Slow Cooker Chicken Feet Soup: A Nutrient-Rich Elixir for Your Health
Discover the ancient secret to a deeply flavorful and incredibly nourishing broth with our easy **slow cooker chicken feet soup recipe**. Often overlooked in Western cuisine, chicken feet—also known as chicken paws or phoenix claws—are a treasure trove of natural collagen, offering a cost-effective way to boost your health. Forget expensive supplements; with this recipe, you can create a rich, gelatinous broth that’s packed with benefits for a fraction of the price. If you’re seeking to craft one of the most robust and restorative soups you’ve ever tasted, this **chicken foot soup** is an absolute must-try.
While chicken feet might not be a staple in every kitchen, their culinary potential, especially in soups, is immense. Their unique composition of skin, tendons, and cartilage contributes significantly to a thick, savory broth. For those hesitant about the appearance, rest assured: you can simply prepare the broth and remove the feet before serving. You’ll still be left with an exquisitely rich and collagen-packed base, ready for your favorite soup additions. It’s an effortless way to enjoy a powerhouse of nutrition!
Chef’s Tip: The Power of Gelatin
If you’ve struggled to achieve a beautifully gelatinous bone broth, incorporating collagen-rich chicken feet is your secret weapon! The extended slow cooking extracts an incredible amount of collagen, ensuring your stock will gel easily once cooled. From now on, I’m adding a few chicken feet to every batch of my Instant Pot Bone Broth for that extra boost.
🥣 Essential Ingredients for Your Slow Cooker Chicken Feet Soup
Creating a truly remarkable chicken feet broth in your slow cooker requires just a handful of quality ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need for this nourishing recipe:
- 1½ lbs. chicken feet (approximately 680 grams)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (helps extract minerals from bones)
- 7 cups water (the foundation of your broth)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (for aromatic depth)
- 1 onion, chopped (adds sweetness and savory notes)
- 3 carrots, chopped (earthy flavor and nutrients)
- 3 stalks celery, chopped (classic soup base flavor)
- 2 teaspoons salt (to season and enhance flavors)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (a hint of warmth)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (aromatic herb)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano (Mediterranean notes)
- 1 cup egg noodles (dry, for a comforting texture)
- 12 ounces leftover cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (340 grams, adds more protein and substance)
- Fresh chopped parsley and lemon wedges, for serving (for garnish and bright flavor)
Finding chicken feet can sometimes be a quest! My local supermarkets often don’t stock them, necessitating a special trip to an Asian grocery store or a specialty butcher. Don’t let this deter you—the effort is truly worth the reward.
Fortunately, chicken feet freeze exceptionally well. When you find them, consider buying a larger package or two. Store them in your freezer, and simply defrost them whenever you’re ready to whip up a batch of this fantastic soup. It makes meal planning so much easier!
Beyond the ingredients, you’ll need a few essential kitchen tools: a good sharp knife for chopping vegetables, strong kitchen shears for preparing the chicken feet, and, of course, a large crock pot. Using a slow cooker is, in my opinion, the absolute best method for cooking chicken feet. It provides the long, low-temperature cooking time necessary to fully extract collagen and develop the deepest flavors. Unlike stovetop cooking, which demands more attention, the slow cooker offers a wonderfully hands-off approach, allowing the magic to happen while you go about your day.
➕ Step-by-Step: How to Make Collagen-Rich Chicken Feet Soup
Follow these simple steps to prepare your nourishing **slow cooker chicken feet soup**:
Prepare the Chicken Feet and Start the Broth
To begin, dedicate some time to preparation, ideally the morning before you plan to serve the soup. Most chicken feet purchased from a butcher will already have their tough yellow outer layer peeled. If yours still have this layer, you’ll need to remove it. Next, using sharp kitchen shears, carefully clip the tips of the toes to remove the nails.
Slow Cook for Maximum Flavor
Place the trimmed chicken feet into your slow cooker. Pour in the 7 cups of water, ensuring the feet are submerged. Add the apple cider vinegar; this acidic component helps draw out valuable minerals and collagen from the bones. Stir gently to combine. Cover the crock pot, set it to the “low” setting, and allow it to cook for a full 24 hours. This extended cooking time is crucial for developing a rich, deeply flavored broth and extracting maximum collagen. Shorter cooking times will result in a weaker, less robust broth.
Refine the Broth and Add Vegetables
On the second day, approximately six hours before you plan to enjoy your soup, open the slow cooker and skim off any foam or impurities that may have risen to the surface of the broth. At this stage, you have a choice: you can remove the chicken feet for a smoother soup experience, or leave them in if you don’t mind navigating the small bones. Removing them makes the soup considerably easier to eat, allowing you to focus on the delicious broth and other ingredients.
Continue Cooking with Aromatics and Seasoning
Now, add the minced garlic, chopped onion, carrots, celery, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to your **crock pot chicken feet soup**. These aromatics and herbs will infuse the broth with rich, savory flavors. Stir everything together, cover the slow cooker once more, and continue cooking on the “low” setting for another 6 hours. This slow simmering ensures the vegetables become tender and their flavors fully meld with the broth.
Final Touches and Serving
Finally, it’s time to complete your hearty soup. Add the cooked chicken (chopped or shredded) and the dry egg noodles to the crockpot. Give the soup a good stir to distribute all the ingredients evenly. Cover the pot and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes, or until the egg noodles are tender to your liking. Before serving, enhance the fresh flavors with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a garnish of chopped parsley. Your deeply comforting and nutritious chicken feet soup is now ready to be savored! Enjoy every restorative spoonful.
What do chicken feet taste like?
Chicken feet are unique; they aren’t prized for their meatiness but rather for the gelatinous texture they contribute. They contain many small bones which, while softening significantly during long cooking, are typically not eaten. The edible part is primarily skin, tendons, and cartilage, which become incredibly tender and gelatinous, taking on the rich flavors of the broth and any ingredients they are cooked with. Expect a wonderfully savory, unctuous mouthfeel that makes the broth incredibly satisfying.
Watch How to Make It!
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Chicken Feet Soup Recipe (Slow Cooker)
By Summer Yule
This chicken feet soup recipe is incredibly simple to prepare in your slow cooker, yielding a deeply nourishing and collagen-rich broth.
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Ingredients
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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 combination of protein, fiber, and fluid may help you feel full and satisfied.
I especially enjoy a comforting dish like this when the weather turns cold or when I’m feeling under the weather. What could be better than returning home to a warm, inviting bowl of soup after spending time in the chill? In my humble opinion, it’s a little slice of heaven.
Gluten-Free Chicken Feet Soup
To make this chicken feet soup recipe entirely gluten-free, simply substitute traditional egg noodles with your preferred gluten-free alternative. I personally recommend the brown rice pasta from Jovial for its excellent texture and flavor.
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 provided is an estimate and is offered as a courtesy. It may vary based on the specific brands and ingredients you use. Please note that calorie information on food labels can sometimes be inaccurate, so try not to overly focus on the exact numbers.
“To taste” refers to adjusting ingredients according to your personal preferences, which may require visual assessment to adhere to food safety guidelines. Always ensure food is cooked thoroughly.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 27.7g
Protein: 45.3g
Fat: 3.6g
Saturated Fat: 0.8g
Potassium: 756.5mg
Fiber: 3.2g
Vitamin A: 71% DV
Vitamin C: 11.7% DV
Calcium: 4.4% DV
Iron: 10.7% DV
Keywords
chicken feet soup recipe, chicken feet soup slow cooker, chicken foot soup
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👨🍳 More Ways to Savor Chicken Feet Around the World
While often seen as exotic in some regions, chicken feet are a cherished ingredient in many culinary traditions globally. Their versatility allows them to be transformed into a variety of delicious dishes. Here are just a few examples of how chicken paws are enjoyed:
- Trini Style: Chicken Foot Souse
In Trinidad, a vibrant dish known as “chicken foot souse” is a popular treat. The chicken feet are first boiled until tender in seasoned water, then marinated and mixed with an array of fresh ingredients including crisp peppers, pungent onions, refreshing cucumbers, and a medley of fresh herbs. It’s a tangy and invigorating cold dish. - Chinese Style: Phoenix Claws
Chicken feet hold a prominent place in Chinese cuisine, affectionately called “phoenix claws.” They are served in numerous forms: as a savory snack, a refreshing cold appetizer, a key ingredient in soups, or even as a main course. You’ll frequently find red dates incorporated into traditional Chinese chicken feet soup recipes, adding a touch of sweetness and depth. Convenient packages of pre-cooked chicken feet (often with rice vinegar and chili) are readily available in Chinese supermarkets, making for an accessible snack. - Guyanese Style: “Chicken Foot” Snack
This one is a delightful culinary trick! In Guyana, “chicken foot” refers to a crunchy, savory snack made from spiced flour that’s deep-fried until golden. Interestingly, there are no actual chicken feet in this dish at all! It’s a testament to how culinary names can sometimes be playfully misleading. You can find a Guyanese chicken foot recipe to try it yourself. - Jamaican Chicken Feet Soup
In Jamaica, chicken foot soup is a hearty and comforting meal. It often features a robust broth enriched with ingredients such as green bananas, tender potatoes, starchy yams, and soft dumplings. This version offers a delicious and carb-rich way to enjoy the unique texture and flavor of chicken feet. - Thai Chicken Feet Soup: Tom Yum Teen Gai
Chicken feet are incorporated into a wide assortment of Thai dishes, including flavorful curries. Tom Yum Teen Gai is a celebrated Thai soup that specifically highlights chicken feet, bathing them in the iconic spicy and sour flavors of Tom Yum. - Mexican Chicken Feet Soup: Sopa de Pollo Casera
Traditional Mexican home-style chicken soup, or sopa de pollo casera, often utilizes various parts of the chicken to build a rich broth, including chicken backs, feet, and necks. This ensures every drop is infused with deep chicken flavor and nutritional goodness.
Hopefully, these global culinary insights have inspired you with even more innovative ways to incorporate chicken feet into your cooking repertoire!
👩🍳 Explore More Comforting Soup Recipes
Soup truly embodies the essence of comfort food, especially as the temperatures drop. If you’re on the hunt for more delightful and warming soup recipes to nourish your soul, look no further:
- Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Italian Sausage Soup
- Air Fryer Soup
- Raw Vegan Gazpacho
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
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