What is the correct internal temperature for rabbit meat?

Question

I have never cooked rabbit before, and my charts don't include rabbit. Are there food safety considerations speaking for thorough heating, as with chicken, or is it acceptable to cook it medium rare? Also, what temperature corresponds with the different grades of doneness? I intend to roast half a small rabbit in the oven; the meat doesn't look suited for collagen-based cooking, the animal is probably too young.

Stefano · Accepted Answer

In the food safety section of Modernist Cuisine (1-138) it says that all wild rabbit must be cooked through:

Wild rabbit must be cooked well done to kill any tularemia bacteria; for rare or medium cooked rabbit dishes, chefs can substitute farm-raised rabbits that have been kept segregated from their wild relatives by trustworthy breeders.

The section on meat (3-96) recommends bringing rabbit loin to an internal temperature of 59C (138F) and going by the section I've just quoted this is obviously only for farmed meat. The recommendation for the legs is to cook sous vide for 1 hour @ 66C (151F) which again obviously refers to farmed because that's definitely not long enough to tenderise wild rabbit meat.

I would really recommend cooking the leg meat and loin separately as I find that the loin dries out long before the legs are cooked through. The legs are much nicer braised too.

ElendilTheTall · Answer

Rabbits are host to a bacteria called Francisella tularensis which can cause a nasty disease, Tularemia (also called Rabbit Fever). This causes lesions, fever, lethargy, and if untreated, possible death. For that reason it is advisable to cook rabbit as thoroughly as you would, say, chicken. It can also be a good idea to wear gloves when handling the meat, just in case.

In any case, wild rabbits spend their lives sprinting about the countryside and so the meat is naturally quite tough, despite being lean. Most recipes I have seen use braising as the cooking method. Treat it as you would chicken thighs and you should be fine - perhaps rabbit cacciatore?

Phil M Jones · Answer

USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) says 160F (71C) is sufficient as an internal temperature for rabbit (and other red game meats) to be safe. They also say that it is ok for the meat to still look "pink", so long as this temperature has been reached.

USDA Information Page on Game

Mike BBQ man · Answer

I baked it to 72 dec C with bacon on top to keep it moist and it was way over cooked and tough but still tasted good.
Next time I will cook it to 66 deg and let it sit for 10 mins before eating.

user27346 · Answer

You always treat rabbit like chicken ;) temps are same. cook well. internal temp 165 . 2pounders are best for pan frying. Stew ..braising... baking..roasting.. all great ways to make rabbit :)

Bill Jamieson · Answer

I consume Rabbit from both field and farm and I treat it as I would, if cooking a Coyote. I became sick in High School with it, and here at 70 I still remember how ill I became.
While overseas in military, I insisted that Chef get out the Burnzomatic to make sure there was no pink. Chefs are dangerous when it comes to when fish or game is done, especially when it comes to an experienced Rabbit conisiusour like myself.
The minimum temperature should always be 155⁰-160⁰, unless in a stew, or you are starving up in the mountains. Take it from a guy that's hunted all his life; there is no reason in the world to eat any game whether wild or domestic, a step away from jerky.
It will still be tasty and you will never experience cramps from Rabbit Hades. Chefs do not eat their own food as they cover their goof-ups with some type of sauce.

What is the correct internal temperature for rabbit meat?

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