Conejo con Tomate: Classic Spanish Rabbit Stew, Tender & Rich (62) 2026

Conejo con tomate is one of the great home-cooked stews of Spanish cuisine, and it is far simpler than it sounds. Rabbit is a lean white meat that stays juicy and tender when braised, making it the ideal candidate for a slow simmer in tomato sauce.

This version keeps things classic: a golden-brown rabbit, a sofrito of garlic and onion built right in the same pot, and crushed tomato reduced down with a little salt and black pepper. A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme go in at the end to perfume the sauce.

The whole dish comes together in a single cazuela with about five minutes of prep, so it is a great option for a relaxed weekend meal. Serve it with bread or potatoes to mop up every last drop of the sauce.

Ingredients for Conejo con Tomate

This recipe makes 2 generous main-course servings.

• 750 g rabbit, cut into pieces
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 200 g onion
• 40 g olive oil
• 550 g crushed tomato (fresh or canned)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

How to Make Conejo con Tomate Step by Step

1. Season the rabbit

Season 750 g of rabbit pieces with salt and ground black pepper on all sides. Rabbit is a lean white meat, so seasoning it well before cooking is the foundation of the final flavor.

2. Chop the garlic and onion

Finely chop the 2 garlic cloves and the 200 g of onion and set them aside. Having them ready before you start cooking means the sofrito comes together smoothly once the rabbit is browned.

3. Brown the rabbit

Place a cazuela over medium-high heat with 40 g of olive oil. When the oil is good and hot, add the rabbit pieces and brown them for 4 minutes per side, then remove them from the pot and set aside.

4. Build the sofrito

In the same pot, lower the heat to medium and once the oil has cooled slightly, add the chopped garlic and fry it for a few moments. Then add the onion with a pinch of salt and, using a spatula, scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir and cook for about 7 minutes until the onion is very soft.

5. Add the tomato

Add 550 g of crushed tomato along with another pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Stir everything together and cook for 5 minutes over medium-high heat with the pot covered.

6. Return the rabbit with thyme

Now add the browned rabbit back to the pot along with 2 sprigs of fresh thyme. Mix everything together using gentle circular back-and-forth movements of the pot so the pieces settle into the sauce.

7. Simmer the stew

Let it cook for 40 minutes over medium-low heat with the pot covered. Halfway through the cooking time, turn the rabbit pieces over so they braise evenly.

8. Serve

After 40 minutes of cooking, your conejo con tomate is ready to serve. Spoon the rabbit and sauce into shallow bowls and serve hot.

Tips for the Best Conejo con Tomate

Brown the rabbit properly

A good golden crust on the rabbit is what gives this stew its depth. Brown it in a hot pot and then start the tomato sofrito in that same oil, which will have picked up all the flavor of the meat.

Use the right cut

This recipe uses a whole rabbit cut into pieces, but you can make it just as well with only the legs or shoulders. Ask your butcher to cut it for you so the pieces are even and cook at the same rate.

Swap the herb if you like

Fresh thyme perfumes the sauce beautifully, but rosemary works just as well here and pairs nicely with tomato and rabbit. Use whatever you have on hand and adjust the amount to taste.

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Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a balanced lineup ready to go: simple comfort dishes, well-known international plates, and desserts that make everyone happy.

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After years of testing and fine-tuning recipes in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the strongest dishes rely on three things: simplicity, techniques you can trust, and serious flavor.

The recipes gathered here are the ones I genuinely keep coming back to—whether it's a fast meal just for me or something a little more special for friends and family.

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Air fryer cooking is a category I turn to often too, since it saves time without sacrificing texture. The ones I make most include Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my comforting Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be rich, cheesy, and deeply satisfying without any gluten.

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