Whole Smoked Alligator Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is alligator meat good smoked? ›

Smoked alligator meat is far more versatile than you might expect. It's certainly a way to surprise your guests! Fire up your smoker with me today and give alligator a chance to impress. You'll find it tender, tasty, and juicy when cooked properly.

Some Cajun cooks like to keep it simple, and just pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with a little garlic butter and a smidge of lemon to let the taste and textures speak for themselves. And of course, it always tastes great pan-seared or fried to a golden crisp!

Other restauranteurs recommend pounding each piece of alligator with a meat mallot until thin, usually about 1 inch. All restaurants recommend cutting alligator meat across the grain for a more tender piece of meat. Body and leg meat cuts are excellent choices for burgers, casseroles, ground meat, soups and stews.

The most important part of cooking comes into play now. We want to keep checking the meat at the thickest part of the alligator, which is behind the back legs where the tail comes off the back. You want your temperature to be between 185-190.

Low Saturated Fat

The saturated fat amount in alligator meat is 4 grams per 3.5 ounces of gator meat serving, compared to 14 grams in similar servings of beef, which is much healthier to consume as a daily source of protein.

It is strongly recommended you soak any and all alligator meat in milk three hours before prepping and cooking it. That reduces the swamp notes.

Alligators are large predators. They should always be respected as such. Humans are not a natural prey source for alligators, but they can occasionally confuse people for other animals. As with any wild animal, do not approach or try to interact.

Cut the alligator into 1” cubes and soak in milk (in the refrigerator) for 2 to 3 hours. Drain milk then season meat (in the same bowl) with Tony's Creole Seasoning.

So you would risk getting sick as you would from eating undercooked chicken. Not to mention, alligators often live in swamps or other stagnant/slow moving water ways, and like all animals they are susceptible to parasites, some of which could be transferable to humans.

Tenderloin meat is from the tail's interior. It is the most tender and thus the most highly prized alligator cut. Sirloin meat is the second-most tender cut. Compared to the tenderloin, it has a similar flavor, is lighter in color and is more affordable.

Is gator meat supposed to be chewy? ›

Alligator meat has been described as having a mild flavor and a firm texture. It tastes like quail, with a mildly fishy flavor, and is often chewy, depending on preparation.

"Yes, the alligator's considered in the fish family, and I agree with you — God has created a magnificent creature that is important to the state of Louisiana, and it is considered seafood." So, if you aren't willing to shell out the cash for crawfish, this is your reminder that you can eat alligator.

Step 5: Cook the gator at 275 degrees until the tenderloins in the tail reach 150 degrees internal temperature.

People often refer to it as the “chicken of the swamp” because it indeed has a flavor somewhat like chicken! Smoked alligator meat is far more versatile than you might expect. It's certainly a way to surprise your guests!

Use a knife to cut one of the pieces of alligator open, and look inside of the meat. Like chicken, there shouldn't be any pink in the middle of the meat when it is cooked thoroughly.

kind of. When cooked, alligator has a similar texture to dark meat chicken, but with a faint fishiness to it. As Kenny puts it, “Think of it as if a chicken and a grouper fish had a baby.” Not exactly a picture I want in my head, but the flavor imagery is spot on and surprisingly delicious.

Alligator has a tender texture, similar to that of chicken or pork. Just like chicken, it has both white and dark meat. The most sought after meat is the white meat, as it is the most mild and tender.

On Your Dinner To-Do List: Alligator Ribs. The results are magical—tender and full of flavor.

"Alligator meat is a good source of lean protein, low in fat, and high in nutrients like potassium, iron, and vitamin B12. A 100-gram serving of alligator meat provides 600 kilojoules (143 kilocalories) of food energy, 29 grams of protein, 3 percent fat, and 65 milligrams of cholesterol.