ORLANDO, Fla. – One Florida man is putting an invasive species to good use — by turning them into tacos.
That man — Gray Davis — posted a recent video on TikTok in which he reveals his recipe for “iguana tacos,” made out of the invasive green iguana.
In the video, Davis can be heard discussing the iguanas, which are notorious for falling out of trees when the temperatures drop too low.
“A lot of people will go out and collect them to help control the number and the population,” Davis can be heard saying. “But they do have the nickname ‘Chicken of the Trees’ because they’re absolutely delicious.”
[BELOW: Florida woman gathers cold-stricken iguanas that fell from trees]
In the video, Davis can be seen picking up a frozen iguana from the ground. He says he then cleaned it and removed over 20 eggs from inside of it.
Afterward, he cooked the meat and eggs with several other ingredients, crafting several small tacos topped with pickled red onions, jalapeno and cilantro.
“Bon appetit,” Davis says, biting into one of the tacos. “Mmm, mmm, mmm — now that right there is a Florida Man taco. If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em."
@gray.davis Would you try Iguana Tacos? 🌮 🦎 #fyp #foryoupagе #catchandcook #iguana ♬ original sound - Gray Davis
Since it was originally posted, the video gone viral with over half a million likes. But it’s not the only video of its kind.
Davis’ channel (@gray.davis) features several other “catch-and-cook” videos, with many targeting invasive species.
“Iguanas are a major invasive in Florida, so turning one into a familiar, approachable dish like tacos felt like a good way to get people curious instead of turned off to the idea,” he told News 6.
[BELOW: Iguana fall from trees in Florida during cold snap]
Davis added that there was certainly trial-and-error in his earlier attempts at the dish, particularly when it came to finding the best way to break down the meat and cook it so that it remains tender. He decided on parcooking the meat first with seasonings and then crisping the meat, as it brings “the best texture, as well as flavor.”
As for what iguana tastes like?
“Flavor-wise, iguana is mild and clean,” he said. “The texture is similar to dark chicken, so it takes on seasoning really well. In taco form, most people are surprised by how familiar it tastes.”
[BELOW: South Florida pizzeria uses iguana meat to help fight invasive species]
Iguanas are cold-blooded reptiles, meaning they do not generate their own body heat and rely solely on external heat sources like the sun.
When temperatures drop significantly, likely below 50 degrees, the iguanas enter a dormant state. When temperatures drop in the mid-40s or colder, the effect intensifies, and the reptiles become cold-stunned.
Amid the most recent cold blast that sent Florida into freezing temperatures, over 5,000 invasive green iguanas were removed under a recent executive order that let people take these cold-stunned reptiles to select FWC offices.
[BELOW: News 6 takes a look at recent cold blast]