Rabbit Curry
This Rabbit Curry is a hearty, coconut-based stew that’s perfect on a cold night. The tender rabbit soaks up all the spices, creating a rich and comforting dish you’ll want to make all winter long. You can use wild or farmed rabbit, and it works beautifully in either a slow cooker or a Dutch oven.
🍽️ Recipe Name: Rabbit Coconut Curry
⏰ Ready In: 3 hours 20 minutes, mostly hands-off.
⏳ Prep Time: 20 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 3 hours
👥 Serves: 4
🥕Main Ingredients: Rabbit meat pieces, chick peas, vegetables, spices, broth.
🍳 Special Equipment: Slow cooker
⭐ Why You’ll Love It: This is a meaty stew with warm spices, creamy coconut broth, and tender rabbit that practically falls off the bone.
👇 Full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Rabbit meat is lean, mild, and surprisingly versatile. During hunting season, we often use wild rabbits. Our beagles love helping track them down. But you can also find farm-raised rabbit at many grocers, usually in the freezer section
Why This Recipe Works
- Cooks low and slow for tender, flavorful meat
- Coconut milk adds creaminess without dairy
- Naturally gluten-free and packed with vegetables
- Great for meal prep as the flavors deepen overnight
- Easy to adapt for the crockpot or stovetop
What You Need
- Meaty rabbit pieces: As previously mentioned, use wild or farmed rabbits.
- Carrots: Carrots add a sweet note to the stew.
- Mushrooms: Add earthy, meaty depth to the stew.
- Onions: Build the flavor base and add natural sweetness as they caramelize.
- Garlic: Enhances the curry’s savory depth and complements the spices perfectly.
- Chickpeas: Add additional protein and a soft texture.
- Green chiles: Canned green chiles add a mild heat to the stew.
- Ras el hanout: This Moroccan spice blend, often containing turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, is rich in flavor.
- Tomato: Use either fresh cherry or chopped tomatoes. Canned tomatoes contain too much liquid.
- Coconut milk: Adds a sweet, nutty flavor.
- Stock: Use vegetable or chicken stock. Beef stock will overpower the mild rabbit.
How to Make it
Brown rabbit pieces in a cast-iron skillet.
Lightly brown onions in the same skillet.
Add garlic and mushrooms, and sauté until the mushrooms soften.
Next, add the carrots; just sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add tomatoes and spices. Sauté until spices are fragrant.
Cover with vegetable or chicken stock.
Add the green chiles. At this point, you can braise it in a 300°F oven for about 1.5 hours, or transfer it to a crockpot.
Place the rabbit in the crockpot.
Cover the rabbit with the remaining stew.
Cook on low for about 5 hours. Add chickpeas and coconut milk about an hour before serving. Thicken with cornstarch slurry, if desired. Stew can be left on the stove and cooked over very low heat for 2-3 hours. Cook the rabbit until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze the cooled curry for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat.
Pro Tips for Success
- For the best flavor, make it a day ahead.
- Use fresh or cherry tomatoes for a thicker stew.
- Pair with spiced rice cooked with a cinnamon stick and golden raisins.
- Ras el hanout adds warmth and depth. Look for it in specialty stores or online.
- If you’re using both the legs and loins, cook the legs for 2 1/2 hours. Then add the loins to the stew and only cook for 30 minutes.
What to Serve with Rabbit Curry
- Basmati rice
- Couscous
- Warm naan bread
- Roasted root vegetables
- Simple cucumber salad
Easy Substitutions
- Use chicken thighs if rabbit is unavailable.
- White beans work instead of chickpeas.
- Sweet potatoes can replace carrots.
- Add extra green chiles for more heat.
Other Delicious Stews and Curries
Tools That Make This Recipe Work
If you don’t already have these, this is where most people struggle.
- Frying Pan– Builds the base flavor by properly browning the meat before it goes into the sauce. Without a good sear, the curry can taste flat instead of rich and layered.
- Crock pot– Slowly breaks down tougher wild rabbit until it becomes tender and easy to pull apart. Skipping slow cooking often leaves the meat chewy and difficult to enjoy.
- Chef’s Knife – Keeps prep clean and controlled when breaking down the rabbit and chopping aromatics. A dull or small knife slows everything down and makes prep uneven, which affects how the flavors build in the pot.
This pan works well for building flavor at the start of cooking. It gives enough space to cook meat and vegetables in batches.
This knife handles heavy prep work like portioning meat and slicing aromatics. It keeps control steady when working with tougher proteins.
If you’re looking for a hearty cold-weather meal that feels rustic and comforting, this wild rabbit curry deserves a spot on your table. The warm spices and creamy coconut broth make every bite rich and satisfying.
Rabbit Curry
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil plus more for browning if necessary
- 1¼ lbs Rabbit either whole rabbit or meaty pieces, such as legs
- 1 cup Onion diced
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 lb mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups baby carrots
- 2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Ras – el – Hanout
- 2½ cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 4 oz diced green chilies undrained
- 12 ripe cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 13½ oz Coconut milk
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup cold water
Instructions
- Place olive oil in a Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet. Brown the rabbit over very high heat, turn, brown the other side, and remove quickly to a plate. Set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Lightly brown onions in the same skillet.
- Add garlic and mushrooms. Stir occasionally. Add more oil, if needed. When the mushrooms are soft and starting to brown on the edges, add the carrots. Stir for about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and spices and cook, stirring for about two more minutes, until spices are fragrant.
- Add the vegetable or chicken stock and green chillies
- Bring to boil, then turn down to very low. The stew should just simmer.
- Simmer for at least 2 to 3 hours.
- I always think it's best to plan on 2 cooking days for a great stew. Cool, and refrigerate overnight.
- About 1 hour before dinner the next day, reheat the Dutch oven on the stove.
- Just before serving, 20 minutes in the Dutch oven, add the coconut milk. Let that heat through.
- Mix the corn starch and water together in a small bowl. Whisk into the stew, five minutes before serving. Stir often until serving. If the stew starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, scrape the bottom of the pan clean. Low heat and stir more afterwards.
- Serve with Cinnamon fruity Rice.
For the slow cooker
- For the slow cooker. Add the rabbit pieces. Top them with the vegetables and sauce. Slow cook for about 5 hours.
- About 3 hours before dinner the next day, start the slow cooker on low and cook. Or cook on high for about an hour to heat the stew.
- One hour before serving, add the coconut milk and chickpeas.
- Fifteen minutes before serving, add the cornstarch slurry.
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Nutrition
Originally Published January 13, 2015. Updated November 18, 2025.
Recipe Name: Rabbit Coconut Curry
Type: Stew / Curry
Main Ingredients: Rabbit, coconut milk, carrots, mushrooms, onions, garlic, chickpeas, ras el hanout, tomato
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours (slow cooker) or 2–3 hours (stovetop)
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Special Equipment: Cast iron skillet, crockpot or Dutch oven
Great For: Cold-weather dinners, hunters, dairy-free comfort meals
