Southern Fried Rabbit

Growing up, I didn’t really ever question what I was eating, especially if it tasted good. While a lot of people are turned off by the thought of eating a furry and cute creature like a rabbit, I’m not, mostly because I’ve eaten it a lot and I think it’s delicious, especially when it’s smothered, stewed, or fried.

If you don’t mind the idea of eating rabbit, you may have avoided seeking it out because you’ve been told that they’re difficult to find or prepare, which isn’t really true. Sure, they can be a little hard to find, you can find them at specialty grocery stores or put in an order at your local butcher, who might be able to help you out. Luckily for me, I’ve usually found rabbit farmers near where I’ve lived, and I’ll buy a few at a time, mostly processed (skin and innards removed, sometimes the head and feet removed, too), and freeze them. It’s cheaper to buy them this way, and since the main obstacle to buying rabbit after figuring out where to buy them is that the little critters are relatively expensive, it’s a good tip. If you don’t mind the cost, you can buy rabbit online, and you can usually get them broken down into individual serving pieces, so you don’t have to do that yourself.

However, rabbit isn’t difficult to prepare at all. The only thing that’s tricky about it is it’s quite lean, so you can easily overcook it, which makes the meat tough and dry. But if you can cook chicken you can cook rabbit, since it tastes sort of similar and is just as easy to prepare.

A Brine Keeps the Rabbit Moist

This recipe for fried rabbit is essentially the same as one for fried chicken: the meat is brined, dredged, and fried until crisp on the outside and juicy inside. For the brine, I use buttermilk and a mix of fresh herbs and dried spices. The mustard, paprika, and pepper add bite and a subtle smoky heat to the rabbit, the onion and garlic powders provide a more rounded, savory flavor, and the fresh thyme and rosemary brightens everything up a bit. And while the combination seasons the rabbit nicely, the buttermilk and salt give you a little wiggle room to ensure that the cooked rabbit doesn’t dry out. (Truthfully, you could use your favorite fried chicken recipe and just replace the chicken with rabbit, so long as that recipe calls for a brine—the brine is important!) Then I dredge the rabbit in a simple mixture of all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper, and let it rest for a little bit, which helps to keep the coating from falling off the rabbit in the fryer.

I love eating this fried rabbit for an anytime meal. It makes a great breakfast or brunch protein and is absolutely insane with biscuits and gravy or grits. Slice it or dice it up while cold and add it to a sandwich or salad for lunch. And, of course, it expands your dinner options, especially when you’re tired of eating chicken or fish or when you want to impress guests.