Lady Rabbit Sweet Potato Recipe, Braised and Savory

This lady rabbit sweet potato recipe is a cozy braise of rabbit pieces and tender sweet potatoes in a savory gravy flavored with onion, garlic, thyme, and a little Dijon mustard. The covered oven cooking keeps the meat moist while the sweet potatoes soften in the same pot, making a hearty main dish to serve straight from the Dutch oven.

Ingredients

3 lb (1.36 kg) rabbit, cut into 6 to 8 bone-in pieces and patted dry
1 tsp (6 g) fine salt, plus a little more to adjust the gravy
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper
⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour, for a light coating
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, about 1 cup (150 g), diced
2 medium carrots, about 1 cup (120 g), cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
3 garlic cloves, about 1 tbsp (9 g), minced
1 tbsp (15 g) tomato paste
2 cups (475 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme, or 1 tbsp (3 g) fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf, about 0.2 g
1½ lb (680 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks
1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp (8 g) chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions

Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Set a rack in the middle. Pat the rabbit dry so it browns rather than steams. Season the pieces with the salt and pepper, then toss them in the flour, shaking off excess. Keep the sweet potato chunks fairly large; smaller pieces can collapse during the long braise.
Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy oven-safe Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit in batches, turning the pieces so several sides take on color, about 10 to 12 minutes total. Avoid crowding the pot, since crowded meat releases moisture and will not brown well. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate; they do not need to be cooked through yet.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping up browned bits. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Stir in the chicken stock, Dijon, thyme, and bay leaf, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck flour or browned flavor. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
Return the rabbit and any juices on the plate to the pot, arranging the pieces mostly in one layer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place the pot in the oven for 40 minutes. The liquid should bubble gently, not boil hard. If it is boiling vigorously, lower the oven slightly; a hard boil can make lean rabbit meat dry and stringy.
Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the sweet potatoes, nestling them into the liquid around the rabbit. Cover and return the pot to the oven for 40 minutes. At the end of cooking, check the thickest part of several rabbit pieces with a food thermometer, avoiding the bone. Rabbit must reach the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). If any piece has not reached that temperature or is still tough, cover and continue cooking in 5- to 10-minute increments, checking again. Sweet potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.
Lift out the bay leaf. Stir in the cider vinegar, then taste the gravy and adjust the salt and pepper. If you prefer a thicker gravy, transfer the rabbit and vegetables to a warm serving dish and simmer the liquid uncovered on the stovetop for a few minutes; avoid boiling the meat in the pot. Rest the finished dish for 5 minutes, scatter parsley over it, and serve hot with plenty of gravy.

Tips

Choose rabbit pieces of similar size. A whole rabbit cut by a butcher is convenient, and bone-in pieces stay flavorful during braising. Smaller or thinner pieces may finish earlier, so check their temperature separately and remove any that are ready while the rest continue cooking.
Brown in batches and keep the heat moderate. Drying the rabbit first and leaving space between pieces helps build the savory browned layer that flavors the gravy. If flour left in the pot begins to turn very dark, lower the heat before adding the vegetables so the finished sauce does not taste burnt.
Use firm sweet potatoes and cut them evenly. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are easy to find and work well here. Uniform 1½-inch chunks cook at a similar rate. Add them at the halfway point rather than at the beginning; otherwise, they can become too soft before the rabbit is tender.
Adjust the liquid rather than guessing. The ingredients should be partly surrounded by stock, not submerged like soup. If your pot is unusually wide or the rabbit pieces are not nestled together, add up to ½ cup (120 ml) more stock. If the gravy is thin at the end, simmer it separately for a few minutes instead of reducing it with the rabbit still cooking.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the rabbit and sweet potatoes in shallow bowls, spooning the onion-carrot gravy over every portion. A crisp green salad with a simple vinaigrette gives the meal freshness, while steamed green beans, sautéed cabbage, or roasted Brussels sprouts add another vegetable without competing with the sweet potatoes. Chopped parsley provides a clean, herbal finish; a small squeeze of lemon at the table can brighten the gravy if it tastes especially rich.

Crusty bread is useful for soaking up the sauce. For a more substantial plate, serve the braise with buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or soft polenta, though the sweet potatoes already make it filling. If serving guests, remove the rabbit pieces carefully with tongs and arrange them on a platter with the vegetables around them. Keep the gravy in a small jug or ladle it over just before serving so the browned surfaces remain visible.

Variations

Use parsnips in place of some sweet potato. Replace up to half of the sweet potato with ½ to ¾ lb (225 to 340 g) peeled parsnips cut into similar-sized chunks. Parsnips are less sweet and have a gently earthy flavor, so the overall dish will taste more savory. Add them at the same time as the sweet potatoes.

Make it without wheat flour. Skip the flour coating and brown the rabbit as directed, using a little extra care because the pieces may stick more readily. At the end, mix 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 ml) cold water, stir it into the simmering gravy, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. This gives a glossier sauce and avoids the flour’s soft, rounded texture.

Add mushrooms. Brown 8 oz (225 g) sliced cremini mushrooms after removing the rabbit, then transfer them to a plate while you cook the onion and carrots. Return the mushrooms with the sweet potatoes. They add a deeper, woodsy note and release some moisture, so avoid adding extra stock unless the pot looks dry.

Change the herbs or stock. Fresh rosemary can replace the thyme: use 1 tsp (1 g) finely chopped leaves, since rosemary is more assertive. Chicken stock is a mild, easy-to-find choice; rabbit stock, if available, makes the gravy more distinctly savory. Vegetable stock also works, though its flavor may be lighter. Taste before adding extra salt, especially if using regular-sodium stock.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Divide the rabbit, vegetables, and gravy among shallow airtight containers so they cool promptly, and keep them refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. The gravy may thicken as it chills; that is normal. For longer storage, freeze portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality. Leave a little headspace, since liquid expands when frozen, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

For best results, reheat a portion gently in a covered saucepan over low to medium-low heat with a splash of stock or water, stirring the gravy carefully. You can also use a covered oven-safe dish at 325°F (165°C). Heat leftovers until they reach 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer in the meat and sauce. Avoid repeated warming and cooling of the whole pot; warm only the amount you plan to serve. Sweet potatoes soften further after freezing and reheating, but the flavor remains good.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a whole rabbit instead of pre-cut pieces?
Yes. Ask a butcher to cut it into 6 to 8 serving pieces, or use a sturdy knife and poultry shears if you are comfortable portioning a rabbit. Pieces vary in thickness, so check several spots with a thermometer and remove individual pieces once they reach 160°F (71°C). The larger pieces may need more time to become tender.

Can I make this recipe on the stovetop?
Yes. After adding the rabbit and bringing the stock to a gentle simmer, cover the Dutch oven and cook over very low heat. Keep the liquid at a quiet simmer, not a rolling boil. Add the sweet potatoes after about 40 minutes, then continue until tender and the rabbit reaches 160°F (71°C). Check the pot periodically and add a little stock if the liquid gets low.

Can I prepare the dish ahead?
You can cook the braise a day ahead, cool it promptly, and refrigerate it in a covered container. Reheat gently to 165°F (74°C) before serving. The flavors meld as it rests, but the sweet potatoes will soften a little more during reheating. For the firmest vegetables, prepare the rabbit and gravy ahead, then add freshly cut sweet potatoes during reheating and cook until tender and safely hot.

What if the rabbit is safe to eat but still feels tough?
Temperature and tenderness are related but not identical: reaching 160°F (71°C) meets the safe minimum, while some pieces need additional gentle cooking to become pleasant to eat. Cover the pot and continue braising in short intervals, checking both tenderness and temperature. Keep the liquid gentle and do not let the pot boil hard, which can dry out the lean meat.

Can I use white potatoes instead of sweet potatoes?
Yes. Use 1½ lb (680 g) waxy or all-purpose potatoes cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks and add them at the same point in the recipe. Waxy potatoes tend to keep their shape; russets soften more and may thicken the gravy. The result will be less sweet and more like a traditional savory pot braise, so taste the sauce at the end and adjust the seasoning.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).