How Many Calories in Chicken Feet (Phoenix Claws)?

Braised, deep-fried then steamed chicken feet in a sweet-savoury black bean sauce. More fat and skin than meat.

280kcal / 1 plate (about 6)

A plate of dim sum chicken feet (phoenix claws) is about 280 calories. They are usually deep-fried first to puff the skin, then braised and steamed in a sweet black bean and soy sauce. There is not much actual meat on a chicken foot. It is mostly skin, cartilage and collagen, so despite the small size they carry a fair bit of fat.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 plate (about 6) (150g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	280 kcal	187 kcal
Protein	18 g	12 g
Carbs	8 g	5 g
Fat	20 g	13 g

Where the calories come from

Chicken feet, skin and cartilage120g

230 kcal

Black bean and soy sauce30g

50 kcal

The real talk

Chicken feet are a funny one bro. People assume they are light because there is barely any meat on them, but that is exactly the problem. What is there is mostly skin and cartilage, and the skin is fat. On top of that the classic prep deep-fries them first to get the puffy texture, then braises them in a sweet, slightly oily sauce.

So a plate ends up around 280 calories, and a big chunk of that is fat from the skin plus sugar from the sauce. You do get decent protein from the collagen, around 18g, so it is not empty. Just do not assume that because you are gnawing tiny bones you are eating light. The sauce and the skin tell a different story.

How the portions compare

140 kcal

3 pieces

280 kcal

Plate (about 6)

380 kcal

Large plate

How to eat it lighter

Enjoy them, but count them honestly as a fattier item, not a free protein nibble.
Scrape off some of the thick sweet sauce if you want to trim a little sugar and oil.
Pair them with steamed greens or har gao so the meal is not all rich, fatty plates.

Common questions

Are chicken feet high in calories?

For their size, yes. A dim sum plate is around 280 calories. There is little meat, so most of what you eat is skin and cartilage, and the skin plus the sweet braising sauce make them fattier than they look.

Do chicken feet have protein?

About 18g per plate, mostly from collagen and connective tissue. It is real protein, but it comes packaged with a lot of fat from the skin, so the calories ride along with it.

Are dim sum chicken feet deep-fried?

Usually yes. The classic method deep-fries them to puff the skin, then braises and steams them in black bean sauce. That first frying step is part of why they are more calorie-dense than expected.

Go Deeper

Read the full dim sum calorie guide: what to order and skip →

Related foods

See all Dim Sum calories, ranked →

Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical hawker or kopitiam serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

New to all this? Read how I went from 128kg to 86kg without cutting rice →