We’ve been raising meat rabbits for about 4 years now, which means we know also know a bit about how to cook meat rabbits!
If you’re interested in reading all about how we raise our meat rabbits and why we love having them on the homestead, be sure to head here.
When you cook meat rabbits it’s all about how you prepare them! But, it is also about the quality. Wild rabbits just don’t taste as good as home-raised ones. They are skinnier, gamier, and a whole lot tougher.
It begins on your butchering day. After we skin and gut the rabbits, we place them in a tub of ice-cold water and let them soak overnight. The next day we portion them and package them for the freezer. Letting them soak overnight is key to delicious rabbit meat.
We eat and cook meat rabbits about two times every week as they are one of the main meat sources for our family. We always have a freezer full of them and love the health benefits their meat gives us!
Let’s dive in deeper…
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Why Farm-Raised Meat Rabbits Are Better
Rabbits you raise yourself are tastier and healthier than wild rabbits! Plus, we have even come to enjoy them more than chicken!
Wild rabbits will taste much gamier and the flavor will be quite distinct. When you raise your meat rabbits you will find the flavor to be delicious, especially as you learn to cook it in various ways.
Rabbit meat is highest in protein, lowest in fat, less calories per pound, and highest in moisture compared to chicken, beef, and pork. It is a superfood that is expensive to buy and a great price in you raise them yourselves!
Related Post: 6 Reasons We Don’t Pasture Raise Our Meat Rabbits Anymore
We love raising our meat rabbits because they are quiet, content, happy, and produce lots of babies. They are ready to butcher and put in the freezer in just four months and require little maintenance. Plus we love the manure for our gardens, making them basically pay for themselves!
The rabbits are also easy to butcher and store, and they make any meal quick and easy. They are as versatile as cooking a chicken and, in our opinion, even tastier!
How To Replace Rabbit In Recipes
Another key to how to cook meat rabbits is to think about how you will like to prepare them! Meat rabbits can replace any recipe with chicken, especially a recipe with bone-in chicken. If you have a favorite crockpot meal that says to throw in bone-in chicken, just throw in your portioned rabbit instead!
Otherwise, you can easily cook your meat rabbits and shred the meat off and have a shredded chicken alternative for any recipe or dish you love to cook.
After we butchered our first meat rabbits I felt overwhelmed because I didn’t know how to cook them by incorporating them into my recipes. When I realized this simple exchange of rabbit for chicken it was like a lightbulb went off!
Rabbit meat is essentially chicken with a slightly different flavor. Don’t be fooled into thinking you need to learn new recipes or only eat your rabbits plain. You can enjoy meat rabbits in thousands of different ways!
Related Post: 7 Meat Rabbit Books You Need To Read To Start Your Rabbitry
Instant Pot Method To Cook Meat Rabbits
My favorite way to cook meat rabbits is to use the Instant Pot! I enjoy this because it is quicker, and easier, and keeps the meat out of the water it releases during the cooking process.
First, I take our portioned meat out of the freezer and let it dethaw. Then I set this baking sling in the Instant Pot over 1 inch of water and place the rabbit meat inside. I cook it on high pressure for 8 minutes if I have one rabbit or 12 minutes if I have two. Then I manually release the pressure when it is done!
If your rabbit is frozen, you can still cook it in the Instant Pot! I would cook it for at least 15 minutes and then check it thoroughly to make sure it is completely cooked through.
As far as seasoning goes, I prefer to season after but you could also season them before. A dry rub of salt and various spices is great or soaking the rabbit in a marinade beforehand is delicious too.
Depending on how you are serving the meat, you may want it to be crispy. Transfer the rabbit meat to an oven-safe dish and broil until you notice a crispy skin appearing. You can also grill the rabbit meat as well to finish it off.
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Other Preferred Methods
You can also cook meat rabbits in the oven. Just place them in an oven-safe dish and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
I do not prefer this method because it takes quite a bit longer and the rabbits tend to sit in the all moisture they release, as they release more than what you are used to various chicken cuts releasing. This almost makes the rabbit meat slightly soggy. You could prevent this by adding a rack to your baking dish like the Instant Pot requires.
As I previously mentioned, throwing your portioned rabbit into a crockpot with other ingredients and letting it cook all day is another great family meal idea! Just replace any recipe that calls for bone-in chicken with your rabbit meat!
In the summer we love to grill our rabbit meat! We usually throw it on the grill after it cooks in the instant pot to make sure it is fully cooked and to make the process quicker. However, you can place the raw meat on the grill and let it cook for a while. Check that the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit so that you know it is cooked fully and safe to eat!
All in all, just treat your rabbit meat like fresh chicken from the grocery store! Replace your chicken-heavy meals with rabbit instead and enjoy the added nutritional benefits!
After eating rabbit meat for several years now we actually prefer the taste of it to chicken! You might notice the taste difference a bit at first. But, as you eat more of it and learn to cook it, you will be blown away by the flavor!
Did this blog post help you? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma
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