Grilled Szechuan Dove Breasts

It’s dove season across much of the South and Midwest, and there are probably poppers searing on a grill somewhere right now. I love a good dove popper as much as anyone, but I also like to mix things up from time to time. If you do as well, then give this sweet and spicy Szechuan inspired rub a try for your next dove meal.

With just the right balance of sweetness and spice, these grilled doves will be a hit at your next get-together.

I like to figure 3-4 whole, bone-in dove breasts per person for a main course, or 1-2 when serving these as an appetizer. You can easily double or even triple the rub if you are doing these for a crowd.

Start by mixing the spices and hot sauce into the honey. If your honey is thick, warm it up just a bit before mixing to make things easier.

Mix the spices, honey and hot sauce in a large bowl.

Pat the dove breasts dry. Toss them in a bowl with the honey rub until well coated.

Toss the dove breasts in the honey mixture.

Grill at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until just cooked through. I shoot for an internal temperature of about 140 degrees on my dove breasts. Well done dove is not my favorite.

Grill to a nice medium-rare, then drizzle with additional honey before serving.

Once the dove has cooked to your desired doneness level, drizzle with a bit more honey and sprinkle over sesame seeds as a garnish and serve immediately while they are still nice and hot.