This is a very good addition to your chicken feet menus. A tasty and crispy chicken feet outside but tender inside. Not only that, it is also very easy to cook this dish so I’m sure if tried to cook this and tasted it, you will cook it again on your next meal! This dish is great as a viand as well as “pulutan” if you are planning to have a drinking spree and you are out of ideas to serve it.
A Delicious Crunch To Share with Everyone on Every Occasion
We would never have been afraid to experiment in the kitchen, especially when we were growing up – and especially when dealing with dishes that most other cultures consider a little bit off the beaten path. My favorite uncle, Tito Boy, was sure-fire magic when he found something so ordinary and turned it into something memorable. I recall seeing him in the kitchen, whipping up all different kinds of dishes as he reminisced about his boyhood days in Pampanga. But nothing was more memorable than the days he would prepare crispy chicken feet. It was not just the taste, but how it brought all of them together around the dinner table.
Crispy chicken feet reminded me of those happy memories when I really enjoyed that crispy fried chicken feet. From outside, it’s crispy, but tender from inside. This viand will surely be a delight for the palate, especially if what you’re looking for is something unique, whether a viand or pulutan for your gathering. The good thing about this recipe is that it’s very easy to make, and anyone can prepare it, even a beginner.
The Secret to Tender and Crispy Chicken Feet
There is this trick to achieving that perfect texture-crunchy skin with soft interior, almost melt-in-your mouth. I learned this from my cousin, Ate Liza, who spent some time in Iloilo where she picked up several tips from local cooks there. First, boil the chicken feet. Thereafter, boil it with aromatics like lemongrass and ginger, which will infuse flavor onto the meat and help soften it so that when fried later, it should surely come out crisp and not tough.
I distinctly remember the first time Ate Liza made this for us after her trip. According to her, down in Iloilo, they rather loved using lemongrass because it was refreshing in its fragrance that would cut through the grease of the crispy fried skin. And she wasn’t wrong, as it somehow adds depth to the flavor of the dish that elevates it from being just another fried snack to something truly special.
Why Chicken Feet?
Some may ask, why chicken feet? For most of us, it’s a unique part in Filipino cuisine, rather speaking to the resourcefulness that we possess. We maximize every single one of our chicken parts. Then it gets a little deeper than that. Chicken feet are said to be rich in collagen, which many believe benefits your skin, joints, and even digestion. To the Filipino palate, fried chicken feet may taste quite nice and crispy but retain that gelatinous quality many Filipinos are so fond of. Grilled or stewed chicken feet are found often in street food stalls in the Philippines, but frying it takes it to a whole new level.
As he prepared this dish, he would always serve it with a spiced vinegar dipping sauce. The tang and the spice were needed to cut through the richness that is inherent in frying the feet. He would remind us that what’s important is that there is no such thing as an “unused chicken part”: “Walang tapon sa manok.”
The Batter
The breading is what makes the dish crunchy. This recipe mixes flour, vinegar, baking powder and a few seasonings to make a light, crispy coat. My sister, Joy, always says it is a secret to the batter – the vinegar, which adds only the slightest tang but helps the batter stick well to the skin for a crunchier bite. Whenever she goes back up from Cebu, where she has been based for the past ten years, she always brings some of her cookings’ twists along with her: this batter recipe is one such version.
Mix the batter until it becomes smooth. Over a lumpy one, it may end up unevenly cooked. It should stick on well to the chicken, yet not too heavy as to overpower the texture of the skin.
Frying for Golden Perfection
Spraying that glorious batter all over your chicken feet only makes up for half of it. The critical point is now in the frying time. You should heat it up so that, when you touch it to that oil, it sizzles well; I don’t get it hot enough that, however fast you drop it into the pan, it burns before it can crisp up. Fry in small batches, and I never fry more than five at a time. It lets the oil temperature remain constant, so everything fries up nice and golden and crunchy.
It’s almost as if one is a witness to magic being created in the kitchen—you know, how so humble something can become something so desirable given the perfect technique. Fry the bites of mozzarella, place them on a paper towel, allow excess oil to drain, and trust me, the smell alone will make it hard to wait until they are cool enough to eat!
A Historical Meal
Maybe strange to others, but chicken feet are one favorite food for the generations of Filipinos. It was originally from Chinese cuisine and is also a staple in Chinese dim sum, called “phoenix claws.” In the Philippines, the introduction of Chinese influences through trade and cultural exchange was adopted and localized by the people, which, nowadays, can be grilled, stewed, or fried in homes or street stalls.
Really, crispy chicken feet reminds me of how my family was very inventive in the kitchen. We took something so simple and transformed it into a meal worth remembering. We could have it as viand for lunch or pulutan when we were gathered for a night of storytelling and laughter. Well, crispy chicken feet was more than just a snack-it was a way of bonding people.
Serve It Right
No fried dish is ever complete with that perfect dipping sauce. And I like to serve crispy chicken feet, doused in sweet chili sauce or spiced vinegar, like Tito Boy always does. Each bite guaranteed to explode with flavor, from the tanginess cut by the crunch on the outside. And be you a nascent cook or one who has been cooking for years, this recipe is sure to keep company more than once.
The next time you are looking for something different to serve at a party or just want to try your hand at a Filipino classic, do give this recipe for crispy chicken feet a go. Trust me-it’s the kind of dish that leaves an impression.
How to Cook Crispy Fried Chicken Feet:
Ingredients
- 1 kilo chicken feet washed and cleaned, nails trimmed
- 2 stalks lemon grass pounded and sliced
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cracked black peppercorns
- 1 thumb sized ginger sliced
- 1 pc Knorr chicken cube
- 7 cups water for boiling
For the batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp. vinegar
- 3 tsp. cooking oil
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
- 1 tsp. fine salt
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 and 3/4 cup water
Instructions
How to Cook Crispy Fried Chicken Feet:
- Put water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add in salt, lemongrass, peppercorns, ginger, chicken cube and chicken feet.
- Simmer the chicken feet for 30 to 45 minutes or until tender. Turn off heat and remove from the liquid and put in a bowl. Set aside.
- Make the batter by combining the batter ingredients: flour, vinegar, cooking oil, baking powder, pepper, salt and water.
- Mix until it becomes smooth and the lumps disappear. Put 4 to 5 pieces of chicken feet in the batter and dip until well coated.
- Heat oil in a wok or frying pan about 3 cups. Then put the battered chicken feet and fry until crispy and golden brown. Do the same procedure on the rest of the chicken feet.
- Then put the fried chicken feet in a paper towel lined plate. Serve with sweet chili sauce or spiced vinegar dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
Cooking Tips:
Boil For Tenderness
Dip the chicken feet in water and boil with ginger and lemongrass for 30 to 45 minutes. That makes the feet softer while absorbing the subtlest flavors from the aromatics. A missing step like this would make the skin of the chicken feet be tough and chewy, hence not crispy after frying.Soak in Vinegar for Extra Crispiness
Adding vinegar is not just flavor but a texture to achieving a crispier coating. Acid in vinegar reacts with baking powder, creating those air pockets which make the skin light and crunchy. Blend the batter until smooth not containing lumps for you don't want those bumps affecting your texture.Fry in Small Batches
The chicken feet should be fried without overcrowding the pan; otherwise, the temperature of the oil will break. As a consequence, they will be fried in batches so that they can cook evenly and have a perfect golden-brown and crispy outside. Otherwise, they are soggy and soaked up much oil.
