Pickled Pigs Feet
intro
Tender, tangy cold pickled pigs feet, a classic Southern soul food snack with bright zesty brine, perfect for casual warm-weather backyard gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the pigs feet
Rinse the split bone-in pigs feet under cold running water, scrubbing the skin thoroughly to remove any residual bone fragments or surface dirt. Use a sharp paring knife to trim away excess loose fat and any remaining hair follicles; pat completely dry with paper towels. Confirm you have 1.8kg (4 lbs) of cleaned feet for even cooking.
Simmer to tenderize
Place cleaned pigs feet in a large 8L stockpot, add the quartered yellow onion, crushed garlic, 3 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon of the whole black peppercorns, and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Cover with 4L (16 cups) cold water, bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle, steady simmer. Skim any gray foamy residue that rises to the surface every 10 minutes, and cook for 2 hours until the meat is tender but not falling completely off the bone.
Make the pickling brine
While the pigs feet simmer, combine 750ml (3 cups) white distilled vinegar, 500ml (2 cups) water, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon pickling salt, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries, 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds, and the reserved 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns in a medium 2L saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar and salt fully dissolve, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the brine cool completely to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Drain and cool feet
After 2 hours of simmering, use metal tongs to carefully remove the pigs feet from the stockpot, discarding the cooking liquid, spent onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Arrange the feet in a single layer on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and let them cool completely to room temperature, about 45 minutes, to prevent introducing heat to the brine which can cause bacterial growth or spoilage.
Pack sterilized jars
Divide the fully cooled pigs feet, sliced jalapeño rings, and sliced carrot rounds evenly between two sterilized 1.9L (half-gallon) glass canning jars, layering ingredients to avoid large trapped air gaps. Pour the fully cooled pickling brine over the feet and vegetables, ensuring all meat is completely submerged by at least 2cm (1 inch) of brine; place a small glass fermentation weight on top if needed to hold floating pieces under the liquid.
Seal and cure cold
Wipe the jar rims clean with a dry paper towel to ensure a tight seal, then fasten sterilized metal canning lids and bands securely. Place the jars in the coldest section of your refrigerator (set to 4°C / 40°F) to pickle for a minimum of 3 days, gently flipping the jars once per day to evenly distribute spices and brine flavor.
Serve chilled as appetizer
After 3 days of pickling, remove the desired number of pigs feet from the brine, and serve cold directly from the jar, paired with hot sauce and crusty bread if preferred. Keep remaining pickled pigs feet sealed in the brine in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks for safe consumption.
Tips
2.Do not boil the pigs feet at a hard, rolling boil for the full cooking time; a gentle medium-low simmer prevents the skin from splitting and the meat from falling off the bone before pickling.
3.For a milder, less spicy brine, remove all seeds and white pith membranes from the jalapeño before slicing, and reduce red pepper flakes to 1/4 teaspoon (0.5g).
OMG y’all, I grew up eating my granddaddy’s pickled pigs feet every Sunday after church and I’ve spent YEARS trying to nail that exact brine tang. This recipe is PERFECT. The balance of vinegar, garlic, and a pinch of red pepper? *Chef’s kiss* Brought a jar to our family potluck last weekend and it was gone in 10 minutes flat. Game changer for my summer cookout spread!
I was so nervous to try making pickled pigs feet for the first time—grew up in NYC and never even had them until my partner from Alabama introduced me! This recipe was way easier to follow than I thought, though I will say I let the feet boil a little longer than stated because I wanted them extra fall-off-the-bone tender. Came out SO good, my roommate even snuck a piece out of the fridge before the 3 day pickling time was up and loved it!
Meal prep win! I made a big batch of these on Sunday and they’ve been the perfect high-protein snack to grab after work all week. The brine is so flavorful I even reused it to pickle some hard boiled eggs once I finished the first jar of pigs feet. Zero waste, zero regrets, 10/10.
Taste was great, but I ran into a little trouble skimming the scum off the top while boiling the feet? Ended up with a slightly cloudy brine because of it. Still edible, just not as pretty as the photos. Wondering if anyone has a trick for that?
My kids loved it? Wait, who am I kidding, I loved it most. Made these for our Father’s Day cookout and even my picky teen who swears he ‘doesn’t eat weird food’ went back for a second helping. The recipe instructions were super clear even for a guy who mostly just grills burgers and brats. 10/10 will make again.
Packed a jar of these for our backcountry camping trip last weekend and they held up perfectly! No refrigeration needed for the day we hiked in, salty, protein-packed, exactly what we needed after 8 miles of uphill. Great recipe, already saved to my go-to camping food list.
Quick question before I finish prepping my second batch! Can I substitute apple cider vinegar for white vinegar here? I ran out of white vinegar mid-prep and only have ACV on hand, don’t want to make a run to the store if I don’t have to.
Brought these to our neighborhood block party potluck and I cannot tell you how many people asked for the recipe. Everyone was shocked I made them myself instead of buying them from the old school meat market downtown. The pickling spice blend is spot on, no weird overly bitter aftertaste like some store-bought versions I’ve tried.
I’ve been on a kick making all the old school retro recipes my grandma used to make for family dinners, and this one did not disappoint. I added a couple bay leaves and some whole peppercorns to the brine like she used to, and it tasted exactly like I remembered. Perfect comfort food, even if my partner thinks it’s ‘gross’—more for me!
First time making these, followed the cook time exactly but when I pulled my jar out today after the 3 day pickling time, the liquid is all thick and gelatinous? Is it normal for the pigs feet to be jellied after refrigeration? I’m worried I messed something up!
I added a handful of sliced jalapeños to my brine for extra heat and it is CHEF’S KISS. I was worried it would overpower the pickling flavor but it just adds the perfect little zing. If you love spicy snacks you have to try this hack! SO good.
Talk about cheap eats! Pigs feet are so inexpensive at my local grocery store, and this recipe makes enough for a whole week of snacks for less than $10. I’ve been looking for more budget-friendly high protein recipes for meal prep and this one is going into the regular rotation for sure.
Moved from Mississippi to Seattle 2 years ago and have been craving good pickled pigs feet so bad I finally decided to make my own. This recipe tastes exactly like the ones I used to get at the corner gas station back home, I almost cried when I took my first bite. So grateful this recipe is online!
Made these for our annual family reunion last week and they were a huge hit! Only note is I wish the recipe noted how big of a glass jar you need to store everything— I almost didn’t have a big enough container to hold all the feet and brine, had to run to my cousin’s house to borrow one last minute.