Smoked Snake
intro
Tender, smoky edible snake coated in savory spiced rub, slow-smoked over hickory for a mild, rich gamey flavor perfect for casual summer backyard cookouts.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep the snake meat
Rinse 1200g of dressed, skinned edible snake under cold running water, then pat completely dry with paper towels. Use a sharp fillet knife to trim away any residual silver skin, fat, or connective tissue, then cut the snake into uniform 10cm (4-inch) sections to ensure even cooking. Rub all surfaces of the snake sections with 2 tablespoons of neutral canola oil to help the dry rub adhere properly.
Apply spiced dry rub
In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1.5 tablespoons smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, stirring until fully blended. Sprinkle the rub evenly over every surface of the oiled snake sections, pressing gently with clean hands to ensure the spice mix adheres; do not brush off excess rub. Let the seasoned snake rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow flavors to penetrate the meat.
Preheat hickory smoker
First, soak 3 cups of hickory wood chips in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain fully to prevent excessive flaming. Load the drained chips into the smoker's wood tray, then preheat your offset or electric smoker to a steady 110°C (225°F), adjusting top and bottom vents to maintain a thin, wispy blue smoke; avoid thick white smoke, which will impart a bitter flavor to the meat.
Slow smoke the snake
Arrange the seasoned snake sections directly on the smoker's cooking grates, leaving 2cm (1 inch) of open space between each piece to allow even smoke circulation. Close the smoker lid, maintain a consistent 110°C (225°F) temperature, and smoke for 2 full hours, spritzing all surfaces of the meat with 60ml of apple cider vinegar every 30 minutes to prevent the extremely lean meat from drying out.
Check for doneness
After 2 hours of smoking, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the largest snake section, taking care not to touch any bone for an accurate reading. The snake is fully cooked and safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F), and the meat pulls easily away from the delicate rib bones with a light tug. If the temperature is low, continue smoking in 15-minute increments, rechecking the temperature each time.
Rest and serve
Use long tongs to transfer the fully cooked smoked snake pieces to a clean wooden cutting board, then tent loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute, which prevents the lean meat from being dry when served. Serve warm, with optional tangy BBQ sauce on the side, picking the tender meat off the bones as you would with smoked pork ribs.
Tips
2.If hickory wood is unavailable, use mild fruit woods like apple or cherry; avoid strong, resinous woods like mesquite, which will overpower the mild, slightly sweet gamey flavor of snake.
3.Always source edible snake from a licensed, reputable supplier—wild-harvested snake must be properly dressed and inspected to avoid foodborne pathogens, as with all wild game.
OMG y’all, I was so nervous to try cooking snake for our annual backyard BBQ potluck but this recipe was a GAME CHANGER. The hickory smoke cut through any gamey taste I was worried about, the spice rub was perfectly balanced, and every single person at the party asked for the recipe! Even my super picky 10 year old went back for a second helping. Cook time was exactly 2.5 hours like the recipe said, no guesswork needed. 10/10 will make again for our next campout!
Made this for our Sunday family dinner on a whim after my partner brought home some wild-caught snake from a fishing trip. It was SO good! The only reason I’m not giving 5 stars is I found the cook time ran a little long for my smaller electric smoker — mine was done right at the 2 hour mark instead of 2.5, so I’d recommend temping it early if you’ve got a smaller unit. My teens thought it was the coolest dinner they’d ever had, they kept posting pics to their friend group the whole meal.
I know snake sounds wild for a Brooklyn apartment cook, but I picked up some farm-raised snake from my local exotic meat market and used my stovetop smoker with hickory chips for this. Absolute game changer! I brought leftovers to my office potluck and no one could believe it was snake, everyone thought it was super smoky, tender pork at first. Will absolutely be adding this to my regular rotation for quirky dinner parties.
Took this recipe on my backcountry camping trip last weekend, used a portable stick smoker with hickory we brought with us and cooked up a gopher snake we caught near our campsite. Tasted better than any smoked chicken or pork I’ve made at home! The spice rub is chef’s kiss, not too heavy so the smoke and meat flavor shines. 10/10, already planning to make this for our fall hunting camp.
Y’all I brought this to my neighborhood block party on Saturday and people were lined up to try it! I was worried folks would be weirded out by snake, but the hickory smoke smell wafting over the whole block drew everyone in before I even finished setting up my table. The spice blend has just the right little kick from the paprika and cayenne, not too spicy for kids but flavorful enough for the BBQ fanatics. My husband already asked me to make a double batch for his work cookoff next month.
I wanted to love this, I really did. I followed the recipe exactly, used farm-raised diamondback rattlesnake, kept my smoker at a steady 225 like directed, but mine came out a little tougher than I expected. The flavor was amazing, don’t get me wrong, the hickory and spice rub was chef’s kiss, but the texture was just a little chewy for me. Any tips for next time?
Wait a second, this is perfect for meal prep?! I made a big batch yesterday, portioned it out with roasted veggies and smoked potatoes, and it’s held up amazing in the fridge for lunches this week. The flavor gets even better after a day, honestly. I never would have thought to use snake for weekly meal prep but it’s lean, high protein, and way more exciting than boring old chicken breast. Game changer for my work lunch routine!
Grew up eating rattlesnake fry bread tacos at county fairs but never thought to smoke it slow with hickory. This recipe blew my mind, it tastes like the best smoked ribs I’ve ever had but way leaner. Made it for my little cousin’s birthday cookout and all the kids went crazy for it, they thought it was so cool they were eating “snake on a stick” when I served it cut up on skewers. 10/10, this is going to be my new go-to for every fair-themed cookout I host from now on.