Guyanese Chicken Foot

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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions