Southern Fried Frog Backstraps (And Legs)

Fried frog legs have always been a summer staple for me. As a kid, we’d head out on hot summer nights, gig and flashlight in hand, in hopes of bringing home enough frogs for a mess of fried frog legs.

A good mess of summertime bullfrogs means a good meal is on the way. All images by author

We always kept only the legs, but I always wondered if there was more meat on our hard-earned frogs than we were saving. There is. Believe it or not, bullfrogs have some meat on their back. Big Booner frogs, in particular, have a sizable strip of meat along either side of the backbone, frog backstraps, if you will.

Larger frogs have some meat along their backbone.

Next time you find yourself with a mess of frogs to skin, try keeping the back and legs attached. Skin them the same way you would for the legs, just move your cut up to just behind the front legs instead of at the hips. After you cut off the head, stick a finger in and remove the entrails.

Move your cut up to just behind the front legs.

Next, just like skinning the legs, grab the skin with a pair of pliers and strip it off. You can remove the back feet, or leave them attached and pull the skin all the way off as you go. Once you get the rhythm down, it only adds a few seconds to the skinning time for each frog and you get an extra bite or two of tasty frog meat for your troubles.

Peel the skin off with a pair of pliers.

Cook the same way. My go to breading for frogs is a four-part dredge of 1 cup Kentucky Kernel seasoned flour, 1 cup yellow or white corn meal, two tablespoons of Cajun seasoning for a little kick, and a pack of Louisiana brand shrimp breading.

Mix the dredge ingredients in a shallow dish.

I started using this one for fried shrimp years ago and I have yet to find one I like better. I like it so much that I have started using it for other fried foods, like turtle or these frog legs.

To cook, simply heat a half inch of vegetable or peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Mix the dredge ingredients in a shallow dish and dip the frogs, one at a time, into the mix, making sure the entire surface is coated well.

Coat the frogs well with the breading mixture.

Once your oil is hot (around 325-350 degrees is perfect), lay the frogs in. Cook in batches, don’t overcrowd the pan and keep everything one layer deep. Fry on both sides for 4-6 minutes, then move the frogs to a paper lined platter and continue the frying process until all frogs are finished.

Fry the frogs in batches for maximum crispness.

While we most often have these for dinner, one of my favorite breakfasts of all time is a big plate of eggs, biscuits, gravy, and fried frog legs.