This easy duck feet recipe is full of savory and rich flavor! Braised duck feet are a delicacy, and the meat is so flavorful and fall-off-the-bone tender. In this recipe, duck feet are slowly cooked in a braising liquid made with chicken broth and a handful of aromatic ingredients like star anise, garlic, ginger, and oyster sauce. It's a Chinese-style duck recipe that is so delicious served with steamed rice or noodles!
If you love everything duck, also learn how to cook duck bacon on the skillet. So easy!
Quick navigation
Braising is the best way to cook duck feet. It allows them to become ultra tender and the broth is rich and smooth. Because duck feet aren't super flavorful by themselves, it's important to cook them with bold flavors like soy sauce, oyster sauce, star anise, garlic, and ginger. All of these ingredients help to create an incredibly delicious broth with savory and succulent duck meat.
Recipe ingredients
Duck feet. You'll need 1lb of duck feet and depending on the size of the feet this could be 6 - 8 pieces. Because we are cooking with the foot of the bird it's important to make sure they are really clean before cooking, I've included instructions for cleaning and prepping duck feet further down in this post.
Garlic and ginger. These strong flavors really give the braising liquid a Chinese-inspired flavor.
Soy sauce. Adds savory umami flavor.
Oyster sauce. It has a briny seafood taste with a hint of sweetness. It isn't fishy and it adds wonderful flavor to the sauce.
Star anise. This spice has a distinct floral/sweet licorice flavor. You don't need more than 1 because the flavor can be very strong.
Sugar. Enhances the sweetness of the broth a bit more.
Cooking liquid. Use water or chicken stock to make this dish even more delicious.
Green onions or cilantro (optional). Used for garnish and to add a pop of color and freshness to this dish.
Duck feet recipe
To start, give the duck feet a good wash to get rid of any dirt. After they're clean, pop them into boiling water for a couple of minutes. This blanching step helps get rid of any leftover bits you don't want in your meal. Once they've had their quick boil, drain them and put them to the side.
Next, grab a big pot where everything can fit comfortably. In it, mix some water or chicken stock with soy sauce, oyster sauce, a sprinkle of sugar, slices of ginger, a bit of minced garlic, and a star anise or two. Heat this mixture until it starts to bubble gently.
It's time to add the duck feet to your simmering pot. Pour in enough liquid so it covers the feet completely. This helps them cook evenly and soak up all those tasty flavors. Put a lid on the pot and let it simmer on a low flame for around an hour and a half to two hours. You're aiming for the duck feet to get nice and soft, soaking in all the deliciousness from the pot.
Once the time's up, check if the duck feet are as soft as you like. Also, give the broth a taste to see if it needs a bit more seasoning. If you find the sauce too runny for your taste, just take the duck feet out for a moment, crank up the heat, and let the sauce boil down to a thicker consistency. Then, you can pour this richer sauce right back over the duck feet.
For the final touch, sprinkle some chopped green onions or cilantro on top. This adds a fresh burst to the rich, flavorful dish you've cooked up. Now, it's all ready to enjoy.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
How to clean/prep duck feet
Before making any recipe requiring duck feet it's important to properly clean and prep them.
Start by rinsing your duck feet well under cold water to get rid of any noticeable dirt or debris.
Next, blanch the feet in boiling water for 2-3 minutes to remove any impurities. Drain the water then allow them to cool. If you want you can peel off the outer skin.
Lastly, trim away any excess skin or nails using a sharp paring knife.
Substitutions
Duck feet. If you can't find duck feet substitute with chicken feet. You might need an extra foot or two seeing that duck feet are slightly larger and meatier.
Oyster sauce. Fish sauce can give the braising liquid a similar oyster sauce flavor.
Star anise. Use anise seed or Chinese Five Spice powder it contains star anise, fennel seed, cloves, cinnamon, and Szechuan peppercorns.
Variations
Make it a soup by adding chopped carrots, celery, Shiitake mushrooms (or your favorite variety), potatoes, or bok choy to the braising liquid in the last 30 minutes - 1 hour of the cooking time.
Dried cloves, whole cinnamon sticks, or dried chili flakes can be added to the broth for added flavor and spice.
Leftovers and reheating
Store cooked duck feet in the fridge, preferably in the air tight container. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, duck feet will make an excellent duck broth. You can use them with other duck bones or add them to soups/ stews because they add immense flavor and gelatin to your homemade broth or soup.
Yes, once the meat on the foot is tender, the bones and cartilage will be softer and easier to eat. They can also be easily removed at this point if you prefer!
Chicken feet are smaller and have less meat on them. Duck feet are larger and webbed. They also have more cartilage and meat on them. Both types of bird feet make excellent broths, but duck feet have more gelatin in them which makes the broth richer and smoother tasting.
Look for duck feet in your local butcher shops, online duck farms, or your local Asian markets or grocery stores.
You may also like
- Duck tongue recipe
- Duck gizzard recipe
- Turkey liver pate
- Lamb kidney recipe
- Pig feet recipe
- Pork tongue in pressure cooker
Hope you will like this duck feet recipe as much as we do. Please rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Recipe
Duck Feet Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Duck Feet
- 2 slices Ginger
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 2-3 cups Water or Chicken Stock
- Green onions or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Make sure the duck feet are cleaned properly. Blanch them in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes to remove any impurities. Drain and set aside.
- In a suitable pot, combine water or chicken stock with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, ginger slices, minced garlic, and star anise. Bring this mixture to a simmer.
- Add the blanched duck feet to the pot. The liquid should cover the feet. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the feet are tender to your liking.
- Once the duck feet are tender, check the seasoning of the liquid and adjust if necessary. For a thicker sauce, you can remove the duck feet and reduce the sauce over higher heat before pouring it over the feet. Garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro before serving.
Leave a Reply