We're a big fan of living off the land and those little cotton-tails provide an excellent source of protein. This hearty slow cooker rabbit stew makes for a very tasty and comforting dish that the whole family will love.
Rabbit hunting season is during the colder months so if you're working with fresh rabbit meat then it'll be in the winter months.
We're not shy to serve this any other time though, as we keep our freezer well stocked.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Rabbit meat is very lean and healthy. It's a great alternative to your regular beef or chicken.
- As the grocery prices keep rising and rising living off the land really can help your pocket-book. If you don't have land, perhaps you can check with a friend that does.
🧅 Ingredients
- Rabbit Meat
- All Purpose Flour
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Onions
- Celery
- Prunes
- Beef Broth
- Dried Thyme
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
🥣 Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Coat the rabbit pieces in seasoned flour and brown in a large skillet.
- Step 2: Add to a 6 quart or bigger slow cooker along with the other veggies.
- Step 3: Add the beef broth.
- Step 4: Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Hint: Wild rabbit tastes differently than farmed rabbit. It will have a slightly gamier taste. Any farmed rabbit will tend to have a sweeter meat.
🔄 Substitutions and Variations
- White Wine - to balance out the recipe.
- Chicken Stock - or chicken broth instead of beef broth.
- Bay Leaves - add a bay leaf or two.
- Fresh Herbs - some fresh rosemary, thyme or oregano would be delicious.
- Green Beans - Some people like to add this.
- Vegetable Broth - instead of beef broth.
- White Vinegar - add a few tablespoons of vinegar to balance things out.
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🔌 Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
You'll need a 6 quart (or bigger) slow cooker for this recipe, as well as a large skillet to brown the rabbit.
I have some affiliate links in the recipe card below, if you need.
📘 More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Tri Tip Roast Slow Cooker Recipe
- Slow Cooker Venison Roast with Red wine
- Crock Pot Pinto Beans
- Crock Pot Beer Chili Recipe
🧊 Storage
Once the slow cooker rabbit stew has cooled completely transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
This rabbit stew will freeze well. Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
💡 Tips
Expert Tip: Thicken using instant mashed potato flakes, for best flavor and added thickness. If not though, you could use a cornstarch slurry.
👩🍳 FAQs
If you have ended up with tough meat, this will happen because it was cooked at a temperature too high. For best results, cook your rabbit stew low and slow.
After the rabbit has been skinned and cleaned, the best method is to cut the legs off then also keep the back area. There's some delicious "Back strap" that runs alongside the spine. Be careful before eating though, there can be a lot of smaller bones if using that back bone.
Definitely. You could use a large Dutch Oven and cook low and slow still.
Definitely. Use the saute function and brown the meat that way, then add the remaining ingredients. Pressure cook for 45 minutes with natural release.
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Slow Cooker Rabbit Stew
A tender and flavorful slow cooker rabbit stew that is easy to fix and one the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Rabbits, skinned and quartered
- 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
- 2 Large Carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 Medium Onions, diced
- 2 Ribs Celery, diced
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- 8 dried Prunes
- 6 Cups Beef Broth
Instructions
- Mix the flour with the salt and pepper and coat the rabbit sections in it.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and brown the rabbit sections on each side for a few minutes.
- Place into the slow cooker, along with all the other ingredients.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove any bones from the slow cooker before serving.
- Season with more salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
Rabbit can be quite small and the bones can be quite elusive sometimes. Make sure to check carefully when dishing up.
If you want to thicken up the stew a little more, sprinkle some instant mashed potatoes into the slow cooker and stir into the rabbit stew. It will thicken nicely and give some more flavor.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 136Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 18mgSodium 1223mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 10g
Jim says
What are the prunes for? Never seen them in a recipe before.
Melanie Cagle says
Hi Jim, the prunes add a certain amount of sweetness that helps cut the gaminess of the wild rabbit. It's very common in France to cook rabbit with prunes.