Smoked Rabbit
intro
Tender, apple wood-smoked rabbit coated in a savory paprika rub, juicy enough to pull off the bone, perfect for casual outdoor game-season gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Brine the rabbit
Whisk 60g kosher salt, 50g packed light brown sugar, 120ml apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, 6 crushed garlic cloves, and 3 bay leaves into 2L cold water until solids fully dissolve. Submerge the whole dressed rabbit completely in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 12 hours at 4°C (39°F) to lock in moisture and build base flavor.
Prep rabbit and smoker
Remove rabbit from brine and pat completely dry across all surfaces with paper towels. Mix 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp ground black pepper, and 1 tbsp light brown sugar to form the dry rub, then massage the rub evenly over every part of the rabbit. Preheat your offset smoker to 110°C (225°F), and drain 300g pre-soaked apple wood chips for smoking.
Begin low-temp smoke
Place the seasoned rabbit directly on the middle smoker rack, breast side up, with an aluminum drip pan underneath to catch rendered juices. Add half the drained apple wood chips to the hot charcoal, close the smoker lid, and maintain a steady internal cooking temperature of 107–121°C (225–250°F) for the first 1.5 hours, adding small amounts of charcoal as needed to hold consistent heat.
Monitor cook progress
After the first 1.5 hours of smoking, add the remaining drained apple wood chips to the coals. Insert a leave-in digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the rabbit’s hind leg, taking care to avoid touching bone, and continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 71°C (160°F), which takes an additional 1 to 1.5 hours. Limit lid openings to prevent heat and smoke loss.
Rest and tent meat
Carefully transfer the fully smoked rabbit to a clean wooden cutting board once it hits the 71°C (160°F) target temperature, and tent loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. Let it rest for 20 minutes at room temperature to allow muscle fibers to relax and redistribute juices, preventing dry meat when sliced.
Portion and serve
After resting, cut the rabbit into 8 equal portions: separate the two hind legs, two front legs, and split the loin saddle into 4 even pieces. Arrange on a large serving platter and serve alongside classic BBQ sides like creamy coleslaw, baked beans, or tangy vinegar BBQ sauce.
Tips
2.Avoid strong, pungent hardwoods like mesquite or heavy hickory for smoking rabbit, as their bold, bitter smoke will completely overpower the meat’s delicate, mildly sweet flavor; stick to mild fruit woods like apple, cherry, or pecan.
3.If you do not own an offset smoker, you can replicate this recipe on a standard charcoal grill by arranging coals and wood chips on one side of the grill for indirect heat, placing the rabbit on the opposite cool side, and holding the same 110°C (225°F) cooking temperature with the lid closed.
OMG, my husband brought home 3 wild rabbits from his last hunting trip and I had zero clue how to make them not taste tough and gamey! This apple wood smoked recipe was a total game changer. The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, even my picky 8 year old asked for seconds. We served it with roasted sweet potatoes and coleslaw for our Sunday family dinner, 10/10 will make again.
I made this for our neighborhood fall potluck last weekend and people were hounding me for the recipe all night! I was a little nervous because I’ve never smoked any kind of game meat before, but the 3 hour cook time was totally accurate and it came out perfect. The apple wood smoke gives it such a nice sweet, mild flavor that doesn’t overpower the rabbit. SO good.
Tried this on my new offset smoker last night, used store-bought farmed rabbit instead of wild. Cooked to exactly the temp the recipe recommended and it was so juicy, way better than the fried rabbit I grew up eating. Only note is I wish the rub had a little more built-in heat, so I added an extra teaspoon of smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne to match my taste, worked like a charm.
The recipe steps look super straightforward, can’t wait to test it out! Quick question: has anyone tried making this ahead for meal prep? I’m wondering if the leftover smoked rabbit holds up well in the fridge for salads and wraps throughout the week? I’m always looking for new high protein meal prep options that aren’t just boring chicken breast.
Took me two tries to get this right! First go round I had my smoker running too hot (around 275 the whole time) and the meat got a little dry on the edges. Second time I kept it steady at 225 like the recipe says, used fresh apple wood chips, and it was unbelievably tender. Worth the extra patience!
So excited to find a smoked rabbit recipe that doesn’t have any weird gluten-filled additives! I swapped the regular soy sauce in the brine for tamari to keep it fully gluten free for my celiac kiddo, and you couldn’t even tell the difference. We had this for our post-hike dinner last Saturday and everyone left full and happy. My kids loved it!
Medium difficulty is no joke, y’all — I’ve been smoking brisket and pork shoulder for years but this rabbit required way more temp monitoring than I expected. That said? The end result was so worth the effort. The subtle apple wood flavor pairs so well with the light rabbit meat, I’m already planning to make it for my hunting club meetup next month.