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    Home » By Ingredient » Venison / Rabbit / Game » Smoked Rabbit

    Smoked Rabbit

    Posted on June 17, 2022 By Beth Neels

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    Smoked rabbit Pinterest image with text overlay.
    Smoked rabbit Pinterest image with text overlay.

    This is a surprisingly delicious way to cook rabbit. This smoked rabbit is cooked low and slow and is tender and moist.

    Smoked rabbit on metal tray with handle.
    Smoked Rabbit

    Rabbit is just plain delicious. It can be cooked in a variety of ways. Stewed, braised and fried, among others. It’s as versatile as chicken and often eaten in Italy and France. Smoking is one of our favorite ways to cook it.

    The key getting tender and juicy smoked rabbit is to cook it low and slow. It’s also important to brine the rabbit ahead of smoking.

    You can use a domestic rabbit or a rabbit that you harvested for this recipe.

    What you need

    For the brine

    • water
    • sugar
    • salt
    • thyme
    • rosemary
    Ingredients for brining rabbit. See details in recipe below.
    Ingredients for brining rabbit.

    For rub

    • granulated garlic or garlic powder
    • rosemary
    • kosher or sea salt
    • black pepper
    • onion powder
    • thyme
    Ingredients for the rub for rabbit. See details in recipe below.
    Ingredients for the rub for rabbit.

    How to make it

    Separate rabbit into pieces. The loin saddle, front legs with thighs and back legs with thighs.

    Step One

    Combine salt and sugar in a medium saucepan.

    Salt and sugar in pot.
    Add salt and sugar to a saucepan.

    Step Two

    Add water. Heat and stir until salt and sugar dissolve.

    Water added to pot with salt and sugar.
    Add water. Heat until salt and sugar dissolve.

    Step Three

    Pour brine into medium bowl and cool. Ice cubes will help it cool down faster.

    Ice cubes in bowl with brine.
    Once dissolved pour brine into bowl and cool. Add ice to speed up the process.

    Step Four

    Add rabbit and spices to a glass or plastic bowl with a lid.

    You can also place it in a 1-gallon plastic resealable bag.

    Rabbit pieces in plastic storage container with spices.
    Add rabbit and spices to a glass or plastic container with a lid.

    Step Five

    Pour cooled brine onto rabbit. Mix. Add cold water, if needed to cover the meat.

    Brine added to rabbit and spices.
    Add brine to rabbit.

    Cover or seal bag and move to a bowl in the refrigerator to brine overnight.

    Step Six

    Add dry rub ingredients to a small bowl or plastic container.

    Spices in a plastic bowl.
    Add rub ingredients to a bowl.

    Step Seven

    Shake or stir with a spoon to mix spices.

    Rub mixed up in plastic container.
    Shake or use a spoon to mix well.

    Step Eight

    One hour before smoking, rinse with cold water.

    Discard brine.

    Rabbit after brining.
    Remove rabbit from fridge. Rinse off brine.

    Step Nine

    Pat meat dry with a paper towel.

    Patting meat dry with paper towel.
    Pat dry with paper towels.

    Step Ten

    Coat all surfaces of the rabbit with dry rub.

    Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for about an hour.

    Dry rub rubbed onto meat.
    Coat all sides of meat with rub.

    Set up smoker with wood chips or pellets. Preheat to 200 degrees F / 95 degrees C.

    Step Eleven

    Place pieces directly onto the smoker rack.

    Rabbit in smoker.
    Place rabbit into preheated smoker.

    Smoke rabbit for 5-6 hours until internal temperature reaches 160°F / 70°C. Measure temperature in the thickest part of the back thigh. Remove it from the smoker to a large platter. Tent with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 10 minutes. In the first 5 minutes, internal temperature should raise to 165°F / 73°C.

    What type of wood to use

    With mild flavored meats, like rabbit, poultry and seafood we prefer fruit woods. Apple, cherry or pecan are best.

    Metal tray with rabbit pieces.

    What if I don’t own a smoker?

    If you don’t own a smoker, you can still enjoy smoked meats. You can use your grill to smoke. Set up your grill so that the fire is only on one side. You will place the meat on the side of the grill that does not have the direct flame (indirect heat). This is called indirect cooking.

    Add soaked wood to a metal tray (we use a disposable foil pie plate or bread pan). Add another metal tray with water. Place water and wood chips on the side of the grill with the fire. Remember to fill the water if it runs out.

    You can also create a similar setup for your oven in a pinch or in the winter.

    How to serve the rabbit

    • Slice and serve for dinner with potatoes or rice and side salad with blackberry vinaigrette.
    • Serve with your favorite bbq sauce, smoked potatoes wedges with cornbread and coleslaw
    • Cut into chunks and add it to our smoked mac and cheese.
    • Slice and serve on charcuterie boards or grazing platters.
    • Slice it and serve leftovers in sandwiches or chef salads.
    • Add to chilis, soups or stews for an additional smoky flavor.
    • Make rabbit tacos with leftovers.
    Rabbit leg with cornbread and smoked potatoes.

    What to do with leftovers

    Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Leftovers can be vacuum sealed and frozen in individual use portions for 3-4 months.

    More recipes with rabbit

    • Rabbit Coconut Curry
    • Rabbit Loin Parmigiana
    • Rabbit Tacos

    More smoked recipes

    • Smoked Beef Brisket
    • Smoked NY Strip
    • Venison Brisket
    • Smoked Oysters
    • Venison Backstrap

    Helpful tools

    • gas grill / smoker
    • Apple chips or pellets

    Contains affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you go to the link and purchase something, at no additional cost to you. See FTC Disclosure, here.

    Pieces of rabbit on metal serving tray.
    Smoked Rabbit

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    If you have any questions or comments, please ask in comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!

    I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

    Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

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    Smoked rabbit on metal platter.

    Smoked Rabbit

    This is a surprisingly delicious way to cook rabbit. This smoked rabbit is cooked low and slow and is tender and moist.
    See Step by Step Photos Above!Most of our recipes have step by step photos and videos! Also helpful tips so that you can make it perfectly the first time and every time! Scroll up to see them!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: entree, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours
    Brining time: 12 hours
    Total Time: 17 hours 10 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 390kcal
    Author: Beth Neels
    Cost: $3

    Ingredients

    For the brine

    • water
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ⅔ cup salt
    • 3 teaspoon thyme
    • 2 teaspoon rosemary
    • 2 Rabbit

    For Smoking

    • 2 tablespoons salt
    • 2 tablespoons garlic, granulated
    • 2 teaspoons pepper
    • 1 tablespoon onion powder
    • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
    • 2 teaspoons rosemary

    Instructions

    • Add salt and sugar to a medium saucepan.
      1 cup sugar, ⅔ cup salt
    • Add two cups water. Heat and stir to dissolve.
      water
    • Pour brine into a medium bowl to cool it down. Adding ice will speed up the process.
    • Add rabbit and spices to a glass or plastic bowl with a lid.
      3 teaspoon thyme, 2 teaspoon rosemary, 2 Rabbit
    • Pour cooled brine onto rabbit. Mix. Add cold water, if needed to cover the meat.
    • Cover and move to the refrigerator to brine overnight.
    • Add dry rub ingredients to a small bowl or plastic container.
      2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons garlic, granulated, 2 teaspoons pepper, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 teaspoons rosemary
    • Shake or stir with a spoon to mix spices.
    • Remove rabbit from the fridge about one hour before smoking to come down closer to room temperature. Rinse with cold water.
      Discard brine.
    • Pat meat dry with a paper towel.
    • Coat all surfaces of the rabbit with dry rub.
    • Set up smoker with wood chips or pellets. Preheat to 200°F / 95°C.
    • Place pieces directly onto the smoker rack.
    • Smoke rabbit for 5-6 hours until internal temperature reaches 160°F / 70°C. Measure temperature in the thickest part of the back thigh. Remove it from the smoker. Tent with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 10 minutes. In the first 5 minutes, internal temperature should raise to 165°F / 73°C.
    grill-gas/ smoker
    wood chips for smoking
    See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 203mg | Sodium: 11302mg | Potassium: 978mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 9mg
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    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you go to the link and purchase something, at no additional cost to you. See FTC Disclosure, here.

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