Guyanese Chicken Foot are deliciously crunchy strips of dough fried until golden brown and crispy. Enjoy this savory vegan snack with a side of mango sour or tamarind sour.
Jump to:
- The Best Guyanese Chicken Foot
- Why You'll Love This Guyanese Chicken Foot Recipe
- What is Guyanese Chicken Foot?
- Ingredients for Guyanese Chicken Foot
- How to Make Guyanese Chicken Foot
- Slice Chicken Foot Strips
- Substitutions & Variations
- Equipment
- Tips for the Best Guyanese Chicken Foot
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Printable Recipe Card
The Best Guyanese Chicken Foot
In Guyana, chicken foot is one of those school break snacks that you'll enjoy well into adulthood. The seasoned dough is fried until crunchy and served with a spicy sauce/condiment known as sour. At every stage of my school life in Guyana (Primary to High School) there was a chicken foot street vendor that sold the "best" chicken foot and mango sour!
Once we immigrated to the United States it took quite some time for us to find chicken foot that was worthy of that title. But whenever I go to Guyana, my sister makes the best chicken foot and I leave with bags of it! Now I am sharing her recipe.
Why You'll Love This Guyanese Chicken Foot Recipe
- Easy to Make: With this recipe, you can make a lot with a little. The ingredients are super affordable and easy to get. Pair that with simple instructions and this is a fail-proof way to make a Guyanese snack!
- A Nostalgic Treat: In Guyana, chicken foot is one of those school break snacks that you'll enjoy well into adulthood. Every time I indulge, I remember why I love it so much.
- Absolutely Delicious: You will grab these by the handful. They are savory, crispy, and truly mouthwatering.
What is Guyanese Chicken Foot?
Guyanese chicken foot, (sometimes referred to as sal sev) is seasoned dough, cut into strips, and then deep fried. It is the ultimate Guyanese snack food and is often enjoyed with a dipping sauce like mango sour. It is not in fact, the foot of a chicken.
Ingredients for Guyanese Chicken Foot
With such a short ingredient list, I had to play around with the measurements. After a couple of tries, I got the measurements right and now I am sharing it with all of you!
- Flour: The main ingredient.
- Curry Powder: The warm spice that flavors the strips.
- Ground Cumin or Geera: This provides a rich earthy taste, with a light hint of citrus.
- Cayenne Pepper: This is an optional ingredient if you like your Guyanese chicken foot with a spicy kick.
- Salt: Add to taste.
- Warm Water: Add moisture to form the dough.
- Frying Oil: Sunflower, avocado, canola, or peanut oil will work for this recipe.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Guyanese Chicken Foot
Make the Dough
Making the chicken foot dough is quick and easy. Add all of the dry ingredients to a bowl, mix together well, then add water and knead into a stiff dough ball. Then allow it to rest.
Toast the Dough
Roll the dough out to a thickness that is about 3/16th of an inch thick. Then toast it on the tawa or skillet until both sides are no longer sticky but not cooked or brown.
This is what the toasted dough looks like (pictured above). It is not cooked all the way through but just enough that it is no longer sticky.
Slice Chicken Foot Strips
I used a pizza cutter to cut the chicken foot strips and it makes the chicken foot-making task so much easier. Cutting the dough in half also helps to get strips that are not too long but just right.
You can also layer your dough on top of each other and use a really sharp knife, but using the pizza cutter is my method of choice. Plus I can get my kids involved (supervised of course) and have them help with rolling the pizza cutter to make strips.
Fry Guyanese Chicken Foot
Add oil to a skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil comes up to temperature add the dough strips and deep fry until the strips are golden brown.
Remove the strips from the oil and drain on a few sheets of paper towel. Repeat these steps until all the dough is sliced into strips and fried. Allow to cool then serve with mango sour.
Substitutions & Variations
- Chicken Foot with Split Peas. This recipe doesn't include ground split peas. Most chicken foot recipes include ground split peas but I've found that the addition of the split peas makes the chicken foot hard to chew. But if you prefer it with split peas, definitely use it!
- Chicken Foot with Chickpeas. You can use chickpea flour instead of all-purpose. This is great for a gluten-free option.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl: Use this to contain and combine the dough. the dough will also rest in this bowl.
- Tawa: Use this to toast the dough before slicing.
- Large Skillet: To fry the chicken foot strips.
- Pizza Cutter or Sharp Knife: To slice the toasted dough into strips.
Tips for the Best Guyanese Chicken Foot
- Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes before rolling it out. When I first tried making chicken foot, I made the dough, then immediately rolled it out and fried it. That chicken foot was so hard (overly crunchy) we couldn't really enjoy it. Over time I learned that letting the dough rest is important.
- Remember to toast the dough before frying. When I first attempted this recipe in 2013 and after a few attempts to keep the chicken foot strips from becoming misshapen, my mother-in-law told me that I needed to toast the dough first. Toasting the dough makes it easier to cut it into strips and also prevents the strips from clinging together during frying. When the dough clings together they sometimes fry in a clump.
- Do not overcrowd the frying pan. Depending on the volume of chicken foot, they may need to be cooked in batches. If they are cooked too close together, they will clump and not be as crispy.
FAQ
What is Guyanese chicken foot made of?
All you need is flour, water, frying oil, and your choice of spices.
Why is this Guyanese snack called chicken foot?
This snack is referred to as chicken foot because the thinly sliced strips resemble chicken feet.
What is the origin of Guyanese Chicken Foot?
This chicken foot snack derives from the Indian snack sal sev. Although the same ingredients may be used, they are not quite the same. Sal sev is thicker and in the shape of noodles.
Related
Pairing
Do you love this recipe? Have questions or suggestions? Let me know in the comments section. Then check out my YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram for more delicious recipes.
Printable Recipe Card
Guyanese Chicken Foot
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Tawa or Large Skillet
- Pizza Cutter or Sharp knife
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 tablespoon Curry Powder
- 1 teaspoon Roasted Ground Cumin or Geera
- pinch Cayenne Pepper optional
- ¾ teaspoon Salt or salt to taste
- 1 cup Warm Water
- 4 cups Frying Oil Sunflower, Avocado, Canola, Peanut
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Then add the water and knead together to make a stiff dough.
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Then divide dough in half and roll out each piece of dough onto a floured surface until it is 3/16th inch thick.
- Next place a tawa or skillet on medium heat and bring up to temperature.
- When tawa comes up to temperature place dough on the tawa and toast for about a minute on each side or until most of the stickiness is gone from the dough.
- Remove the dough from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
- Then using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into strips that are about 3/16th of an inch thick.
- Next add oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat.
- When the oil comes up to temperature add the dough strips and deep fry until the strips are golden brown. Be careful not to overcook or bun the strips.
- Remove from the oil and drain on a few sheets of paper towel.
- Repeat these steps as needed until all the dough has been made into strips and fried.
- Allow to cool then serve with mango sour.
Rowena says
My favorite post yet!
Metemgee says
Yummy.
Gale says
I wanna make this too. Lol
Metemgee says
Next time I make this, I'm going to try putting some split peas in the dough.
Honey Dew says
I love chicken foot....now going and try making it...thanks for the recipe
Sherry says
Instead of "cutting into strips" put the dough on the tawa (or griddle or something) let it cook for a couple of seconds (until stiff) and then use a scissors and cut it...its faster.
Metemgee says
Great idea. I'll try next time.
sarah says
i make mine with chicken cube,garlic n pepper gindup and borad leaf thyme n basil grind up(green seasoing) with the gera and instead of the curry powder i add yellow food colouring and a bit of pepper and salt and make it n put it on the tawa to bake n chip it with sissors too and fry it tastes really nicee u should try it...my granda usually say it doesnt need the green seasoning but i like it tht way it tastes really nicee
Metemgee says
Will try next time I make it. Thanks for sharing.
bruce says
if u use a pizza cutter to cut the strips its much quicker and easier
Metemgee says
Thats a greay idea
Tara. says
Yummy with a little grind split peas ..Thanks for sharing your yummy recipe..I do appreciate..
Tara. says
This is yummy I put in some grind split peas ,Pepper and garlic to the recipe and it was great..For the cutting the way to go is cutting with the knife then when it fry you get the natural look of the chicken foot that we are acustom to see.
Now if you do it on the tawa and cut with the scissors it's going to be straight..
Anyway it's the same taste..
Thanks very much for sharing your recipes.
Claire says
I use Gram Flour In my recipe adding pepper, garlic, and TURMERIC. I aslo use a pizza cutter which is easier on the hand because it roles to cut.
Roman bobb says
Wow. Thank you for this Recipe I’ve been craving chicken foot so long and I am stuck in the in the Bahamas and can’t go home Because of the coronavirus so I’m gonna try to make this today to feel at home