Alligator Meat: Learn More About This Exotic Protein

Have you ever tried alligator meat? Available primarily as steaks and fillets, “gator meat” offers high-quality protein that more and more people indulge in. Nowadays, it is so common in the United States that it easily contends with beef sales. The price is about the same as beef from cows, but it doesn’t have nearly the same health risks. People sometimes include it in the keto diet because of the incredible protein source it offers.

Alligators only live in the United States, Mexico, and China natively, but the trade for this delicacy allows people around the world an opportunity to try it out.

History of Hunting for Alligator Meat

The desire to eat alligator meat goes back centuries, but unregulated hunting pushed their population into endangered status. Laws in 1967 protected the American alligator to bring up the population, which recovered by 1987, allowing the public to resume hunting. Every state with American alligators has hunting regulations, making its sale highly lucrative.

Legal Hunting of Alligators in the United States

With millions of alligators spread across freshwater rivers along the coastline, finding alligators is fairly easy. When it comes to legally hunting them, many states require a license and/or tag. If you choose to hunt them, rather than buy their meat elsewhere, take a trip to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas, where they offer hunting licenses for this purpose.

Alligator Meat is Highly Nutritious

While everyone else is eating their poached chicken to slim down, anyone with nearby access to alligator meat gets a real treat. This meat offers omega-3 fatty acids, an essential nutrient for the human body. It also offers a healthy source of potassium, niacin, phosphorus, and other nutrients. You even choose light or dark meat, just like chicken!

Alligator Meat is Leaner Than Beef or Pork

While most people choose chicken or even pork for the lean cuts they offer, alligator meat gives them a much healthier option. Alligators are naturally leaner than cows, offering twice the amount of protein you get from more common options.

The Tail Offers the Best Cut of Alligator Meat

While alligator meat is nutritious and highly coveted as a delicacy, the best part is the tenderloin found on the tail. With two tenderloins on every tail, you have good odds of trying this “filet mignon” cut. If this part is too tender for you, the other two parts with the best quality and texture are the white meat along the tail and meat from the torso. Some people even prefer the jaw.

Stay Away from the Meat on Alligator Legs

As delicious as alligator meat can be, there is one part that the majority of people won’t like – the leg. It tends to be quite tough, but tenderizing and marinating make it easier to consume.

Locally Farmed Alligators Grow Faster

Hunting alligators draws in a lot of people, but looking to a farm to make a purchase of readily available meat might be the best option. These gators grow twice as fast as their counterparts in the wild, making their meat easier to harvest faster.

Alligator Meat Tastes Like Chicken

Alligators make delicious burgers, casseroles, soups, and stews, giving a white meat taste like chicken. A good butcher offers it in filets and ground meat, depending on your personal preference.

Alligator Meat Stores Well

If you buy this meat and need to save it, you’re in luck! Once you remove fat and tendons, freeze it for up to a year to spread it out amongst other meals. The texture and quality are both easy to preserve without damaging the meat.

Summary of Alligator Meat: Everything You Need to Know About This Exotic Protein

Here’s a recap of the information all about alligator meat.

Alligator Meat Facts

1. Alligators became legal to hunt and harvest after the American alligator ended its endangered status in the 1980s.
2. Hunting alligators requires a license in the United States.
3. The meat is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
4. The meat of this predator is leaner than beef, chicken, or pork.
5. Meat from the tail is considered the prime cut.
6. Leg meat is quite tough, requiring substantial marinating and tenderizing.
7. Alligators at local farms grow at twice the speed of alligators in the wild.
8. Alligator meat tastes like chicken.
9. With proper preparation, the meat is easy to store.