Spicy Chicken Feet is a classic late-night street food. The chicken feet are braised until tender and fall-off-the-bone, coated in a glossy, spicy red sauce. A long braising time followed by a good soak makes them sweet and spicy, incredibly addictive. Perfect with a cold beer or as a binge-watching snack.
🌴 Ingredients:
· 500g chicken feet (uniform in size and pale in color)
🌴 Aromatics:
· 1 large piece of ginger (about 15g, sliced)
· 1 section of scallion (cut into sections)
· 1 whole head of garlic (peeled and smashed)
· 8-10 dried red chilies (cut into segments, for heat)
· A small pinch of Sichuan peppercorns
· 2 star anise
· 1 small piece of cinnamon stick
· 2 bay leaves
🌴 Seasonings:
· 1 tbsp Doubanjiang (Pixian broad bean paste, about 15g, for the red oil and savory flavor)
· 3 tbsp light soy sauce (about 45ml)
· 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (about 15ml, for color)
· 1 tbsp oyster sauce (about 15g)
· 2 tbsp cooking wine (about 30ml)
· 1 tbsp sugar (about 15g, to enhance flavor)
· 1 can of beer (about 330ml, removes odor and adds aroma; can substitute with hot water)
· A pinch of white pepper powder
· Salt, to taste
· Cooking oil, as needed
🌴 Instructions:
- Prepare the Chicken Feet
Trim the nails and wash the chicken feet. Blanch in cold water with ginger slices and 2 tbsp (30ml) cooking wine. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove and rinse with warm water. ⚠️ Note: Starting with cold water removes the blood and odor. Rinse with warm water to keep them from smelling fishy. - Sauté the Aromatics
Heat oil in a pan. Add the ginger slices, scallion sections, garlic, dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, and bay leaves, and stir-fry over low heat until fragrant. Add 1 tbsp (15g) of Doubanjiang and stir-fry over low heat until the oil turns red. ⚠️ Note: Don’t burn the spices or Doubanjiang; just cook until fragrant and the oil turns red. I’ve tried cooking the Doubanjiang over high heat before, and it turned bitter and ruined the dish. - Stir-fry the Chicken Feet
Add the blanched chicken feet to the pan and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes to coat them in the red oil. Add 3 tbsp (45ml) light soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15g) oyster sauce, and 1 tbsp (15g) sugar. Stir-fry to coat evenly. ⚠️ Note: Stir-frying until the surface is slightly charred makes them more fragrant when braised. - Braise
Pour in enough beer (or hot water) to cover the chicken feet. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 40-50 minutes until tender and fall-off-the-bone. ⚠️ Note: Add enough liquid at once. If you must add more, use hot water. Add the salt during the braising process so the flavor penetrates the bones. - Soak for Flavor
Turn off the heat and let the chicken feet soak in the broth for at least 30 minutes (overnight is even better) to absorb the flavors. ⚠️ Note: Soaking is the key to deep flavor—don’t skip this step. - Reduce the Sauce
Turn the heat back to high to reduce the sauce, stirring constantly until it thickens and coats the chicken feet. Sprinkle with white pepper. ⚠️ Note: Don’t walk away during this step; the sauce burns easily. - Serve
Turn off the heat and plate the dish. Serve hot. The chicken feet are tender and fall-off-the-bone, spicy, and deeply flavorful.
💡 More Delicious Recipes:
If you enjoy this spicy and savory snack, you should also try my [Soy Sauce Chicken Feet] for a classic Cantonese dim sum flavor, or my [Sichuan Spicy Enoki Mushrooms] for a refreshing, numbing appetizer.
Want to explore more easy-to-make dishes? Check out my full [Cold Dishes & Appetizers] or [Home-style Dishes] category!
💡 Tips:
Always blanch the chicken feet in cold water and rinse with warm water to remove odors. Stir-frying the Doubanjiang until the oil turns red gives a richer flavor. Add enough liquid at once when braising and use hot water if you need to add more. Add salt during braising so the flavor reaches the bone. Let them soak after cooking for double the flavor. Stir constantly when reducing the sauce for a glossy finish.
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