Is Snakehead Good to Eat? Yes — Here's Why

Ask anyone who's tried it: snakehead is delicious. The fillets are firm and white with a clean, mild flavor and large, easy-to-manage flakes. It holds together in the pan far better than most freshwater fish, so it fries, blackens, grills and bakes equally well.

How to fillet it

Fillet it like a bass: down the spine, over the ribs, then skin the fillet. Trim the row of rib bones and pull any pin bones. You'll end up with two clean, thick, boneless fillets.

Handling & safety

Bleed and ice your fish soon after harvest for the best quality. Cook to an internal temperature of 145°F. Only keep fish from waters where harvest is legal, and always follow any local fish-consumption advisories.

Try it

Start with our Chesapeake fried snakehead or blackened snakehead tacos. Once you taste it, catch-and-harvest stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like grocery shopping.