This recipe will teach you how to make perfect fried frog legs, including a lime marinade and a vegetable side dish!
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This recipe for “Mountain Chicken” or “Frog Legs” was once the national dish of Dominica.
Despite its abundance of fruit, vegetables, water, and wildlife, Dominica actually is only home to four amphibians, one of which is called the Crapaud.
The Crapaud is a frog that at one time was incredibly abundant in the country. So abundant, in fact, that frying up its legs was the national dish of Dominica for quite some time.
Unfortunately, in the early 2000, the species contracted a fungal infection called Chytridiomycosis (Chytrid), which killed off a majority of the species. The Crapaud is now nearing extinction, so you will no longer find it on the plates of the Dominicans.
For this reason, this Frog Legs Recipe doesn’t use Crapaud. Instead, we use typical frogs’ legs that you can find at your local butcher. They are marinated, dipped in flour and then fried up on the stove for a unique and delicious appetizer or meal!
Why Make this Recipe
- “Travel” to Dominica: Though “Mountain Chicken” isn’t the national dish of the country anymore, making this recipe is still a great way to get a true Dominican experience! You can easily take a trip through time and space to a Dominica of the past without ever leaving your kitchen!
- A Unique Experience: It’s not very often that frog legs are prepared. In my family, we always considered them a delicacy, and one that my grandmother loves ordering at her favorite restaurant. You can easily make this delicacy at home by following the easy steps below
- To Find Out…. Does Frog Really Taste Like Chicken?: You’ll have to make it and see 😉
What Ingredients are in this Recipe?
- Frog Legs: I visited my local butcher and was easily able to purchase the frog legs that they carried behind the counter. Frog legs are small, and come in pairs (the legs are still attached at time of purchase). For an appetizer, I would recommend buying 2 sets of legs per person. For a full meal, you may need quite a bit more.
- Plantain: A plantain looks like a banana but could be more likened to the taste and texture of a potato. For this recipe, purchase a plantain that still has green skin. The less ripe the plantain, the better. For instructions on how to peel your plantain, watch this Youtube Video on how to make plantains. You may omit the vegetables in this recipe if you wish, though they are a delicious side dish.
How to Make this Recipe
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Step 1: Make the Vegetables
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peel the yam and plantain. Cut the yam into cubes, the plantain into rounds, and the pepper into strips and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil as well as some kosher salt and pepper.
Roast for about 20-30 minutes (or more to preference), until the veggies are soft and cooked.
Step 2: Marinate the Frog Legs
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar, and thyme. Pour into a large plastic bag, then place the frog legs in the bag as well.
Allow the frog legs to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
Step 3: Cook the Frog Legs
When the frog legs are done marinating, remove them from the bag.
Pour the flour into a shallow bowl. Dip each frog leg in the flour, giving it a light coating.
Heat the vegetable oil so that when you put the frog legs in, they begin to bubble after about 1-2 seconds. Place the floured frog legs in the oil and heat until they turn golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
The internal temperature of cooked frog legs is about 145. You can also check doneness by sight, as the cooked meat will look similar to the cooked dark meat of chicken.
Serve with vegetables and your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Frog legs cook very similar to chicken. If you are trying to figure out if your frog legs are cooked, cut into one of them. The meat will look just like cooked dark meat on a chicken leg! You can also test by checking the internal temperature, which should be about 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Test the temperature of your oil with one frog leg first. The oil should bubble within 1-2 seconds of adding the meat in the pan! If the outside is cooking too quickly (or even burning) but the inside is still raw, reduce the heat on the stove top. Wait a few minutes before trying to fry the frog legs again.
Recipe FAQs
Are Frog Legs Safe to Eat?
There are some meats that we’re just not used to eating…. Alligator, snail, or even frog legs! Just because we don’t typically eat frog legs on a normal basis, doesn’t mean they’re not safe to eat.
I went to my local butcher and bought frog legs from him, meaning that I trust the frog legs as much as I trust the chicken and the beef that he sells me!
What Should I Serve with this Recipe?
The recipe includes instructions for roasted vegetables like yams, green pepper, and plantains.
Some other great sides would be brown rice, tostones, or coconut rice and milk.
Did you like this recipe? If so, make sure to check out some of the other recipes on my site that I picked out just for you!
- Chicken Feet from China
- Machboos from Bahrain
- Pineapple Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Wiener Schnitzel from Austria
Frog Legs Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetable Ingredients
- 1 yam
- 1 plantain
- 1 green pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper to Taste (Use code FF20 for 20% off)
Frog Leg Ingredients
- 6 frog legs
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ tsp Salt, or more to taste
- ½ tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp garlic
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp thyme
- ½ cup flour
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
Vegetable Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel the yam and plantain. Cut the yam into cubes, the plantain into rounds, and the pepper into strips and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil as well as some kosher salt and pepper.
- Roast for about 20-30 minutes (or more to preference), until the veggies are soft and cooked.
Frog Legs Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar, and thyme. Pour into a large plastic bag, then place the frog legs in the bag as well. Allow the frog legs to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
- When the frog legs are done marinating, remove them from the bag.
- Pour the flour into a shallow bowl. Dip each frog leg in the flour, giving it a light coating.
- Heat the vegetable oil so that when you put the frog legs in, they begin to bubble after about 1-2 seconds. Place the floured frog legs in the oil and heat until they turn golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
- The internal temperature of cooked frog legs is about 145. You can also check doneness by sight, as the cooked meat will look similar to the cooked dark meat of chicken.
- Serve with vegetables and your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Frog Legs: I visited my local butcher and was easily able to purchase the frog legs that they carried behind the counter. Frog legs are small, and come in pairs (the legs are still attached at time of purchase). For an appetizer, I would recommend buying 2 sets of legs per person. For a full meal, you may need quite a bit more.
- Plantain: A plantain looks like a banana but could be more likened to the taste and texture of a potato. For this recipe, purchase a plantain that still has green skin. The less ripe the plantain, the better. For instructions on how to peel your plantain, watch this Youtube Video on how to make plantains. You may omit the vegetables in this recipe if you wish, though they are a delicious side dish.
- Frog legs cook very similar to chicken. If you are trying to figure out if your frog legs are cooked, cut into one of them. The meat will look just like cooked dark meat on a chicken leg! You can also test by checking the internal temperature, which should be about 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Test the temperature of your oil with one frog leg first. The oil should bubble within 1-2 seconds of adding the meat in the pan! If the outside is cooking too quickly (or even burning) but the inside is still raw, reduce the heat on the stove top. Wait a few minutes before trying to fry the frog legs again.
Jute Cromagnon says
You know they are cooked when they stop kicking in the pan. Fact. Don’t bother with all the veggies just get a bunch of legs into ya.
Matt says
I wasn’t sure about these at first…but they were completely worth it!
The Foreign Fork says
Haha!! That’s how my mom felt about them too. So glad that you liked them 🙂
Jacqueline says
These taste just like how my grandma used to make. So delicious!