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My chicken feet soup recipe is so simple to make in the slow cooker! Chicken feet (AKA chicken paws or phoenix claws) make a collagen-rich broth and typically only cost only $1-3 per pound. Some people spend big bucks on collagen supplements and powders, but you can save money with this recipe instead! If you want to make yourself one of the richest and most flavorful broths ever, do not miss out on this chicken foot soup recipe.
Though chicken feet are not a typical part of U.S. cuisine, they are a delicious addition to soups. And if you just can’t bear to face the feet, no worries. Simply make the broth and remove the feet. You’ll still have a delicious and collagen-rich broth to add the rest of the soup ingredients to. Easy!
🥣 Chicken Feet Soup Ingredients
Here’s what I use to make a simple chicken feet broth in the crock pot:
- 1½ lbs. chicken feet (680 grams)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 7 cups water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup egg noodles (dry)
- 12 ounces leftover cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
- Fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges, for serving
Get a printable recipe card below!
My local supermarkets don’t usually have chicken feet. I have to make a special trip to an grocery store that specialized in East Asian foods each time I want this ingredient.
Thankfully, chicken feet freeze well. So, buy a package (or two), put them in the freezer, and defrost them when you need them. Easy peasy.
You’ll also need a good knife, sharp kitchen shears, and a large crock pot to make this recipe. Using your crock pot is the best way to cook chicken feet, IMHO. The chicken feet get that long, low temperature cooking time that they need to be their best. Unlike cooking on the stovetop, the process is pretty hands off for you.
Chef’s Tip
If you’ve never had success making a bone broth that gels, try throwing some collagen-rich chicken feet into the batch! The stock should gel quite easily after it has cooled. I can tell you that I’m adding a few chicken feet to each batch of my Instant Pot Bone Broth from now on.
➕ How to Make Chicken Feet Soup
Here’s how to cook chicken feet soup:
First up, we need to do some prep to make chicken feet broth. Make sure to start this recipe in the morning the day before you want soup.
Most of the time, the yellow outer layer of the feet has been peeled by the butcher. If this has not been done, you will need to do this. Next, clip the tips of the toes off of the chicken feet to remove the nails with a sharp set of kitchen shears.
Put the trimmed chicken feet in your slow cooker and cover with water. Add the apple cider vinegar and give it a stir. Now cover the crock pot, put it on low, and let it cook for a full 24 hours for full flavor. (Short cooking times make weak broth.)
The next day, about six hours before you want soup, skim off any foam that formed on top of the broth. At this point, you can choose to take the chicken feet out or leave them in. Taking the chicken feet out makes the soup much easier to eat, with no need to fuss with little bones, but it’s up to you.
Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper to the crock pot chicken feet soup. Cover the slow cooker again and cook for 6 hours on low.
Now add the cooked chicken and dry egg noodles to the crockpot, and give the soup a stir. Cover the pot and cook on low for 30 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Then add a squeeze of fresh lemon, garnish with parsley, and serve. I hope you enjoy it!
What do chicken feet taste like?
Chicken feet are not meaty and they have a ton of little bones. The bones soften up considerably after the extended slow cooking, but they are not really meant to be eaten. The edible part of the feet is rather gelatinous and takes on the flavor of whatever it was cooked with.
Watch How to Make It!
Chicken Feet Soup Recipe (Slow Cooker)
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. chicken feet (680 grams)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 7 cups water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 medium ribs of celery, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup egg noodles (dry)
- 12 ounces leftover cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (340 grams)
- fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- First up, we need to do some prep to make chicken feet broth. Make sure to start this recipe in the morning the day before you want soup. Most of the time, the yellow outer layer of the feet has been peeled by the butcher. If this has not been done, you will need to do this. Next, clip the tips of the toes off of the chicken feet to remove the nails with a sharp set of kitchen shears.
- Put the trimmed chicken feet in your slow cooker and cover with water. Add the apple cider vinegar and give it a stir. Now cover the crock pot, put it on low, and let it cook for a full 24 hours for full flavor. (Short cooking times make weak broth.)
- The next day, about six hours before you want soup, skim off any foam that formed on top of the broth. At this point, you can choose to take the chicken feet out or leave them in. Taking the chicken feet out makes the soup much easier to eat, but it’s up to you.
- Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper to the crock pot chicken feet soup. Cover the slow cooker again and cook for 6 hours on low.
- Now add the cooked chicken and dry egg noodles to the crockpot, and give the soup a stir. Cover the pot and cook on low for 30 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Then add a squeeze of fresh lemon, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Equipment
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). In general, broth-based soups are a great option to support weight loss. The high-volume, low-calorie combo of protein, fiber, and fluid may help to keep you full. I especially enjoy a comforting dish like this when it is cold out or when I’m sick. What’s better than coming home to a warm bowl of soup after spending time in the cold? IMVHO, it’s a little piece of heaven.Gluten Free Chicken Feet Soup
To make a recipe for chicken feet soup that is gluten free, simply use your favorite gluten free noodles. I like the brown rice pasta made by Jovial. Nutrition information is for one serving of the recipe.
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
👨🍳 More Ways to Cook Chicken Feet
Though chicken feet aren’t extremely popular in America, they are enjoyed in many other parts of the world. Here are some examples of how chicken paws are prepared around the globe:
- Trini style: In Trinidad, you can find a dish called “chicken foot souse.” The chicken feet are boiled in seasoned water and then mixed with peppers, onions, cucumbers, and fresh herbs.
- Chinese style: Chicken feet are a popular part of Chinese cuisine. In China, you can find phoenix claws served as a snack, a cold dish, soup, or a main dish. I often see red dates used in Chinese chicken feet soup recipes. Packages of chicken feet (with rice vinegar and chili) are sold in Chinese supermarkets as a convenient snack!
- Guyanese style: This one is tricky! In Guyana, “chicken foot” refers to a crunchy snack of spiced flour that was fried in oil. There are no actual chicken feet in the dish at all (Guyanese chicken foot recipe).
- Jamaican chicken feet soup: In Jamaica, chicken foot soup often contains ingredients such as green bananas, potatoes, yams, and dumplings. It’s a delicious and carb-rich way to enjoy your chicken feet.
- Thai chicken feet soup: Chicken feet can be found in an assortment of dishes in Thailand, including curries. Tom Yum Teen Gai is a popular soup from Thailand that uses chicken feet.
- Mexican chicken feet soup: This sopa de pollo casera recipe chicken backs, feet, and necks.
I hope this gave you a few more ideas for what to do with chicken feet.
👩🍳 More Soup Recipes
Soup is pretty much the quintessential cold weather comfort food! If you’re searching for more recipes for soup, look no further:
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Hello! I’m Summer, a registered dietitian and home chef who loves to cook, eat, and create recipes for you! Every recipe on this site has been tested by me to help ensure your success in the kitchen. All eaters are welcome here 🙂
I’m from Trinidad. Here it’s more common to leave the feet in, but there are some folks who still prefer to remove them. In my Instant Pot I like to saute a diced onion with grated garlic, throw in some curry powder and let that cook for a few minutes. Then I’ll throw in a pack of chicken feet (already cleaned and toes removed) for another few minutes and follow that with a couple cups of washed yellow split peas that I pre-soaked for a couple hours. Cover it all with water, add a couple Maggi bouillon cubes, some salt and a whole habanero pepper and use the Soup function on the Instant Pot that cooks it for about 70 minutes. Pure heaven.
Hi Devon, Thank you so much for all of this information! It completely fills my dietitian heart with joy to learn more about how foods enjoyed in other parts of the world 🙂 This sounds so wonderful; I’ll be sure to make your version the next time I buy chicken feet. I love that you’re using an Instant Pot to save time too! Summer
Wow, Summer! As you probably know, I’m a chicken..eh…enthusiast, but I never have tried the feet before.
Not due to any reticence on my part (well, not much, at least) but where do I find them? Maybe the poultry monger on the other side of town?
Your colorful, vibrant creation is a thrill for all the senses. In fact, I can smell it now, right through the monitor. Divine!
Thanks for lifting a page from the Chinese cookbook an making it your own!
Thank you! Do you have grocery stores that specialize in East Asian foods local to you? I’ve heard that chicken feet are not unfamiliar in the Caribbean and South Africa as well. Basically, the stores that have a lot of fresh international foods should have these!
I could tell you several places to go if you lived in my area. None of my suggestions would be regular major chain supermarkets, however. This one takes a little hunting down but I think that is part of the fun 😀
Actually, there is an East Asian market in town – thanks for the tip!