Rabbit isn’t very profitable meat to produce, so many people have not had a chance to taste rabbit before. In addition to low profits, many people keep rabbits as pets, and eating them may appear unseemly.
Most people will tell you that rabbit tastes like chicken. However, while there are some similarities, the rabbit has a much earthier, gamey taste than chicken. In addition, rabbit is drier and less juicy than chicken although the meat is still tender.
Rabbits are white meat though, so they are much more comparable to chicken than any kind of red meat. They also need to be cooked similarly to chicken and it’s inadvisable to undercook them or eat them raw.
Types of Rabbits
You will also get slightly different flavors and textures depending on whether the rabbit you eat is wild or farm-raised.
Wild Rabbits
Wild rabbits will have a more intense gamey flavor. As part of the taste comes from the diet of rabbits, wild rabbits will have more complex and varying tastes.
However, while these rabbits tend to have a more intense flavor, they aren’t very tender. The wild rabbit will chase after food and run from predators. This hardens up their muscles and makes them less tender and tougher.
Farm-Raised Rabbits
Rabbits raised on a farm will have a more mild flavor. However, they will also contain more fat which leads to juicier meat.
These rabbits will also be more tender than their wild counterparts as they live a more domestic lifestyle. Since their muscles get much less use, they aren’t tough and overworked.
Should You Cook and Eat the Rabbit Organs
When you are preparing a rabbit, you’ll need to decide if you want to remove or keep the organs.
Keeping the organs means your rabbit will taste gamier. If you want a more intense rabbit flavor in the meal, keep them in.
However, if you’re after a milder flavor, you can discard the organs and cook and consume only the meat of the rabbit.
You can also eat most of the organs as well. The heart, liver, and kidneys are often consumed in places where eating rabbit is common.
Cooking Rabbit
Another way that rabbit is similar to chicken is in the way it is cooked. It’s common to make rabbit in white wine and garlic sauce, braise it, roast it, or put it in a stew.
Generally speaking, if you can do it to a chicken, you can do it to a rabbit in terms of meals.
Final Thoughts
Rabbit might be thought of as the other, other white meat. It tastes somewhat earthy and gamey and is a little drier than chicken.
However, it is a fairly tender piece of meat, especially if you eat a rabbit raised on a farm. If you eat wild rabbit, it will be a little tougher.
