Is Costco's 44 Lbs Of Chicken Feet Worth The Hefty Price?

It's well known that warehouse superstore Costco sells many of its products in bulk quantities, whether it's a 72-pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano or a 44-pound package of chicken paws. On the Costco subreddit, a user recently posted a photo from their local Fremont, California, warehouse showing frozen packages of chicken paws (which lack a portion of the leg typically found in chicken feet) for $44.99, which comes out to just over $1 a pound.

A few Redditors questioned whether that was worth the hefty price tag, noting that it's possible to get drumsticks and leg quarters for $0.70 per pound and breasts for $0.99 per pound sometimes. However, as another Redditor pointed out, comparing the price of paws to that of other chicken parts isn't quite fair, because the various meat types are used very differently in cooking. 

A few Redditors also mentioned that chicken feet can often be found at their local Asian market for $1.50 to $2.50 per pound. Popular Asian market 99 Ranch is currently selling 2 to 2.4-pound trays of chicken paws for $2.92 per pound while Walmart is offering 1.1 to 1.75-pound trays of chicken paws for $2.24 per pound. So, based on a per-pound price, Costco's chicken feet certainly seem to be worth the high cost.

Although Costco's 44-pound package of chicken paws certainly seems like a good value, it's not really worthwhile if you can't use up the entire package — and 44 pounds is a lot of chicken feet. There's a reason that bulk packages of chicken paws are more commonly found at Costco business centers since restaurants can easily use that much. However, there are plenty of ways that you can use chicken feet, too. 

Chicken feet are used in a classic dim sum dish (with the romantic-sounding name of "phoenix talons" or feng zhao), and it's a recipe that you can make at home. What's more, chicken feet make for a crunchy bar snack that's seriously underappreciated in the U.S. They're also the unexpected chicken part that makes soup delicious — rich in collagen, chicken feet add a rich, smooth, and thick texture to your soups, stocks, and bone broths. 

Jacques Pépin also has a recipe for sweet and spicy chicken feet that uses ketchup as a secret ingredient. You can add chicken feet to salads, serve them as a side dish, or even prepare them as a main dish. You can also dehydrate chicken feet and turn them into a dog treat. In short, there are plenty of ways to use up chicken feet — even 44 pounds worth — just make sure you have the space to store them all until you can use them.