken stock. Once you've tasted homemade broth, you won't go back to store bought. From our own pastured, organically fed chickens! See our Homemade Chicken Broth recipe for easy instructions.
What do people use chicken feet for? ›
Chicken feet are used in several regional Chinese cuisines; they can be served as a beer snack, cold dish, soup or main dish. They are interchangeably called Fèng zhǎo (鳯爪, phoenix claws), Jī zhǎo (鷄爪, chicken claws), and Jī jiǎo (雞脚, chicken feet).
Which bone is best for bone broth? ›
Traditional recipes recommend using bones rich in marrow and flavor, such as beef marrow bones, oxtails, beef feet or beef neck bones. For this article, we will focus on beef marrow bones. To make a nutritious and delicious beef bone broth, we recommend using beef marrow bones or beef oxtails.
