Smoked Opossum
intro
A traditional rural Southern Appalachian smoked game dish, slow-cooked over apple wood for tender, earthy, rich wood-fired flavor with warm savory seasoning.
Ingredients
Steps
Trim and brine opossum
Rinse the 1800g dressed young opossum under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels, and trim excess surface fat, ensuring all red musk glands beneath the front legs and along the lower spine are fully cut away and discarded. Mix 4L cold water, 120g kosher salt, 80g packed light brown sugar, 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, and 60ml apple cider vinegar in a large food-grade bucket, stir until all salt and sugar dissolve, then fully submerge the opossum in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours (this inactive brining time is not included in active cook time).
Mix and apply dry rub
Remove the opossum from brine, rinse thoroughly under cold water, and pat completely dry with paper towels. In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp optional cayenne pepper, stirring until evenly blended. Rub the entire outer surface and inner cavity of the opossum with the spice mix, pressing gently to help seasoning adhere. Let the seasoned opossum rest at room temperature (20°C/68°F) for 30 minutes to allow the rub to set.
Preheat the smoker
Fill your offset or electric smoker’s firebox with hardwood lump charcoal, light it, and adjust vents to bring the internal smoker temperature to a steady 110°C (225°F). Soak 4 apple wood chunks in cold water for 30 minutes, then place 2 chunks directly on the hot coals to produce thin, sweet blue smoke. Set a disposable aluminum drip pan filled with 500ml water on the lower smoker rack directly under where the opossum will cook to catch drippings and maintain humid cooking air.
Stuff and position opossum
Stuff the opossum’s inner cavity with the 200g quartered yellow onion and 120g chopped celery, then tie the front and back legs together with 30cm of food-safe kitchen twine to hold the stuffing in place and create a compact, even shape for cooking. Place the opossum breast-side up on the upper smoker cooking grate directly over the water-filled drip pan, leaving 5cm of space between the opossum and smoker walls to allow consistent air flow.
Slow smoke to doneness
Close the smoker lid and maintain a steady internal temperature of 110°C (225°F) for 3.5 to 4 hours, adding 1 remaining soaked apple wood chunk to the coals every 45 minutes to maintain consistent, light smoke. Check doneness by inserting a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the opossum’s thigh, avoiding bone; the opossum is fully cooked when the internal temperature reads 77°C (170°F) and meat pulls easily away from bone. Limit lid openings to once every 45 minutes when adding wood to prevent temperature drops that extend cook time.
Rest and serve
Carefully transfer the fully smoked opossum to a large wooden cutting board, tent it loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 20 minutes at room temperature to allow meat juices to redistribute. Cut and remove the kitchen twine, scoop out and discard the cooked cavity stuffing, then carve the opossum into individual serving pieces, trimming any remaining excess fat. Serve warm alongside classic Southern sides like collard greens and buttermilk cornbread.
Tips
2.Stick to mild fruit woods like apple for smoking; heavy, resinous woods such as mesquite or hickory will overpower the opossum’s delicate, earthy flavor with harsh smoke notes.
3.Double-check that all small, red musk glands under the front legs and along the spine are fully removed during prep; these glands produce a strong, unpleasant musky flavor that will ruin the finished dish if left intact.
Y’all I’ve been processing my own small game for years and never thought to smoke opossum instead of just braising it! Followed this recipe exactly for our annual fall camp cookout, and even the guys who swore they’d never eat ‘possum went back for seconds. The 4 hour smoke time was perfect, meat was fall off the bone tender, no weird gamey aftertaste at all if you do the prep right. 10/10 will make again for our next potluck.
Wait hold on, is opossum actually safe to eat? I’ve only ever seen them as backyard critters digging through my trash cans lol. Curious but super nervous to try this, especially since my teen is super into weird foraging and wild game recipes lately.
Tried this last weekend on my offset smoker with hickory wood, and OMG it was a game changer. Served it with roasted sweet potatoes and collard greens for Sunday family dinner, my kids loved it! They kept asking when we’re having “that weird smoky pork” again lmao. Only note: I added a little extra paprika to the rub and it slapped.
Medium difficulty is no joke, y’all. I messed up the initial brine time my first go because I got pulled into a work call and left it too long, it was way too salty. Second time I set three timers and nailed it, ended up being SO good. Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar mop sauce while it smokes, that’s the secret weapon.
Anyone ever tried this with store-bought wild game instead of hunting it yourself? I saw a local meat market has frozen opossum right now and I’m tempted to grab it, but I don’t know if it’s pre-cleaned or if I’ll have to do all that prep work myself.
Made this for our annual weird food potluck at work and it won the people’s choice award! Everyone was shocked how tender and smoky it was, most people thought it was pulled pork at first bite. I shredded it and put it on slider buns with a little coleslaw, chef’s kiss. Will absolutely be adding this to my regular smoke rotation.
I’m still pretty new to using my smoker, does this recipe work okay on an electric smoker? I don’t have an offset or charcoal one yet, I’m working my way up. Don’t wanna waste the meat by messing up the cook!
Grew up eating my papaw’s smoked opossum every Thanksgiving, and this recipe tastes exactly like I remember! The brown sugar in the rub is the exact balance he used, I almost cried when I took the first bite. Brought me right back to being a kid sitting at his picnic table after hunting all morning. So glad I found this, it’s going in the family recipe box forever.
How well does this hold up for meal prep? I usually smoke a big batch of meat on Sundays to eat for lunch all week, wondering if this stays tender when reheated or if it gets dry and gamey after a few days in the fridge.
Wait, do I really need to remove the scent glands like the recipe says? My cousin says he never does that when he cooks opossum and it tastes fine, but I don’t wanna end up with a nasty, musky-tasting mess after 4 hours of smoking.
I run a small wild game focused food truck, would this recipe work if I smoked it a little lower and slower for a bigger batch? I usually do 200°F for larger cuts to keep them juicy during busy service, wondering if that would mess up the texture.
I’m a total adventurous foodie and I’ve eaten everything from alligator to fried tarantulas, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. Did it over the weekend on my roommate’s smoker, added a little cayenne for a kick, and it was honestly one of the best smoked meats I’ve ever had. People are so quick to write opossum off, but it’s tender, mild, and takes smoke so well. 10/10
I remember my grandma making smoked opossum with sweet potato stuffing inside the cavity back when I was growing up, does anyone stuff theirs when making this recipe? The recipe says to leave it unstuffed during the smoke, just curious if that’s a hard rule or if stuffing works.
Tried to make this on my cheap apartment balcony smoker last weekend and almost set off the building fire alarm lmao. Once I got the smoke situation sorted out it turned out pretty good, but I definitely under-seasoned it. Next time I’m doubling the rub, that’s for sure.