Fried Rattlesnake

Fried rattlesnake

Do you hear that rattling? That’s right, we’re going to cook up some rattlesnake today. There are a lot of different ways to cook snake, but today we’re going to deep fry this feller! 

Warning! Unless you’re an experienced snake wrangler, don’t just go out there in the wild and catch a snake. Check out some resources below for snake meat. 

So, as we were just fixin’ to go to bed, we got a call from my son that they had a snake hemmed up at the house. If you want to see this feller before he becomes hors d’oeuvres.

Step 1: Skin and clean the snake

First off, we have to skin the snake, which is easy enough to do. It’s sort of like pulling off a pair of socks. To see how we skinned and cleaned this snake, be sure to check out the video below! Take the skin off.

 

Tip: Remember to wear gloves when you’re skinning and cleaning that snake, ’cause it’s got a little odor to it. I also like to soak the meat in buttermilk overnight because it will help tenderize and give it better flavor. 

 

Soak it in buttermilk overnight.

Let’s Mix Up The Coating

Step 2: Mix up the dry and wet ingredients

Mix the dry ingredients.

You’re going to want to mix up all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. 

Time to Drag Out Our Snake

Step 3: Let’s cut the snake

Remember to wear gloves! Start with cutting off the end pieces and discard. Then cut it in about 4-inch pieces. It’s going to be a little hard to cut through that backbone, so make sure to get you a sharp knife. You can use a Hash Knife, for example. It’ll do the trick.

Cut the snake.

Step 4: Baptize the Snake

Dip the snake pieces in the milk mixture. (You can use buttermilk if you see fit, but we’ve been soaking it in some, so we’re going with milk and egg). Then we’re going to take it to the dry mixture and toss to generously coat it. And guess what- you’re going to repeat this process because we need to “double baptize” this feller.

Coat the snake with wet and dry ingredients.

Step 5: Let’s make some fried snake

We’re going to fry this snake in peanut oil, but any fry oil will do. We’ve got about 2-inches of oil in our  Finex Dutch oven, heated to about 350 degrees F. skillet. 

Fry the rattlesnake.

Lay the snake in there a few pieces at a time, make sure they’re not crowded. I also like to put similar sizes in together so they’ll fry up more evenly. As they fry you may need to roll them around a little bit to get a good evenly golden brown. Strain from the oil and let cool slightly on a paper towel.  

That’s it! Now you’re ready for some rattlesnake hors d’oeuvres.

We hope you enjoyed this treat from the trail. Be sure to check out the video for more tips and if you’re interested we’ve listed a couple snake meat sourced too.

Rattlesnake meat: https://www.exoticmeatmarkets.com/rattlesnake-meat-s/230.htm
https://www.buywildgamemeats.com/frrameforsa11.html

Fried rattlesnake

Fried Rattlesnake - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Ingredients
  

  • Snake meat
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon mesquite seasoning available kentrollins.com or your favorite seasoning blend
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • Fry oil

Instructions
 

  • For fresh snake meat, clean the snake well and cover it in buttermilk overnight.
  • Drain the snake from the buttermilk and cut into about 3 to 4-inch pieces.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs.
  • Dip the snake pieces in the milk mixtures to coat well then dredge through the flour mixtures to generously coat. Repeat to double coat.
  • Heat about 2-inches deep of fry oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 350 degrees Fry a few pieces of the snake at a time until golden brown. Drain and let cool on a paper towel. Serve with dipping sauce.
  • For the dipping sauce: Whisk together 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon honey and ½ teaspoon liquid smoke.

Notes

For snake meat resources: https://www.exoticmeatmarkets.com/rattlesnake-meat-s/230.htm
https://www.buywildgamemeats.com/frrameforsa11.html
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!