Of all the dove recipes I've tasted, this recipe is my favorite! Crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, these tasty little Dove Nuggets can be served as an appetizer or snack. You can also serve them with a salad for a quick meal. It's an easy, high-protein recipe, that's ready in under 30 minutes!
About This Recipe
My husband and son have a longstanding tradition of going on various hunting trips throughout the year. In the heat of Summer, they travel to Yuma, Arizona, to dove hunt. In 100 — 120+ degree weather, I might add! Doesn't that sound like fun? I'm getting sweaty just thinking about it!
I consider myself a bird lover. I used to say: "Doves are too cute to eat." To which Scott would reply: "Yes, but they're so tasty!" Not to mention, there is a plethora of them!
I still think they're cute, but once the deed is done and you find a bag of frozen doves in the freezer, you need a game plan. A "game" plan, get it? Thank you, I'm here all week 😂. Now, let's look at a few popular dove recipes.
Various Dove Recipes
When the boys first started bringing doves home, we tried cooking the entire doves in a crockpot. As you could imagine, the doves were not meaty and the gamey flavor was hard to disguise. A friend recommended marinating the breasts in Italian dressing before wrapping them in bacon to be grilled. Here is a similar recipe, minus the jalapenos.
Although this method of cooking the breasts was good, an even better way to prepare them was introduced to us by our friend, Pat. Breading and deep-frying the breasts was a game-changer and is now our favorite method of preparing dove breasts.
A close second is how my sister-in-law, Tami, prepares the dove breasts. She calls them "Toritos." Similar to Jalapeno Poppers, the peppers are stuffed with cream cheese and dove breast, then wrapped in bacon and grilled.
Kathleen, at Grits and Gouda, has a similar Bacon-Wrapped Dove Jalapeno Poppers recipe. Give it a try!
Why This Recipe Works
Doves are not very meaty, so many hunters (or should I say their wives?) like to concentrate on the part that's the meatiest, the dove breast. My husband tells everyone that dove breast tastes like filet mignon when cooked rare. I don't know if I'd go that far, but they are pretty darn good!
This dove recipe takes the guesswork out of preparing dove breasts. This means they come out tender, juicy, and delicious, every time!
Another advantage to this easy dove recipe is that it's quick to prepare. It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare (as long as the dove breasts are already deboned). The cooking time is around 35-45 seconds per batch.
What You Need For This Recipe
Recipe ingredients and Substitutions
- Dove Breasts: Fresh or frozen dove breasts are needed for this recipe. The full breast will need to be deboned and sliced into two pieces.
- Flour: The breasts are first dredged into seasoned all-purpose flour. One cup should be plenty, but have some more on hand, just in case you need it.
- Breadcrumbs: I like to use seasoned breadcrumbs in this recipe. However, if you are using unseasoned bread crumbs, increase the amount of creole seasoning. Or season the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Creole Seasoning: I love the flavor of Creole seasoning, however, if you have another favorite seasoning, feel free to use it instead. And don't be scared to taste the bread crumbs to make sure they're not overly seasoned or bland. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
How to Make Dove Nuggets
Step 1 | Fillet the Dove Breasts
Prepare doves by removing the attached wings and trimming the breasts away from the bone so that you're left with two pieces.
Pro Tip: Make sure there are no pellets left in the breasts, I don't want anyone sending me their dental bills!
Step 2 | Prepare the Breading Ingredients
Add flour to a small bowl and mix in ½ teaspoon of creole seasoning. Whisk eggs into another small bowl. Mix the remaining creole seasoning into a third bowl with the bread crumbs.
Step 3 | Batter the Dove Breasts
Dip each breast into the flour first, then the egg. Make sure to allow the excess egg to drain off before dipping the dove breast into the seasoned breadcrumbs. Place the breaded breasts on a platter as you work until all the dove breasts are coated.
Pro Tip: Always use one hand to batter with. This leaves your other hand clean so that you don't get batter everywhere.
Step 4 | Fry the Dove Breasts
Heat oil until it reaches 350°F and 375°F. Add a few breasts at a time and fry until golden brown. This should take approximately 30 to 45 seconds.
Pro Tips:
• You don't need to defrost frozen breaded dove nuggets before frying them.
• Fry the number of nuggets you plan on eating and freeze the rest. Fried Dove Nuggets will get soggy if not eaten right away.
Step 5 | Drain on Paper Towels and Serve
Allow excess oil to drip off into the pot, then drain the fried Dove Nuggets onto paper towels.
Pro Tips: Dove breasts can be frozen at various stages:
• When they are first brought home
• After deboning the breasts, they can be frozen in freezer ziplock bags
• After they are breaded, freeze the breasts on a tray or plate (to keep them from sticking to each other) then freeze in bags.
Serve the Dove Nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce. I use my son's Buffalo Ranch Sauce recipe, which can be found in my Zucchini Corn Fritter post.
Pro Tip: Cooked dove breasts can be reheated in a toaster oven or an air fryer. However, keep in mind this might overcook the dove breast, which can make the texture tough or rubbery.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Dove breast is considered dark meat and has a rich and slightly gamey flavor.
There is no reason to cook dove meat until well done. In fact, when cooked rare, the meat is very tender. However, the texture can get rubbery if overcooked.
When deep-frying dove breasts it's best to use a thermometer and keep the oil temperature from 350-375 degrees F.
Related Recipes
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Dove Nuggets And Other Delicious Dove Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 cups filleted dove breasts (should make approximately 35 nuggets)
- ½ cup flour
- 2 large eggs (may need more)
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 tsp Creole seasoning (or favorite seasoning)
Instructions
- Prepare doves by removing the attached wings and trimming the breasts away from the bone so that you're left with two pieces.
- Add flour to a small bowl and mix in ½ teaspoon of creole seasoning. Whisk eggs into another small bowl. Mix the remaining creole seasoning into a third bowl with the bread crumbs.
- Dip each breast into the flour first, then the egg. Make sure to allow the excess egg to drain off before dipping the dove breast into the seasoned breadcrumbs. Place the breaded breasts on a platter as you work until all the dove breasts are coated.
- Heat oil until it reaches 350°F and 375°F. Add a few breasts at a time and fry until golden brown. This should take approximately 30 to 45 seconds.
- Allow excess oil to drip off into the pot, then drain the fried Dove Nuggets onto paper towels.
- Serve the Dove Nuggets with your favorite dipping sauce. I use my son's Buffalo Ranch Sauce recipe, which can be found in my Zucchini Corn Fritter post.
Notes
- Make sure there are no pellets left in the breast, I don't want anyone sending me their dental bills!
- Always use one hand to batter with. This leaves your other hand clean so that you don't get batter everywhere.
- Dove breasts can be frozen at various stages, from the time they're brought home, after being filleted, or breaded.
- You don't need to defrost frozen breaded dove nuggets before frying them.
- It is best to only fry enough nuggets to eat and keep the rest frozen until ready to consume. The dove nuggets will become soggy if saved for later.
- Cooked dove breasts can be reheated in a toaster oven or an air fryer. However, keep in mind this might overcook the dove breast, which can make the texture tough or rubbery.
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