Bacon Wrapped Dove Breasts

Name: Bacon Wrapped Dove Breasts
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 bone in dove breasts; 12 slices bacon; Sweetwater Spice Apple Chipotle BBQ Bath Brine Concentrate; Oakridge BBQ Game Bird and Chicken Rub; House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce

By Tom Jackson
Sep 9, 2016

Recipe Items

With dove hunting season now in full swing, we’re answering the call we’ve heard from so many of you for our take on this popular game bird. There are plenty ways you can go when preparing dove, and we could probably spend a week never repeating a recipe and never being disappointed, but today we share with you our favorite. The tried and true bacon wrapped dove breasts.

Bacon Wrapped Dove Breasts Recipe

Ingredients

12 bone in dove breasts
12 slices bacon
Sweetwater Spice Apple Chipotle BBQ Bath Brine Concentrate
Oakridge BBQ Game Bird and Chicken Rub
House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce

Instructions

Soak the dove submerged in Sweetwater Spice Apple Chipotle BBQ Bath Brine Concentrate for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 pellet grill to 425°F, set up for direct grilling with GrillGrates.

Remove the dove from the brine. Pat mostly dry with paper towels. Season all surfaces with Oakridge BBQ Game Bird and Chicken Rub.

Wrap a single slice of bacon around each of the dove breasts, covering as much of the surface as possible. Secure in place with a toothpick. Season the bacon with the Oakridge BBQ Game Bird and Chicken Rub, as well.

Grill meat side down to achieve nice grill marks (7-10 minutes). Flip and continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Brush the top side of the dove with House of Q Apple Butter BBQ Sauce and remove from the grill.

The marinade is perhaps the most crucial step in the preparation process. Being that dove is a lean and fairly tough meat, you need something to help tenderize. A basic brine or marinade would work, sure. But this Apple Chipotle Brine Bath from Sweetwater Spice hits two birds with one stone. It’s both a tenderizer and big time flavoring agent.

Remove the dove from the brine. Pat mostly dry with paper towels. Season all surfaces with Oakridge BBQ Game Bird and Chicken Rub.

Looking for more game bird ideas? Check out our Duck and Pheasant recipes.

We’re packing the flavor in with Oakridge BBQ Game Bird rub. Of course, it’s a little sweet and a little salty, but it also includes some really interesting flavors like ground chiles and coriander.

There is plenty of smoke flavor from the bacon, which is also keeping the dove moist by providing a layer of fat and insulation from the heat

All wrapped up and ready to grill! We’re going high heat. 425°F. We want the char! Why not smoke the dove? Well, we’re getting plenty of smoke flavor from the bacon, which is also keeping the dove moist by providing a layer of fat and insulation from the heat. It’s a win, win!