Tantalize your taste buds with Chef Tom's Barbecue Dove Popper recipe! Enjoy the smoky & sweet experience with smoked cream cheese mixed with gouda and honey, topped with wild dove breasts then stuffed into a jalapeno and wrapped in bacon, then you finish with a delicious barbecue glaze.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Smoked cream cheese does double duty as the filling's flavor base. Starting with an already-smoked cheese means the stuffing carries a smoky note before it even touches the grill, layering on top of whatever smoke the cook itself adds.
- Honey balances the jalapeño's heat right in the filling. Mixing wildflower honey directly into the cream cheese mixture tempers the pepper's spice from the inside, rather than relying on a drizzle at the end.
- Bacon does triple duty — wrap, seal, and crisp. Wrapping it around both the dove breast and stuffed jalapeño holds everything together, seals in the melting filling, and crisps into its own textural layer as it renders.
- A direct-to-indirect flip finishes the poppers gently. Starting hot on the GrillGrates builds char and rendered bacon fat, then moving to indirect heat lets the filling finish melting without the bacon burning.
Barbecue Dove Poppers
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.5 stars by 2 users
Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
American
Servings
12
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
16 minutes
Calories
174
Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for Barbecue Dove Poppers! Jalapeños stuffed full of smoked cream cheese, gouda and honey are topped with wild dove breasts and wrapped in bacon before getting a little char on the grill and a sweet barbecue sauce glaze!
Ingredients
- 6 doves
- 6 large jalapeños
- 4 oz smoked cream cheese
- 3/4 cup/2 oz Gouda cheese, grated
-
1 tsp Reida Farm Kansas Wildflower Honey
-
1 tsp Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All-Purpose Seasoning
-
12 slices classic cut bacon
-
Firebug Mild Grillin’ Sauce
Directions
- Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 450ºF set up for direct grilling with GrillGrate panels in place over the fire box.
- Using a paring knife, remove the breasts from the doves.
- Slice your jalapeños in half lengthwise and scoop out the pith and seeds.
- Combine the smoked cream cheese, gouda, Reida Farm Wildflower Honey and Cattleman’s Grill Trail Dust All-Purpose Seasoning in a small bowl and mix well.
- Fill the halved jalapeños with the cream cheese mixture.
- Place a dove breast on top of each filled jalapeño. Wrap the bacon around the stuffed pepper and dove, fully encasing the popper and toothpick in place.
- Grill the poppers top side down directly on the GrillGrates until nice grill marks are formed, about five minutes. Flip and grill another five minutes, then move the poppers to the right side of the grill to finish cooking over indirect heat.
- When the bacon is fully rendered and the filling starts to spill out the edges, brush the tops of the poppers with Firebug Mild Grillin’ Sauce and remove from the grill.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why use smoked cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese?
Starting with an already-smoked cheese builds a smoky flavor into the filling itself, layering on top of whatever smoke the grill adds during cooking.
Why mix honey directly into the filling instead of drizzling it on top?
Incorporating it into the cream cheese mixture tempers the jalapeño's heat from the inside, balancing the pepper throughout rather than only at the surface.
Why move the poppers to indirect heat partway through cooking?
Starting hot and direct builds char and renders the bacon, but finishing over indirect heat lets the filling melt through fully without risking the bacon burning before the inside is ready.
What internal temperature should the dove breast reach?
This recipe doesn't specify a temperature check, relying instead on visual cues (rendered bacon, filling starting to spill out). Since this is wild-harvested game rather than farmed poultry, cooking to at least 165°F internal — checked with a thermometer — is a safer target than visual cues alone.
Can I substitute farmed poultry if I don't have wild dove?
Yes — small pieces of chicken breast or thigh, cut to a similar size, would work with the same technique, though cook times may vary slightly.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — the filling and assembly can be done in any kitchen; a hot cast iron skillet or broiler can approximate the char, though the bacon-wrapped poppers are easiest to manage on a grill.
Recipe Highlights
Smoked cream cheese as the base: This adds a smoky note to the filling before the poppers ever touch the grill.
Honey mixed into the filling: Incorporating it directly balances the jalapeño's heat throughout, not just as a finishing drizzle.
Triple-duty bacon wrap: Wrapping the dove and stuffed pepper together holds everything in place, seals in the filling, and crisps into its own textural element.
The direct-to-indirect finish: Searing first, then moving to gentler heat, balances char development with a fully melted filling.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 3.18 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 174
- Carbs
- 2 grams
- Protein
- 11 grams
- Fat
- 13 grams
- Sodium
- 222 milligrams
