Chances are, if you’ve ever gotten the chance to experience alligator, it was most likely fried. However, the best way to experience Alligator is smoked alligator. If you look at my previous post on How to Smoke A Whole Alligator, you’ll see the end result is tender, succulent white meat, with the final result being similar to smoked chicken.
So, if you do ever want to give gator a try, you don’t have to smoke an entire gator, you can also just buy a gator tail and smoke it until you reach an internal temperature of 152 degrees in a smaller amount of time than smoking an entire gator. The key to smoked gator is to brine overnight, and then moisturize while smoking.
As you’ll see in my How to Smoke a Whole Gator post, I first brined the meat, then used melted butter to help the butter adhere while also acting as a moisturizing agent, and then misted every 30 minutes with an orange juice/apple juice mixture. I also applied an orange bourbon glaze and then finished by wrapping the meat in bacon to keep it moist.
For the gator meat, I used my Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub and Cocktail Rimmer; with notes of Kaffir lime, orange peel, granulated honey, Himalayan salt and coriander, it is the perfect complement for gator. Use Code GATOR for 10% off if you want to give my rub a try!
The end result of that cook was tender white meat with great flavor, and the perfect meat for tacos so everyone can make their tacos how they like them.
I smoked this gator on my Green Mountain Grills Pellet Smoker. If you’ve been thinking about getting a Pellet Smoker, I highly recommend the Green Mountain Grill. In my opinion, It is a better alternative to the Traeger as it has better technology and is only available via a dealer network. You can find your local Green Mountain Grill dealer here.
If you want to give gator a try, I get mine from Hansen Alligators, a third generation gator trapper right here in Florida. Now you know! If you give gator a try, let me know what you think!
Smoked Alligator Tacos
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 16 tacos 1x
Description
Tacos made with with the addition of queso fresco, cilantro, jalapenos, and avocados, are the perfect delivery vehicle for succulent smoked gator. Read the full post on how to smoke a whole gator here for directions on how to cook gator. This method can be applied to gator tail as well.
Ingredients
- 16 flour or corn taco tortillas
- 1lb smoked gator meat
- 1lb queso fresco
- 1 large bunch cilantro
- 3 jalapenos
- 3 avocados, sliced
Instructions
Warm the tortillas up on the smoker or in the oven before serving with the rest of the ingredients. Refer to the full recipe on how to smoke a gator for full preparation of the gator meat.
Layer each tortilla with gator meat, cheese, cilantro, jalapenos and avocado. Enjoy!
Notes
This post was made in partnership with my friends over at Green Mountain Grills. I only work with companies I use and recommend!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-5 hours
- Category: Mexican, American, Tacos
- Method: Smoke
- Cuisine: Mexican American
