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Chicken Feet

Meat

Age Suggestion

6 months

Iron-Rich

Common Allergen

a photograph of two raw, clean chicken feet ready to be cooked on a white background

When can babies have chicken feet?

Chicken feet, when well-cooked and prepared for baby's age and eating ability, may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.

Chicken feet are a popular food around the world. All parts of the foot except the bones and nails are commonly eaten—roasted as snack food, coated in rich sauces, stirred into soups, or simmered in stock. Chicken feet are prized for their texture. When eaten whole, they offer chewy connective tissue to gnaw, gelatinous collagen-rich tendons to suck, and tiny bones to spit out. See Chicken for more information.

How do you serve chicken feet to babies?

Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience.

6 months old +:

Offer an open cup with a small amount of just the broth from any kind of chicken feet soup, or serve congee or porridge that has been cooked with stock made from chicken feet. You can also mix cooked and finely chopped boneless chicken feet (peeled with nails removed) into soft foods for baby to scoop.

For chicken feet still attached to a long portion of the leg, you can cut off the foot and offer just the leg bone to baby as a food teether. Make sure that there are no tiny bones or chunks of cartilage left attached to the leg bone, and that the bone is not so short that baby can put the whole thing in their mouth. We strongly recommend testing the strength of the leg bone prior to offering it. To test bone strength, try to bend it and push on the edges. Strong, firm bones are the way to go. If a bone breaks easily or has any sharp points or edges, do not offer it as a food teether.

9 months old +:

Offer an open cup with a small amount of just the broth from any kind of chicken feet soup or serve congee or porridge cooked with stock made with chicken feet. Alternatively, serve chopped pieces of cooked boneless chicken feet (peeled with nails removed) on their own or mixed into a dish.

18 months old +:

Serve chopped pieces of cooked boneless chicken feet (peeled with nails removed) on their own or mixed into a dish. At this age, if the toddler is demonstrating mature eating skills (thoroughly chewing food, not overstuffing the mouth, spitting out food that isn’t thoroughly chewed), you can also peel off small pieces of edible cartilage and tendons from a cooked chicken foot and offer the pieces. Just be sure to remove all bones from the pieces that you offer to the toddler. Alternatively, offer an open cup with a small amount of just the broth from any kind of chicken feet soup or use stock made with chicken feet to cook congee or porridge.

3 years old +:

Serve any kind of chicken feet soup or stock as desired, either all together in a bowl or as separate components: broth in a cup and finger foods pulled out and offered on the side. Offer small pieces or larger sections of cooked boneless chicken feet (peeled with nails removed), either on their own or mixed into a dish.

When a child is regularly showing mature chewing skills (taking small bites, moving food to the side of the mouth to be chewed, thoroughly chewing food before swallowing, and spitting out food when it is not thoroughly chewed), they may be ready to practice eating a cooked whole chicken foot in a safe, supervised setting. Remove the nails from each toe to reduce the risk of choking or discomfort. Whole bone-in chicken feet pose a high choking risk because small, firm pieces tend to break off in the mouth, and the bones must be spit out. While small bones technically can be swallowed safely, there is also risk of small bones getting stuck in the soft tissue of the throat or airway, which wouldn't stop breathing but would require medical intervention. Be sure to supervise the toddler and stay within arm’s reach should you need to help.

When first trying whole chicken feet, taking small bites of just the edible parts of the feet or encouraging the child to peel off the edible bits themselves can reduce the risk of choking. If you go this route, we suggest modeling for the child prior to offering the chicken foot: open your mouth, and demonstrate taking a small bite of just the skin and cartilage using the front teeth. You may want to consider holding the leg end of the chicken foot for the child to practice biting from—hold at the corner of their mouth and allow the child to close their teeth on the food.

Alternatively, if you feel confident in the child’s eating skills, you can demonstrate taking a larger bite of the foot or suck on it, as desired, spit out the bones, and show them to the toddler. Explain, “Look, there are hard bones in here. We don’t eat those.” Then, dispose of the bones. Offer a whole cooked chicken foot to the toddler and say, “You try.” If the toddler takes a large bite and seems unable or unwilling to spit the bones out, kneel next to them and demonstrate sticking your tongue out and say: “Spit that out please.” Put your hand under their chin while you demonstrate. If needed, put a piece of food in your own mouth, show it on your tongue, then demonstrate spitting it into your own hand.

Are chicken feet a choking hazard for babies?

Yes. Chicken feet contain tiny bones and pieces of cartilage that need to be spit out as well as firm parts that need to be thoroughly chewed, which are qualities that increase the risk of choking. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve chicken feet in an age-appropriate way. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals.

Learn the signs of choking and gagging and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.

Are chicken feet a common allergen?

No. Chicken feet are not a common food allergen. However, cases of poultry allergy have been reported. Chicken has been reported as a trigger for FPIES (food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome), which results in delayed vomiting with or without diarrhea 2 to 4 hours after the ingestion of chicken meat. While rare, certain individuals with fish allergies may have an increased risk of being sensitive to chicken. Some individuals with known allergy to feather and egg also have positive allergy test results to chicken meat. However, this does not commonly result in symptoms after the ingestion of well-cooked meat, as the allergenic protein is heat sensitive. Therefore, routine testing for chicken meat allergy is not recommended in cases of egg allergy.

As you would when introducing any new food, start by offering a small quantity during the first few servings. If there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the amount over future meals.

Are chicken feet healthy for babies?

Yes. While baby won’t consume much of the chicken feet, they are rich in protein, fat, and folate, in addition to a dash of iron, selenium, and zinc. Plus, chicken feet are rich in collagen, which may help bone health, although more research is needed. Together, these nutrients help support growth and development, the nervous system, healthy red blood cells, hormonal health, taste perception, immunity, bone health, and more.

While some preparations of chicken feet can be high in sodium, the amount of sodium that babies eat tends to be low as they learn the skills to feed themselves, and some sodium is important for supporting baby’s electrolyte balance, hydration, and movement.

How much food should I serve to baby?

When first getting started, offer a small amount and trust that baby knows how to show interest in wanting more by grunting, pointing, or reaching out. Keep in mind that most babies between 6 and 9 months of age do not consume much solid food at first. For babies between 10 and 12 months of age, work toward what a balanced adult meal would look like, just with smaller portions than what you might have. Follow the child’s lead: when baby indicates “more”, offer more food. When baby shows signs that they are finished, stop offering food.

Does baby need a high chair?

While a high chair can help create a safe eating environment, there are alternative ways for baby to eat safely, such as holding the child on your lap or sitting together on the floor. For more information, see our article on high chairs.