Fried Rabbit Nuggets

If you are a fan of rabbit then you’ll love these fried rabbit nuggets. In fact, they are quite similar to fried chicken – except with rabbit. Usually people just think of some stew or stock or other way to wholly use up a rabbit, but sometimes you use the legs for a dish and are left with just the saddle.

deep fried rabbit nuggets in a bowl with some lettuce. On the right is another bowl with homemade buttermilk 'ranch' style dipping sauce

I make rabbit very often, and breaking down a rabbit is a lot easier than people think. I am lucky that my local grocery store always has a few rabbits, and if somehow they are out there’s always a few rabbit farmers in the villages outside my city.

Usually the most popular rabbit recipes are the ones that use the entire animal. Things like my Ukrainian rabbit stew, or a rabbit ragu use the whole rabbit so are quite efficient. Then there are the ‘fancier’ dishes. The ones that only use the back legs and are more often things you get in a nice restaurant or brasserie.

A lapin a la kriek is a Belgian dish of rabbit leg braised in cherry beer. And it is so delicious and one of my favorite dinner party meals to impress. But I buy rabbits whole and hate any waste. So what do I do with the rest of the meat? Well, in this instance I decided to make fried rabbit nuggets.

What Part Of The Rabbit Do You Use For Nuggets?

The best part of the rabbit to use for nuggets is the saddle, or the loin. This is the strip of meat on either side of the lower spine, from the bottom of the rib cage to the joint connecting the hind legs. Sometimes I just simply sear this piece of meat to use as a pasta topping.

How To Make Deep Fried Rabbit Nuggets At Home

three rabbit loins on a plate next to a bowl of buttermilk and a little cup of salt

For this recipe I use three rabbits. Each saddle doesn’t have that much meat (about 75 grams a side) so in total I get just around 450-500 grams, or about a pound. Cut the loin into bite size chunks ala popcorn chicken and place it in a bowl with some buttermilk and salt. The buttermilk amount is just enough to cover the rabbit, so it depends partly on your bowl size.

chunks of rabbit loin marinating in buttermilk next to a bowl of unmixed seasoned flour and a metal spoon

I let the rabbit sit in the buttermilk for about 6 hours, but you can do it just for an hour or two if you are in a rush. Rabbit loin is already very tender so the fried rabbit nuggets are almost melt in your mouth.

For the batter I make a mix of a few different things. Here’s a basic outline, but feel free to adjust it to suit your preferences.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 1/2 cup Corn Starch
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp White Pepper
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Celery Salt
  • Black Pepper (adjustable)

Mix the seasoning together.

fried rabbit nuggets on a wire rack with a messy bowl of seasoned flour on the stove

Set a small pot of neutral oil (I use sunflower oil) and bring it up to 175C or 350F. Take a piece of rabbit from the buttermilk and roll it in the seasoned flour. Then gently lay it into the hot oil. Fry for about a minute, or until slightly golden brown. Remove to an elevated wire rack so the excess oil doesn’t create a soggy fried crust.

deep fried rabbit nuggets in a bowl with some lettuce. On the right is another bowl with homemade buttermilk 'ranch' style dipping sauce

Serve These With

You can serve these rabbit nuggets with your choice of dipping sauces. Pictured above is a simple dill and green onion buttermilk with a dash of my homemade ghost pepper hot sauce. You can also opt for a spicy mayo; I recommend a Japanese mayonnaise as the base!

deep fried rabbit nuggets in a bowl with some lettuce. On the right is another bowl with homemade buttermilk 'ranch' style dipping sauce

Fried Rabbit Nuggets

This gamey twist on your classic nuggets uses extremely tender rabbit loin or saddle. A perfect way to use up an otherwise tiny amount of meat, and a fun way to get kids interested in eating rabbit.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinading Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 760 kcal

Ingredients
  

Rabbit & Marinade

  • 500 grams Rabbit Saddle cut into bite size pieces
  • 250 ml Buttermilk You may need more or less depending on the size of the bowl you put the rabbit pieces
  • 1 tsp Salt

Seasoned Flour

  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 1/2 cup Corn Starch
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp White Pepper
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Celery Salt
  • Black Pepper adjustable

Other

  • Oil for frying

Instructions
 

  • Cut your rabbit saddle (loin) into bite size pieces. Place them in a bowl then pour over buttermilk and salt. Mix and place in the fridge for at least two hours.
  • In a bowl mix together the seasoned flour mix. Place some oil in a pot and put on high heat. Allow oil to reach 175c or 350f before frying.
  • Take a piece of rabbit from the buttermilk marinade and roll it in the flour. Then gently place it in the hot oil and let fry for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on an elevated wire rack so the excess oil can drip down.
  • Serve fried rabbit with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Keyword Deep Fried, Nuggets, Rabbit
bowl of fried rabbit nuggets with a dipping sauce
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