The effects of five levels of added α-linolenic acid (ALA) (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 g · kg^–1 diet, as-fed basis) in diets on growth performance, meat quality, fatty acid composition of muscle and liver, and expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT1) mRNA in the liver of growing meat rabbits were studied. A quadratic effect of ALA addition on average daily intake was found (P < 0.0001). ALA addition had a significant influence on muscle colour of longissimus lumborum (LL), including L*, a*, and b* (P < 0.0001, P = 0.0007, and P = 0.0120, respectively). The monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content of LL decreased as dietary ALA increased (P = 0.0001) and the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and C18:3 (n-3) contents in the LL and liver increased with dietary ALA increase (P = 0.0006, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, and P < 0.0001, respectively). The expression of ACC mRNA in the liver decreased (P < 0.0001), that of CPT 1, increased (P < 0.0001) as dietary ALA increased.