Serve this Panko-Fried Alligator With Spicy Mayo Recipe as an appetizer or fry some up when you're short on time and need a quick bite. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
January 23, 2019
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
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Alligator meat is lean and has little flavor. It’s a lot like chicken – a neutral canvas that will take on any spices you apply to it. It’s also easy and tasty to fry. Use any kind of coating that you would normally enjoy with fried fish or chicken. I decided to try Panko breadcrumbs, which provides unparalleled crunch.
Yield: 6 appetizers Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound of alligator tail meat, cut into small bite-size pieces 2 eggs ¼ to ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons blackened seasoning Salt to taste 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs ½ cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce ½ teaspoon lime juice Cooking oil Directions:
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Before cooking the alligator, take it out of the refrigerator an hour prior to cooking. Make the spicy mayo by combining mayonnaise, Sriracha and lime juice. If wet, pat alligator meat dry with paper towels, and then coat meat with blackened seasoning and season with salt to taste. Mayonnaise, Sriracha and fresh lime juice make a tasty dip for fried alligator meat. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Set up your dredging station: place Panko breadcrumbs and all-purpose flour in separate shallow bowls. Beat two eggs in a bowl until slightly frothing. Try not to cut the alligator pieces too big. I made that mistake and the Panko browned more quickly than the inside was fully cooked. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Bring ½ to 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat alligator pieces with flour, then egg, and then finally in the Panko. Fry in the oil until golden brown on all sides. Internal temp should reach 165 degrees. Drain on cooling racks or paper towels and season with salt to taste. Note: Try not to cook alligator pieces that are too thick – it won’t cook all the way through and you’ll have to finish it in the oven to avoid burning the Panko.
I couldn’t find much reliable information online about cooking temperature for alligator; however, 165 degrees seems to be the consensus. It seems pretty high for most any game, but to be safe, we’ll stick with that number for now. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Serve Panko-fried alligator immediately with spicy mayo.
