Dove meat has a delicate and mild flavor – you don’t need to wrap it in bacon to have it taste great. Try this quick butter seared dove recipe instead!
You can chicken fry and even wrap them in wonton skins, but classic pan searing in butter is absolutely one of the quickest and tastiest ways to prepare dove meat. No dove? No worries – you can also substitute the meat in this recipe for other small game birds like quail or chukar.
There are two key ingredients to really make this seared dove recipe pop. One is using the right seasoning – I recommend Hardcore Carnivore Camo. It’s been specially formulated to match well with wild game meats, and has a really unique and fragrant taste. The other tip, no matter which recipe, is to use really good quality butter. The better butters have a higher fat percentage and more flavor, and European style butters are usually cultured with a tangier finish. Like anything in life, you get what you pay for, so splurge on the good stuff! After all, this recipe is so simple it’s about making the ingredients really shine.

Butter seared dove breast with garlic & fresh herbs
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 2
Ingredients
8 individual dove breasts, deboned
1–2 tablespoon Hardcore Carnivore Camo seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons salted butter
4–6 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Pat the meat dry with a paper towel, then season the dove breasts on both sides with the Hardcore Carnivore Camo.
- Place a stainless steel or cast iron pan over high heat, and add the olive oil. Once oil is hot and shimmering, add the dove breasts and cook without moving for 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then flip the breasts over and toss in the butter, garlic slivers and herbs. Cook for one minute without moving.
- Start swirling the pan to cook the garlic without burning, and distribute the butter, about 1-2 minutes.
- Remove dove breasts and place on a plate. When garlic is golden and crispy use a slotted spoon to remove and sprinkle over dove breasts, then drizzle over some of the pan butter to serve.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: appetizers
- Method: pan sear
- Cuisine: wild game
This looks yummy!
Where do you get dove breast though??
You go out and shoot them with your shotgun