This golden chicken feet bone broth is one of the most nourishing broths you can make. It turns out thick, gelatinous, and packed with collagen, minerals, and nutrients. Thanks to the Instant Pot, it comes together in just an afternoon, giving you a healing base you can sip on its own or use in soups, stews, sauces, and countless recipes.
Disclosure: as an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Read my full Disclosure and Policy here.
Even though I’ve been deep into my nose-to-tail eating journey for a while, and I’ve been making a batch of bone broth pretty much every week, I only recently got my hands on some chicken feet. I couldn’t be more excited to finally try making chicken feet bone broth! Rich in collagen, glycine, and minerals, this recipe comes at the perfect time for cold and flu season.
It’s wonderful sipped warm when you’re feeling under the weather, or used as a nourishing base for soups, stews, rice, and even hot cocoa. Super gelatinous and incredibly healing, this broth is well worth getting over any hesitation you might have about cooking with chicken feet.
Benefits Of Chicken Feet Bone Broth
Chicken feet may not look very appetizing, but they’re mostly made of skin, tendons, cartilage, and bones, all parts that are very rich in collagen. That’s why chicken feet make the most gelatinous bone broth: the collagen is broken down during cooking, turning into gelatin, which sets once chilled. Gelatin has amazing benefits for gut health, skin, joints, bones, and overall wellness.
If you want to read more about collagen, gelatin, and their many health benefits, head over to this post.
Beyond collagen, chicken feet are also full of minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, plus amino acids like glycine, which are known to support sleep, digestion, and healing.
Being rich in protein and essential nutrients, chicken feet bone broth is a great food to keep on hand and makes the perfect base for nourishing soups, stews, and countless recipes. Bone broth is very affordable and can help stretch your groceries while fueling your family with a traditional, nutrient-dense food.
Sourcing and Preparing Chicken Feet
Chicken feet may be easy to find or quite tricky, depending on where you live. Personally, I’ve had a hard time sourcing them locally, but if people in your area buy chicken feet often, you may have better luck.
The best way to find chicken feet is to ask your local butcher or farmers who sell pastured chicken. They may save them for you, often at very reasonable prices. Asian grocery stores are another great place to look, since chicken feet are a common delicacy in many Asian cuisines. Sometimes even mainstream grocery stores and Costco carry them, so always check the less common cuts of meat section.
Whenever possible, choose organic or pasture-raised chicken feet, since toxins and chemicals can concentrate in connective tissues like skin and cartilage.
If you raise your own meat chickens, don’t discard the feet! Simply clean and save them. They’ll be even fresher (and cheaper) than store-bought.
Most store-bought chicken feet come pre-cleaned and ready to use. If you’re working with your own, scrub them well to remove any dirt, then blanch them and peel off the outer skin.
Some people like to trim the toenails or blanch store-bought feet just in case, but if they already look clean, a quick rinse is usually enough before popping them into your pot.
How to Use Chicken Feet Bone Broth
Chicken feet bone broth has a mild flavor and is incredibly versatile. Sip it warm with a pinch of salt or ginger for a soothing, healing drink. It even makes a great base for bone broth hot cocoa!
Use it as a base for soups, to cook rice or noodles, or in place of bone broth, stock, or water in recipes like stews, braised meats, vegetables, sauces, and gravies.
You can head over to my simple Instant Pot bone broth recipe for more ideas and recipes and to read more about the benefits on bone broth.
Chicken Feet Bone Broth FAQs
Do I need to trim the toenails before making broth?
It’s optional. Some people trim them for presentation or cleanliness, but if you bought pre-cleaned feet, you can skip it. The nails don’t affect the flavor or nutrition, and you’ll discard the feet after cooking anyway.
Should I blanch or pre-boil chicken feet before using them?
Traditional recipes often call for blanching to remove impurities. If you’re using your own butchered feet, it’s recommended. For store-bought feet, you can usually skip this step.
How long should I cook chicken feet broth in the Instant Pot?
At least 2 hours to extract collagen. I usually cook mine for 4–5 hours for the richest, most gelatinous broth.
Can I reuse the chicken feet for a second batch?
Not really. After pressure cooking for hours, the feet have released nearly all their collagen and nutrients.
What do I do with the chicken feet after making broth?
After long cooking, the feet will be mushy and unappetizing. Compost them, or if very soft, feed them to pets or backyard animals
How does chicken feet bone broth taste like?
Similar to traditional bone broth, but milder. It’s excellent for sipping and works well in neutral recipes. I especially like using it as a base for hot chocolate!
Why is chicken feet broth so gelatinous?
Chicken feet are packed with collagen from bones, tendons, ligaments, and skin. During cooking, this turns into gelatin, which is why the broth sets like Jell-O in the fridge, a sign of a nourishing, protein-rich broth. Learn more about collagen and gelatin and their benefits here.
Can I mix chicken feet with other bones?
Absolutely! Combine them with chicken carcasses, wings, necks, or even beef, pork, or lamb bones for a broth that’s extra gelatinous, flavorful, and rich.
What else can I do with chicken feet?
In many Asian cuisines, chicken feet are enjoyed in soups, stews, or fried as a delicacy. While they don’t have much meat, they’re full of collagen that enriches dishes with flavor and texture. Some people also dehydrate them into natural, protein-rich dog treats.
Ingredient For THis Chicken Feet Bone Broth
Chicken feet. The star of this recipe. Store-bought, from a local farm, or directly from your backyard chickens, all will do. Clean them well and blanch them before using if necessary.
Filtered water. Use enough to fill the pot, and avoid chlorinated water for the best taste and health benefits.
Apple cider vinegar (optional). Helps breaking down and releasing collagen and minerals into the broth. If you don’t have any, you can skip.
Aromatics and seasoning (optional). If you wish, you can add vegetables or even scraps, herbs, and salt. Onion, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorn are a classic and add flavor to the broth. I personally prefer to leave my broth plain so that is more versatile and I can add flavors and seasoning when using in recipes to keep the flavors more fragrant.
Tools You May Need
Instant Pot (you can also use a large pot or slow cooker, see notes for cooking instructions).
How To Make This Chicken Feet Bone Broth
Step 1: Prepare the chicken feet. If needed, wash them thoroughly under cool water until clean. To blanch, place the feet in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes, then discard the water. If your chicken feet already look clean, a quick rinse under cool water is enough.
Step 2: Place the chicken feet into the Instant Pot. Add herbs and vegetables if you’d like.
Step 3: Fill the pot with cool, filtered water up to the “max” line. Add in two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
Step 4: Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 4 hours. (It will take 30–45 minutes to come up to pressure.)
Step 5: When the cooking cycle is finished, allow the pressure to release naturally (this usually takes 20–30 minutes). Open the lid carefully.
Step 6: Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or directly into jars. Discard the chicken feet. Let the broth cool for a few minutes before transferring it to the fridge. As it cools, the broth will set into a beautiful gelatin, and the fat will rise to the top, forming a thin layer you can skim off easily if you wish.
Notes
If you’re short on time you can cook for 2–3 hours instead of 4. The broth will be less gelatinous and lighter in flavor but still nourishing.
Store the broth in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze in freezer-safe containers (leaving headspace) for up to 6 months.
You can add other bones or cartilage-rich pieces along with the chicken feet if you don’t have enough chicken feet.
Herbs, vegetable scraps, or a bit of salt can be added for flavor, though I prefer to keep mine plain. With such a long cook time, I find it best to add fresh herbs and veggies later when using the broth in recipes to keep them fragrant.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can still make chicken feet broth on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Simply place the feet, water, and vinegar in a large stockpot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer (or just turn on the slow cooker with the lid on). Let it cook low and slow for 12–24 hours. The longer it simmers, the richer, more flavorful, and more gelatinous your broth will be.
If you try this chicken feet bone broth recipe, I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a comment and let me know if you liked it and how you used it. Don’t forget to leave me a 5-star review if you loved this recipe.
Pin It For Later
Related Posts
The Benefits of Eating Collagen and Gelatin
Why your Gut Health is Important and How to Improve it Naturally
Nose to Tail Eating: Benefits and Recipes
Organ Meats: List, Health Benefits, and Recipes
Nutrient Dense Animal Foods for Pregnancy
More Collagen-Rich and Gut-Healthy Recipes
Healthy Bone Broth Hot Cocoa Recipe
How to Make Jello with Beef Gelatin (and 4 Recipes)
Strawberry Jello with Beef Gelatin
Pear and Ginger Jello with Beef Gelatin
Fermented Carrots and Ginger Two-Way Recipe
How to Make Lacto-Fermented Onions
Fermented Coleslaw: Easy and Delicious Gut-Healthy Recipe
Carrot Tops Soup with Bone Broth and Ginger
Printable Recipe Card
The Most Gelatinous Chicken Feet Bone Broth in The Instant Pot
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken feet cleaned
- Filtered water enough to fill the pot
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar optional
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken feet. If needed, wash them thoroughly under cool water until clean. To blanch, place the feet in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes, then discard the water. If your chicken feet already look clean, a quick rinse under cool water is enough.
- Place the chicken feet into the Instant Pot. Add herbs and vegetables if you’d like.
- Fill the pot with cool, filtered water up to the “max” line. Add in two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 4 hours. (It will take 30–45 minutes to come up to pressure.)
- When the cooking cycle is finished, allow the pressure to release naturally (this usually takes 20–30 minutes).
- Carefully open the lid and strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or directly into jars. Discard the chicken feet. Let the broth cool for a few minutes before transferring it to the fridge. As it cools, the broth will set into a beautiful gelatin, and the fat will rise to the top, forming a thin layer you can skim off easily if you wish.
