This grilled rabbit recipe is easy and delicious.
Today I decided to grill up one of my favourite recipes from Majorca which is grilled rabbit. I love the place and grilled rabbit is one of the specialties of the island. The last time I was there, I ordered grilled rabbit about four times during a 10 day stay because I just couldn’t get enough of it.
One place was actually cooking in a tandoor oven instead of on the grill so I decided to give it a go at home too. The restaurant was an Indian influenced restaurant but had a lot of good Spanish specialties too. I chose the Spanish marinade for my grilled rabbit rather than tandoori marinade. We were in Spain after all.
About this recipe.
The marinade for this grilled rabbit is pretty much like what you will find all over Majorca. It’s simply flavoured with fresh herbs, lemon zest, olive oil and lot of garlic. To this you add salt, pepper and a little paprika to taste.
You can cook it over hot coals on your barbecue but I really wanted to try it in my Doori tandoor oven. The result brought me right back to when I tried rabbit cooked this way on my holiday.
How long should you marinate the rabbit?
Marinating the rabbit overnight is best. The flavour of the marinade will get right into the flesh and it’s amazing. Simple but amazing!
If you’re in a rush, 30 minutes will do the job but marinating longer has its flavour benefits.
Can you use another meat with this marinade?
Yes! It goes well with chicken, lamb, beef and venison. Really, you could use it with any meat and/or vegetables.
I do hope you try this with grilled rabbit though! You will love it.
How do you grill the rabbit?
If you are cooking over a charcoal barbecue, you want to set it up for direct heat cooking with two heat zones. Push the majority of the burning charcoal to one side and leave about 30% on the other side.
You then cook the rabbit slowly over the cooler side of the barbecue until cooked through. Then you move your rabbit skewers over the more intense heat to char it before serving.
If cooking in a tandoor oven, you want to get the heat right up as hot as you can get it. When cooking in a tandoor oven, the meat cooks from the inside from the hot skewer and also from the radiating heat of the tandoor. It is a faster way to cook and the meat comes out tender and juicy.
The legs need to be placed in the tandoor about 5 minutes before adding the rest of the meat skewers as they take longer to cook.
Be sure to let the rabbit skewers rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Which charcoal is best for this grilled rabbit recipe?
When cooking over fire with skewers, I recommend using a good quality lump wood charcoal that has not been treated with lighter fluid.
I use Big K restaurant quality charcoal.
How long can you store leftovers in the fridge?
You can keep leftovers, covered tightly in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months.
To reheat, place them in your oven or air fryer at 200°C/400°F until heated through.
Step by step photographs.
Get all your ingredients together before starting. It’s easier that way.
Score and then rub the rabbit pieces with the salt, pepper, paprika and one tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside.
Place the herbs, lemon zest and garlic in a pestle and mortar.
Pound it all to a paste and add the remaining olive oil.
Rub this marinade right into the rabbit and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Skewer the legs and the other parts of the rabbit separately. The legs take longer to cook.
Place the skewers with the legs on them into the tandoor first and roast for 5 minutes. I placed these in the oven at about 220°C/428°F.
After 5 minutes, the meat will begin to sizzle. Time to place the other skewers in.
Add the remaining skewers and watch everything carefully, moving the skewers around for a more even cook.
If you used potatoes to prevent the rabbit from sliding on the skewer, check them. If soft, serve them with the grilled rabbit.
Season with flaky salt and enjoy. The lemon wedges can be squeezed over the top to taste.
If you like this grilled rabbit recipe, you might like to try some of these other recipes, cooked in the Doori Tandoor.
- Tandoori Turkey Crown
- Turkish Chicken Wings
- Tandoori Pheasant
- Tandoori Monkfish
- Whole Tandoori Fish
- Turkish Chicken Kebabs
Have you tried this grilled rabbit recipe?
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Grilled Rabbit for BBQ or Tandoor
This delicious grilled rabbit recipe can be cooked on your barbecue or better... in a tandoor oven. It is really easy to prepare and tastes amazing.
Ingredients
- 1 rabbit, cut into 7 to 8 pieces
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 70ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed
- zest of one lemon
- TO SERVE
- Flaky salt
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Score the rabbit pieces all over and then rub the salt, pepper, paprika and one tablespoon of the olive oil all over. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the marinade.
- In a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, lemon zest, thyme and rosemary into a thick paste and add the remaining olive oil.
- Rub this all over the rabbit pieces and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. The longer the better.
- If you would like to cook this rabbit on a barbecue, please see notes. To cook in a tandoor, build a fire and get your tandoor up to at least 220°C/428°F.
- Skewer the legs and the rest of the rabbit separately as the legs take longer to cook. To protect the meat from the hot fire below and to stop the rabbit pieces from sliding, place halved potatoes at the end of each skewer. The potatoes are nice served with the rabbit if they are cooked through and not hard.
- Place the leg skewers in the tandoor first for about 5 minutes and when the meat begins to sizzle, add the remaining skewers.
- Cook for about 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 71°C/160°F. Baste the rabbit with any leftover marinade at the end of cooking.
- Allow to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the potatoes if cooked through and lemon wedges that can be squeezed over the rabbit at the table to taste. Don't forget the flaky salt!