Know2eat

Chicken feet

Gallus gallus domesticus

What chicken feet has been studied for

2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 2 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About chicken feet

Skin, tendon, cartilage and small bones with almost no muscle, eaten braised or deep-fried in Chinese, Korean, Caribbean and South African cooking and used to give body to stock. The USDA entry named here is the boiled foot.

Also known as Phoenix claws, Feng zhua, Patas de pollo

Joint HealthSkin Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Joint comfort

Joint Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for chicken feet affecting joints. Trials in this area use standardised collagen peptides or undenatured type II collagen at controlled doses, report small effects, and cannot be transferred to a braised foot whose collagen content and digestion are entirely uncharacterised.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Skin structure and hydration

Skin Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for collagen-rich foods affecting skin. The trials behind the popular claim use hydrolysed collagen supplements, are mostly short and industry-funded, and no study has used a whole collagen-rich food such as this one.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Chicken feet

Ask about Chicken feet

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories215 kcal11%
Protein19.4 g39%
Total fat14.6 g19%
Carbohydrate0.2 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water65.8 g—
Fats
Saturated fat3.92 g20%
Monounsaturated fat5.5 g—
Polyunsaturated fat2.98 g—
Cholesterol84 mg28%
EPA (omega-3)0.014 g—
DHA (omega-3)0.043 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.022 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)2.57 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A30 µg3%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0.2 µg1%
Vitamin E0.27 mg2%
Vitamin K0.2 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.06 mg5%
Riboflavin (B2)0.2 mg15%
Niacin (B3)0.4 mg3%
Vitamin B60.01 mg1%
Folate86 µg22%
Vitamin B120.47 µg20%
Choline13.3 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium88 mg7%
Iron0.91 mg5%
Magnesium5 mg1%
Phosphorus83 mg7%
Potassium31 mg1%
Sodium67 mg3%
Zinc0.69 mg6%
Copper0.102 mg11%
Selenium3.6 µg7%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Chicken, feet, boiled (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171119).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • boiledIncreases gelatin in the cooking liquid

    Long simmering converts collagen in skin and tendon into gelatin, which is why stock made with feet sets on cooling. This is a physical change in the protein rather than an increase in how much protein is present.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Small bones and choking

    Chicken feet are eaten around a large number of small, sharp bones. They are not a suitable food for young children, and the bones are the reason the dish is eaten slowly and by hand.

  • Too much

    Sodium in the usual preparations

    Dim sum phoenix claws are deep-fried then braised in a heavily seasoned black bean and soy sauce, and Korean and Caribbean versions are similarly salty. The sodium comes from the braise rather than from the food named in the USDA entry.

  • Worth knowing

    Protein quality of collagen

    Almost all the protein here is collagen and gelatin, which are incomplete: tryptophan is essentially absent and several other essential amino acids are low. Collagen protein counts towards total protein on a label but does not substitute for muscle protein in the diet.

  • Allergy

    Chicken meat allergy

    Uncommon, and sometimes linked to egg or bird-feather sensitisation.