I have a particular fondness for rabbit with mustard sauce: it's a classic French dish, simple, and it immediately evokes Sunday lunch.
Except that between work and real life, I don't always want to start a casserole dish for 1.5 hours. So I worked on a version faithful to the traditional spirit, but adapted to the Air Fryer: we keep the mustard, white wine, garlic, thyme… and we collect the juices to make a sauce that has character.
What I love about the Air Fryer here is the golden-brown, juicy combination. Rabbit can dry out quickly if you cook it too roughly, so I coat it with a thin layer of mustard and a little oil, then cook it in two stages. And most importantly, I don't throw anything away: the juices at the bottom of the drawer are gold for the sauce.
To keep with the season, I add mushrooms and carrots: it's a classic combination with rabbit, and it adds a melt-in-your-mouth texture, a touch of sweetness, and a proper garnish. If you like a bit of a kick, a dash of strong mustard at the end of the sauce works wonders.
On the plate side, serve this rabbit recipe prepared in the Air Fryer with steamed potatoes, tagliatelle, or just some good bread for dipping (yes, it's allowed).
And if you're worried about the bitterness of white wine: don't panic, just let it reduce, only the aroma will remain!
Air Fryer Rabbit
4
people17
minutes34
minutes486
kcal51
minutesA recipe featuring golden-brown pieces of rabbit, flavored with mustard, white wine, and herbs. The air fryer creates a crispy-on-the-outside, tender skin, and it's finished with a quick and easy sauce.
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Ingredients
1 cut-up rabbit (approx. 1.2kg)
2 carrots (approx. 100g each)
250g of button mushrooms
1 onion (approx. 120g each)
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard (approx. 60g)
12 cl of dry white wine
15 cl of chicken stock
10 cl of whole fresh cream (or liquid cream)
2 tablespoons of neutral oil (or mild olive oil)
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of fine salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Preparation steps
- Take the rabbit out 10 minutes beforehand. Dry the pieces well with baking paper: this small step really helps with browning in the air fryer.
- Peel the carrots and slice them into thin half-moons (3-4mm). Finely chop the onion. Brush the mushrooms and quarter them. Mince the garlic.
- In a large bowl, mix the mustard, oil, salt and pepper. Coat the rabbit pieces with this mixture.
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 190°C for 4 minutes.
- Arrange the rabbit pieces in the basket without overlapping them too much (do this in two batches if necessary). Add the bay leaf and thyme, tucked between the pieces.
- Cook for 14 minutes at 190°C. Halfway through cooking, turn the pieces over for even browning.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 175°C and continue cooking for 9 minutes. Check that the rabbit is golden brown and still tender. Cover it loosely with aluminum foil while you prepare the sauce.
- While the rabbit rests, place the carrots, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in the basket. Season very lightly with salt. Cook for 9 minutes at 185°C in the air fryer, shaking once halfway through. Set aside with the rabbit.
- Collect the juices and drippings from the drawer/basket: pour 12cl of white wine directly into the drawer (off the heat), scrape with a spoon to loosen anything stuck, then transfer to a small saucepan.
- Add the chicken stock and reduce over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes: the sauce should lightly coat the spoon.
- Lower the heat, add the cream and whisk for 1 minute. Taste and adjust: a little salt, a turn of pepper, and if you like, a tiny spoonful of mustard for extra flavor.
- Put the rabbit and vegetables back in a dish, coat with sauce, and serve immediately.
📊 Nutritional Information
1 serving (approx. 420g)
| Nutrient | Value |
|---|---|
| Calories | 486 kcal |
| Proteins | 54g |
| Carbohydrates | 12g |
| including sugars | 6g |
| Lipids | 22g |
| including saturated fatty acids | 8g |
| Fibers | 3 g |
| Sodium | 980mg |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin B3 | 72% AJR |
| Vitamin B12 | 55% AJR |
| Vitamin A | 60% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) |
| Minerals | |
| Phosphorus | 55% AJR |
| Selenium | 48% AJR |
| Potassium | 24% AJR |
* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance
📝 Notes
If you're cooking two batches of rabbit, keep the first batch warm at 80-90°C in your oven (just warm) while the second batch cooks. And don't skip the wine deglazing step: it's what gives it that true "traditional" flavor.
💡 Chef's Tips
To avoid a dry rabbit, aim for a two-stage cooking process and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. If your air fryer is running hot, lower the temperature by 10°C and add 2-3 minutes rather than increasing the temperature.
🔄 Variations
- Alcohol-free rabbit: replace the white wine with 8cl of stock + 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then reduce in the same way.
- For a more rustic recipe: add 1 teaspoon of old-fashioned mustard to the sauce that accompanies the rabbit (which has been previously cooked in the Air Fryer), just at the end of its cooking to retain the texture.
