Rabbit Cook Off
Rabbit Cook Off Registration
Join the Sizzling Competition!
Show off your culinary skills at the Iowa Rabbit Festival’s legendary Cook Off. Compete with the best, sample unique rabbit dishes, and enjoy a day of live entertainment, flavor, and friendly rivalry.
Times Of Interest
Friday – March 20th 2026
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Early Set Up Available
**Spots will be emailed out for setup locations**
Saturday – March 21st 2026
7:30 AM – Cook Off Teams Arrive for Check-in
8:30 AM – Cooking begins
12:30 PM – First Wave of Dishes Turned In
2:00 PM – Winners Announced During Announcements Inside Burton Coliseum
Cook Off Stage
March 21st 2026
9:00 AM – Jud and Bella
10:30 AM – Kevin Barton
12:00 PM – Mike Broussard
Rabbit Cook Off Details
Entry
- Entry fee is $60.00 for Main dish and $60.00 for Appetizer dish.
- Entry fee is $100 if cooking in both Main Dish and Appetizer.
- You can enter 1 category or both, your choice.
- Teams will consist of 3 team members and 1 Team Captain.
- Each team will be given 4 armbands for festival entry on Saturday.
Prize Money
- All prize money will also be accompanied with a plaque.
Main Dish
- 1st place – $500.00
- 2nd place – $100.00
- 3rd place – $50.00
Appetizer
- 1st place – $500.00
- 2nd place – $100.00
- 3rd place – $50.00
People’s Choice
- 1st place – $100.00
- People’s Choice Award will be determined by public taste test.
- After trying the cook off teams’ dishes, they will put the ticket in the bucket of the team they feel has the best dish.
- Public can purchase as many tickets as they want.
Best Decorated Cook off Spot
- 1st place – $100.00
- A winner will be picked for having the best team spirit and the best decorated team spot.
Dish Turn In
- Covered dishes will be provided at check in to put your dish in.
- Place enough food in the covered dish for 3 judges to sample your dish.
- One dish will be provided for each category entered. (Appetizer and Main Dish)
- Each team will be given a time to turn in their dishes. Your time will be marked on your covered dish that is provided.
- Turn in times will be staged per category every 15 minutes.
- If cooking an appetizer and a main dish, your turn in times may be different for each.
Judging Criteria
- Originality– The more original…The better.
- Seasoning– Not too much…Not too little.
- Texture– Don’t want your dish to be burnt…don’t want it undercooked.
- Presentation – Display your dish like it’s the best.
- Rabbit Usage – 40% of dish must be rabbit.
Cook Off Spots
- Cook off spots will be available to set up Friday night.
- Cooking spots will be a 10’x20’ area and will be numbered with your team number on it and will be provided when you arrive to set up.
- Electricity will be provided.
- If you have a preference for the location of your cooking spot please include it with your entry form.
Unloading
- From Gulf Highway, enter on HG Chalkley Road (Next to LSU Ag Center). Entry into the barn will be done from the south side.
- No vehicle access will be allowed after 8:30 A.M. on Saturday morning.
- Only one vehicle per team is allowed into the barn to unload.
- It will be very important to unload as quickly as possible and pull your vehicle out of the barn so that we can get everyone in and unloaded without creating a cluster with the vehicles.
- There will be a rabbit show going on Saturday morning on the south end of the barn so it will be very busy in the barn.
What to Bring
- Supplies for cooking (anything you need to create your dish)
- Chairs and Tables
- Extension Cords
- Grill, Burners, Pots …and don’t forget your rabbit.
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