Dove Nuggets

My favorite part about the opening of hunting season is that I get to begin experimenting with new wild game recipes. But sometimes the best ideas and inspiration come at unexpected moments. (Check out all of my dove recipes here or scroll to the bottom for a list.)

While in Arkansas on a recent dove hunting weekend, my friend Jake Michael was in the kitchen chopping up some garlic and cleaning some dove breasts. When I asked him what he was making he said matter of factly: Dove Nuggets.

It couldn’t have been more simple, or more delicious, and I knew in that moment, as I popped a dove nugget into my mouth, that while we may not ever see these coming out of the drive-thru at McDonalds, I would always and forever be making dove nuggets in my home.

Jakey you’re a genius I proclaimed! I don’t think he likes that I call him Jakey, but I can’t help it. It just has a ring to it that I can’t let go of.

Now Jakey is a very intuitive cook, and as with most intuitive cooks he doesn’t write recipes down, just has a general idea of how he wants things to go and then conveys that in general terms when you ask for the recipe.

But those cooks are some of the best kind, my grandmother was certainly that kind of cook. And I loved watching him and Dorothy work that dove nugget station…

The nuggets were beckoning to me…

But for those of you who want to try it, and I hope it is all of you, here is the recipe I put down after drawing the simple premise from Jake’s methods.

Give this a try, and be sure to share your favorite dove recipes with us in the comments!

For more wild game recipes be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!

Here are my other dove recipes for you to try:

• How to Clean a Dove on Video!
• Dove and Fig Kabobs
• Beer Battered Fried Dove Breasts
• Devil Doves
• Dove Puttach
• 5 Dove Recipes That Will Win Over Picky Eaters

Print Recipe

“Dove Nuggets”

Prep Time12 hours hrs

Cook Time8 minutes mins

Total Time12 hours hrs 8 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 20-30 dove breasts removed from the bone
• ½ gallon milk
• 4 eggs beaten
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 6 gloves of garlic minced
• Vegetable oil for cooking
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups plain breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, add the dove breasts and cover with the milk, eggs, Worcestershire, hot sauce and garlic. Cover in plastic and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
• When ready to serve, heat vegetable oil in a skillet or pot, enough so that it fills the sides of the skillet by at least 3 inches.
• In a medium bowl add flour, breadcrumbs, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and stir.
• Using your fingers or a fork, remove one dove breast at a time from the milk with a slotted spoon and dip into the flour and breadcrumb mixture until it is uniformly covered.
• Dip one side of the breast into the hot oil to see if it immediately sizzles. If it doesn’t, wait for the oil to get hotter, ideally 250 degrees F on a thermometer. Keep testing with the same dove breast until it sizzles, then add more breaded dove breasts, enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Once one side of the breast is golden brown, turn it over and cook the other side until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes total.
• Cover a plate with paper towel. Remove the breasts from the pot with a fork or slotted spoon and place on the paper towel. Sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper. Repeat until all of the dove breasts are cooked and serve immediately. Serve with your favorite barbecue dipping sauce.