A Traditional Ingredient for Rich Homemade Broth
Chicken feet have long been used in traditional kitchens to add body, richness and natural gelatin to homemade broth, stock and slow simmered dishes while making use of more of the whole bird.
Rich in Connective Tissue
Skin, cartilage and connective tissue help create the rich, gelatinous texture prized in traditional homemade broth.
Traditional Kitchen Staple
Chicken feet have been used for generations in broths, soups and braised dishes across many food cultures.
Ideal for Broth
Add them to bones, vegetables and herbs during a slow simmer to give homemade chicken stock additional body and richness.
Whole Bird Cooking
Using feet continues the traditional practice of making use of more of the animal rather than discarding valuable parts.
Learn More About Chicken Feet
Why Chicken Feet Make Such Rich Broth
Chicken feet contain a large amount of skin, cartilage and connective tissue. During slow cooking, these tissues help give broth its characteristic body and gelatinous texture.
When a well made broth firms or becomes jelly like after refrigeration, that texture comes from gelatin released during the cooking process.
How to Use Chicken Feet for Broth
Chicken feet can be used alone or combined with chicken bones and a carcass when making homemade stock.
- Place the chicken feet in a stockpot or slow cooker.
- Add bones or a chicken carcass if desired.
- Cover with water.
- Add onions, carrots, celery, herbs or other preferred aromatics.
- Simmer gently until the broth develops the flavor and body you prefer.
- Strain and refrigerate or freeze the finished broth.
Traditional Uses Around the World
Chicken feet are not only a broth ingredient. They are used in traditional dishes throughout parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and other regions.
Depending on the cuisine, they may be slowly braised, simmered in soups, seasoned with spices or cooked in flavorful sauces. Their texture and ability to absorb seasoning make them very different from familiar boneless cuts of chicken.
A Traditional Approach to Whole Animal Cooking
For generations, practical home cooking meant finding a use for as much of the animal as possible. Bones, feet, hearts, livers and other less familiar cuts all had a place in the kitchen.
Chicken feet are a simple example of that philosophy. Rather than becoming waste, they can help create flavorful broth, stock and traditional meals from a part of the bird that is often overlooked today.
Chicken Feet for Pets
Chicken feet are also used by some pet owners as part of whole food feeding approaches or as specially prepared treats.
Preparation and feeding needs vary by animal. Because poultry bones and raw animal products require appropriate handling, follow the guidance of your veterinarian or qualified animal nutrition professional when deciding whether chicken feet are appropriate for your pet.
Storage & Handling
Keep chicken feet refrigerated or frozen according to the package instructions. Thaw frozen chicken feet in the refrigerator and follow normal food safety practices when handling raw poultry.
Keep the product cold until you are ready to prepare it.
Windy Meadows Family Farm
What began in 2001 as one family's desire to enjoy truly good chicken again grew into something much bigger.
Mike and Connie Hale built Windy Meadows alongside their eight children on 42 acres in East Texas. Over the years, many of those children have returned to the farm as adults, helping care for the birds, manage processing, serve customers, and carry the family's work into the next generation.
Their chickens are moved to fresh pasture every day, giving them new ground to forage while receiving carefully sourced non GMO feed. Processing takes place right on the farm in their USDA inspected facility, allowing the Hale family to remain closely involved from pasture to finished product.
For us, Windy Meadows represents what local food is supposed to feel like: a real family, deeply connected to their land and taking responsibility for the food they raise for other families.
See Windy Meadows in Action
Take a closer look at the farm and see how their chickens are raised on pasture in East Texas.