Pan Roasted Rabbit in Wine and Garlic Sauce is the best and easiest way to cook whole rabbit. I will show you not only how to cook the rabbit, but also how to make it flavorful and moist with minimum time and effort.
What does pan roasted rabbit taste like
The Italians and French, and also Russians eat rabbit the way Americans eat chicken, which is to say, quite often. Rabbit meat is white and tender, and in taste is very comparable to chicken.
How to defrost a rabbit
Usually, you will buy a whole rabbit that is frozen. It's important to let it defrost in a deep dish (whether it's a baking pan or a large plate) inside the fridge, as the process of defrosting a whole rabbit will release quite a bit of liquid and you don't want your fridge swimming in raw rabbit's juices.
What skillet to use for pan seared rabbit?
Your pan needs to be at least 12 inches as you need space in order to get that nice color on the rabbit. Space them too closely and the liquid will have nowhere to go, which means no caramelization and steamed rabbit instead of pan seared rabbit.
Make sure to use a good heavy skillet here, such as cast iron and make sure it's a large one too. I used 12 inch Lodge Pro-Logic Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet in this recipe - it's well designed, has a helper handle and sloped sides - very sleek looking for cast iron! And it's one of my most used kitchen tools!
A more traditional looking cast iron skillet that is also very well made is this 12 inch Lodge Cast Iron Skillet - it never sticks or leaves weird black dots like other cast iron skillets do. And it has over 9,000 positive reviews on Amazon:
It's very easy to get that nice golden color on the rabbit when using a large cast iron pan.
How to cut up a rabbit
Butchering a rabbit is no harder than cutting up a chicken. In fact, I used regular large knife that wasn't even sharpened recently and it was just fine.
Rabbit's bones are thinner than chicken's and it's very easy to cut. Much easier than it looks.
Lay a whole rabbit on the cutting board and prepare a large knife.
Cut the rabbit in 4 parts: back legs, 2 pieces for the bust and another piece front legs. Then divide the leg pieces in two so that each piece was only one leg.
That's it! It took me about 3 minutes.
How to cook rabbit
Make sure to use either sunflower oil or olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil, but regular cooking olive oil). Sunflower oil is a better choice here due to its high heating point, but if you don't have it, olive oil will do a great job as well.
Add the rabbit pieces and sear them on all sides until it is all well browned (5 minutes per each side).
Be patient when pan searing the rabbit
It's important to be patient when coloring the meat - don't turn too often. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper while it's cooking.
Let's add rabbit pieces to the hot pan and start cooking!
Deglaze with wine
Make sure that the pan is on medium heat now. Season the rabbit again and deglaze with white wine to get all the caramelized juices from the bottom of the pan. After the wine evaporated, we're left with syrupy substance of the wine. Now add chicken stock.
Roast the rabbit
Put the pan with the rabbit pieces into the preheated oven and roast for about 30 minutes until the internal temperature is about 140 to 145°F.
One thing to keep in mind is that the meat will continue to cook while it is resting, and the internal temperature will reach the desired temperature of about 150°F.
Enjoy!
Interested in more pan seared dishes?
How about these delicious recipes:
Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs in Wine Sauce
Dijon Mustard French Style Chicken and Potatoes
How to Cook Rabbit in Wine and Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or sunflower oil)
- 1.5 lb. rabbit (defrosted and cut up)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup chicken stock
- sea salt
- fresh thyme
- a splash of water
Instructions
Cut the rabbit down
- Using a very sharp knife or a meat cleaver, cut the rabbit in 4 parts: back legs, 2 pieces for the bust and another piece front legs. Then divide the leg pieces in two so that each piece was only one leg.
Pan Sear the Rabbit
- Heat a large pan on medium-high heat and add oil to the pan. Add the rabbit pieces and sear them on all sides until it is all well browned (5 minutes per each side). It's important to be patient when coloring the meat - don't turn too often. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper while it's cooking.
- Reduce the heat slightly and add chopped garlic to the pan. Brown the garlic while continuing to cook rabbit, about 2-3 minutes. Make sure that the pan is not too hot at this point.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Make sure that the pan is on medium heat now. Season the rabbit again and deglaze with white wine to get all the caramelized juices from the bottom of the pan. After the wine evaporated, we're left with syrupy substance of the wine. Now add chicken stock.
- Put the pan with the rabbit pieces into the preheated oven and roast for about 30 minutes until the internal temperature is about 140 to 145°F.One thing to keep in mind is that the meat will continue to cook while it is resting, and the internal temperature will reach the desired temperature of about 150°F.
- Serve with fresh thyme.
Tammy says
Used this recipe to cook my first rabbit and it was perfection!! I’m getting ready to do another and using this recipe again, thanks so much for it!!! My husband and son have continually asked when we’re having one!!
Olya says
Wow! Amazing success with the first rabbit, especially with that wonderful feedback from the family!
Sharrry says
ohhh yummy
Frank says
Sooooo good! First time cooking rabbit using this recipe and it was amazing!
Olya says
Thanks so much, Frank!
donald murrill says
I cooked rabbit for the first time using your recipe and it was a absolute joy to all of us. Thank you for this.
Olya says
Sounds like you nailed it, Donald!
Lily says
Hello, first time cooking rabbit so I'm not sure if I need to brine it first and then use your recipe? Would love to know asap
Olya says
I did not brine my rabbit, but if I did - it would be more tender. If you have time - I think you should brine it first.
George says
I used 4 young, small rabbits, followed the recipe closely, except also added a little fresh chopped rosemary. Came out great. Glad I read the notes about adding a little water whilst baking too.
Olya says
Yes!!! Thank you for reporting all the details back - I love fresh chopped rosemary addition! And thank you for a 5-star rating, George!
Tim says
This looks awesome. I've wanted to try cooking rabbit for ages so I'll have to give this recipe a go!
Olya says
I think you will enjoy this very much!
Christine Blankenship says
This recipe turned out fantastic! I made it with my very first homegrown rabbit and it impressed my husband enormously! Now he thinks this is the only way rabbit should be prepared! Thank you!!
Olya says
I tend to agree with your husband on this:)!
Amber says
Hello. I am so sensitive to to oils, esp processed cooking oils, that they often trigger headaches/migraines. Dag nabbit. I have found that I am ok with cold-pressed evoo, unrefined coconut, and unrefined avocado. All three of these have distinctive flavors, though, being unrefined. Do you have a suggestion as to which flavor might be least distracting with rabbit, please?
Thx so much.
Amber
Olya says
I would use avocado oil and evoo would be my second choice.
Amber says
Thank you for your suggestions. 🙂
Chuck says
On harvested Rabbits make sure to check the liver for spots. If spots are present the animal probably has tularemia and the meat needs to be discarded. I skipped the chicken broth for a more "natural" taste. Great prep steps thanks for the article.
Olya says
Thank you for the tips about the liver, Chuck!
Lauren says
Hi - tried this recipe and followed the instructions to a T. By the time I was ready to put the skillet in the oven, the internal temperature of the rabbit was already around 170 degrees.
Did this happen with anyone else?
Olya says
Your rabbit may have been very lean. With bones in, correct?