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Tender seared dove breasts, a three-ingredient marinade, and fresh toppings come together in this quick, simple recipe for dove tacos. One of the easiest dove recipes you can make when the season rolls around!
Dove season is here, and if you’ve ever spent an opening day out in a field with your buddies (and inevitably gotten shown up by a 10-year-old with better shooting form than you), you know it’s one of the best times of the year. Every year we come home with a cooler full of dove breasts, and every year the question is the same: how are we cooking the dove this time?
If you’ve been following along, you already know our go-to dove recipes – Bacon-Wrapped Dove Poppers on the Grill and Smoked Dove Breasts with Barbecue Glaze. Both are fantastic, and both are also pretty easy, which is exactly why we default to them every season. This year, thanks to an idea from our buddy Wesley, we decided to stretch the limits a little and turn our dove harvest into tacos instead.
These dove tacos are quick, they’re simple, and they let the flavor of the dove actually shine instead of burying it under a bunch of extra ingredients. So delicious that even my wife ate a few!
How to Debone Dove Breasts
Before you can do anything with your dove, you’ve got to get the meat off the bone – and if you’ve made our dove poppers before, you already know our method. Here’s the rundown:
- Flip the dove breast over so the bone side is facing up. Work your thumbs down either side of the breastplate, gently separating the bone from the meat as you go. Try to leave as little meat behind as possible – these breasts are small enough already.
- Once the sides are free and the bone is only attached in the center, pinch the breastplate into a “V” shape.
- Hold the pinched bone in one hand and gently pull it away from the meat with the other.
- The two breast halves will still be connected in the middle, so just run a knife through to separate them into individual pieces.
*A word of caution: while you’re deboning, run your fingers over the meat and check for any leftover BBs. The last thing you want is to bite down on one at the dinner table.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Marinate. In a bowl, combine a splash of avocado oil, the juice of half a lime, and your jalapeño seasoning blend. Add the dove breasts and toss to coat evenly. Don’t over-season here – you can always add more later. Let the dove sit in the marinade while you get your grill going.
Preheat your grill. Fire up your pellet grill’s sear zone (or a regular grill, if yours doesn’t have one) to around 400-450°F. Let it fully preheat before adding a cast iron skillet to the grates, and let the skillet get ripping hot too.
Pat the dove breasts dry. Get as much surface moisture off as you can – this helps them sear instead of steam. I like to lay all of the breasts out on a few paper towels for this, so they’re ready for seasoning.
Season one side of the dove. These breasts are so small and thin that there’s no need to season both sides – one side is plenty.
Sear the dove. With a light coating of oil in your hot cast iron skillet, sear the dove breasts in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. This goes fast – expect about 2 minutes per side. You’re aiming for medium to medium-rare; like most wild game, dove is best enjoyed on the rarer side.
Grill the green onions. Once the dove is off the heat, throw your green onions on the residual heat of the grill. They won’t take long at all.
Let the dove rest. Just like any other meat, give the dove a few minutes to rest before cutting into it.
Finish and slice. Taste a piece – you may find it can handle a light sprinkle of salt even after the marinade. Cut the rested dove breasts into small pieces for tacos.
Build your tacos. Warm your flour tortillas and load them up with the sliced dove, grilled onions, diced tomato, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Recipe Tips
- Keep it simple. This recipe leans hard into the idea of K.I.S.S. – keep it simple, stupid. There’s no sauce, no guacamole, no heavy dressing here. Letting the dove and a handful of fresh toppings do the talking is the whole point.
- Sear over smoke for this one. Smoking dove breasts for a long time can dry them out and make them rubbery (unless they’re wrapped in bacon, of course), since there’s so little meat to work with. A quick, hot sear on a cast iron skillet keeps them tender.
- Aim for medium to medium-rare. Wild game like dove is typically best served on the rarer side. Don’t be alarmed if the centers still look a little pink – that’s normal, and each piece may finish slightly differently depending on size.
- Watch for BBs. While deboning, keep an eye out for stray shot that may have made it into the meat.
Seared Dove Breast Tacos
Ingredients
- 24 dove breasts, deboned
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Juice of ½ lime, plus lime wedges for serving
- 1½-2 tablespoons Spice That Jalapeno All-Purpose Seasoning, or your favorite all-purpose seasoning
- 2 green onions
- 8 flour or corn tortillas
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- ½ white onion, finely diced
Instructions
- Make the marinade. In a bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon avocado oil, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of Spice That All-Purpose Seasoning.
- Marinate the dove. Add the dove breasts to the bowl and toss until evenly coated. Let them marinate for 15 minutes while you preheat the grill.
- Preheat the grill and skillet. Heat your pellet grill's sear zone (or a regular grill) to 400-450°F. Once preheated, place a cast iron skillet on the grates and let it get fully hot before adding the dove. *You can also sear the dove on a stovetop in a cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Pat the dove breasts dry. When the grill and pan are heated, remove the dove from the marinade and transfer to paper towels. Pat dry to remove excess moisture so the breasts sear instead of steam once they hit the hot skillet.
- Season one side of the dove breasts with Spice That All-Purpose Seasoning – a light coating since they are so thin. *The amount of seasoning will vary based on the type of seasoning you are using, but plan for about 1-2 tablespoons total for 24 breasts.
- Sear the dove. Add about 1/2 tablespoon oil to the hot skillet and sear the dove breasts in batches to avoid overcrowding, about 1-2 minutes per side, until medium to medium-rare.
- Rest then slice. Remove the dove from the skillet and let it rest for about 3-4 minutes. Then slice each breast into small pieces. Add a light sprinkle of salt to taste, if needed.
- While the breasts are resting, add the green onions and tortillas to the grill. Warm on the grill for about 3-4 minutes. *You can also warm the tortillas in a skillet.
- Assemble the tacos. Fill each tortilla with sliced dove, avocado, diced tomato, diced onion, and sliced green onion. Finish with a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cooking times will vary. Wild game like dove is typically best served on the medium rare side. Don’t be alarmed if the centers still look a little pink – that’s normal, and each piece may finish slightly differently depending on size. Cooking times will vary based on how you like your dove cooked.
