Tender and flavorful, these rabbit tacos will surely be a hit on taco night. This is an excellent introduction to rabbit meat, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it sooner.

Taco Tuesday is a big deal around here. If you peruse my website, you’ll find many recipes for Mexican fare. While venison tacos or wet burritos are probably one of our favorite meals for taco night, once I started making these rabbit tacos, they quickly topped the list as one of the most requested meals.

I love how simple these are to make. Much like the chicken in my chicken chimichangas, everything is thrown in a slow cooker and left to cook low and slow all day. It makes for a great, quick meal for when you’re planning to be gone all day because it’s just a set-it-and-forget-it type of meal.

How does rabbit meat taste?

Domestic rabbit meat tastes a lot like chicken. The meat is white and when prepared correctly, it really does taste like chicken.

If you have wild rabbit meat, it’s good, but the flavor is a little different there’s a bit more of an earthy undertone to it than I’ve found with domestic meat. Either way, it’s an excellent meat to add to your protein sources.

Ingredients for Rabbit Tacos

Rabbit meat – We use a whole fryer broken into the front and back leg sections along with the saddle. Ribs removed.

Salsa – I use a whole pint of chunky salsa. You can mix together some garlic, onion, canned tomatoes, and diced green chilis if you prefer, but I find it simpler to just pour a jar of salsa in.

Black Beans – we usually have a few jars of home-canned beans in the pantry which make life infinitely easier. Since they’re already cooked, you’ll add these after you’ve deboned the rabbit meat, but they help mellow the flavors nicely while still not overcoming the heat.

Taco Shells – of course it wouldn’t be a taco recipe without taco shells. We really like to make these in corn tortillas cooked in a cast iron skillet in just a bit of beef tallow. Throw everything on the shells and melt the cheese. Yum.

Taco seasoning – homemade or packaged.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

You can purchase ready-made taco seasoning if you choose, but I like to make my own at home to adjust it to my family’s taste buds. Here’s what I use.

Chili powder – to add a bit of heat.

Ground Cumin – to add flavor and a little more heat.

Paprika – to color the seasoning and add a little smokey flavor.

Garlic Powder – to add some dynamic

Onion Powder – essential, even if you don’t care for onion flavor.

Salt & Pepper – for depth and to add some spice.

Rabbit Taco Topping Ideas

• Diced or Pickled Jalapenos
• Pico De Gallo
• Crumbled Cotija Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Grated Cheddar Cheese
• Cilantro Leaves
• Sliced Avocado or Homemade Guacamole
• Lime Juice from freshly squeezed lime wedges

How to Make Rabbit Tacos

Combine front legs, rear legs, and saddle from a whole rabbit with salsa and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place the lid on and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours until the internal temperature is around 185°F and the meat shreds easily.

Using tongs, carefully remove the rabbit from the crockpot and set it on a plate to cool until you can handle it.

Debone the rabbit, making sure to get all of the small bones out of the meat. I always run my fingers back through to double check to make sure all of the bones have been removed.

Add the pulled meat back into the crockpot and combine it with the remaining salsa and a can of drained black beans. Warm it on the warm setting until it’s warmed back up.

Warm tortillas by heating up a little bit of beef tallow over medium heat in a skillet until melted. Place a corn tortilla in the oil, fry until slightly crispy then flip over. Top warm corn tortillas with rabbit taco meat and some cheese and flip it in half. Then, fold the tortilla over to make a taco and cook. Flip the taco over and cook the other side until everything is crispy.

Top with desired toppings and enjoy.

Recipe Tips

Be careful that you remove all of the bones. Don’t cook the ribs. The saddle will contain the spine, but it’s worth it.

You can cook this recipe in a 325°F oven in a dutch oven covered with a lid for about an hour. The meat won’t be quite as tender.

You can also braise the meat on the stovetop by bringing everything to a boil and then simmering everything, covered, for about an hour. If it dries out, add chicken broth or more salsa.

How to Store Leftovers

In the odd event, you have any meat leftover, you can store it in an airtight container for up to four days in the refrigerator.

To reheat, add to a pot and heat on the stovetop until warm. You may need to add a little chicken broth to keep it from drying out.

This meat can also be frozen. Cook the recipe and allow the meat to cool to room temperature before placing it in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Use within 6 months.