This hearty rabbit stew has BBQ undertones, tender veggies, and lots of tasty rabbit. It is a perfect way to turn rabbit into a warm and comforting meal.
Ever since my dad and brothers began raising rabbits for meat, I have been thinking about making rabbit stew. I think it harkens back to my childhood of seeing Bugs Bunny luxuriating in a cauldron with potatoes, onions and carrots before slipping away.
As I was researching recipes, I found a recipe for creamy hasenpfeffer in one of my great-grandma McCallum’s cookbooks that caught my eye. It is a German style recipe with mushrooms and a creamy broth that is hard to beat.
This time, I thought it would be fun to make a southern style stew. This recipe has big Brunswick stew vibes.
The fire roasted tomatoes and BBQ sauce bring the flavor without even having to light a grill or smoker. It is a great way to turn a rabbit or two into a dinner that the whole family will love.
I adapted the recipe from The Wild Game Gourmet. You should check him out if you want more game recipes.
Use Chicken If You Don’t Have Rabbit
Don’t worry if you don’t have rabbit, you could easily adapt this recipe to use chicken. Just use a few chicken leg quarters or a couple of split chicken breast in place of the rabbit.
Carlee’s Tips and Tricks
Breaking the rabbit down into pieces before searing it makes it easier to handle. If you are purchasing a rabbit from a butcher, ask them to do this for you.
Email Me The Link
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
You can split up the prep over a couple of days if you want to. Feel free to cook the rabbit and make the stock the day ahead and make the stew itself the next day.
Like most soups and stews, the leftovers are fabulous. They might even be better than the first day.
The stew base gets a lot of flavor from the BBQ sauce, so be sure to use one you like. One with a tomato and vinegar base works best.
We served our stew with some homemade corn muffins. It would also be great with crust bread, hard cider bread, or some buttery biscuits.
Anyway, we all thought this stew turned out lovely. My husband shared some leftovers with a friend who also liked it (even if he was only allowed 1 bite!) I hope you have a chance to give it a try.
Southern Style Rabbit Stew
Ingredients
Rabbit Stock
- 1-2 rabbits cut into pieces
- 2 carrots
- 1 small onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 cups water
Stew
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups rabbit stock
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1½ cups BBQ sauce vinegar/tomato based
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 12 oz bag frozen corn
- 5 cups diced potatoes
Instructions
Make the stock and prep the meat
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown 1-2 rabbits pieces in batches.
- Once all of the pieces have been browned, return all of the meat to the pot. Roughly cut 2 carrots into pieces and remove the skin from 1 small onion and cut in half. Add the veggies to the pot with the rabbit and 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 8 cups water.
- Cover and simmer for 1-1½ hours. The meat should be tender.
- Remove the rabbit pieces to cool. Strain the stock and reserve for use in the stew.
- Once the rabbit is cool enough to work, remove the meat from the bones and shred or chop into bite sized pieces. Put the meat in the refrigerator for use later.
Make the stew
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Chop 6 slices bacon into small pieces and add to the pot. Cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon starts to crisp up.
- Add 1 large onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 celery stalks, and 2 carrots. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour. Continue to cook and stir for 2 more minutes.
- Add 6 cups rabbit stock, 1 14.5 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes, 1½ cups BBQ sauce, 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.
- Stir in 1 12 oz bag frozen corn and 5 cups diced potatoes. Simmer for about 20 more minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Before serving, stir in the reserved rabbit and adjust the seasonings to your taste.
Notes
- 1 rabbit is plenty for a good tasting stew. If you like a meaty stew, use two rabbits.
- We like to use a Kansas City style BBQ sauce, but feel free to experiment with your favorite sauce.
- Adding the rabbit back at the end helps to keep it from getting overcooked.
- If you don’t have rabbit, try making this with chicken pieces instead.
Video
Email Me The Link
I’ll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Pinterest and Instagram for more!
Check out my collection of venison and game recipes for more tasty inspiration.
Get social!
Recipes in your inbox
