Dove-Stuffed Mushroom Recipe

Serves: 3-5 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

As dove season approaches, it’s time to think about new ways to cook and eat these delicious morsels of meat! If you’re looking for something besides bacon-wrapped or poppers, these stuffed mushrooms are a great way to switch things up and impress your friends! Also, be sure to check out my dove popper recipe.

Many of the ingredients of this stuffed mushroom recipe are easily substituted, as listed below. You could also easily add things to the stuffing mixture, such as horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, roasted red peppers, fresh green bell peppers, jalapenos, and so much more. Just make sure that the flavor profiles aren’t overwhelming and that they complement each other. The combinations are endless! The key is to not drown out the taste of the dove meat. Let it shine through!

I believe doves taste as good as they do because dove season, for many, kicks off hunting season! Not to mention, dove hunting can be social, with friends and family. You can also watch a good bird dog work. There’s so much to love about dove hunting.

One of the best parts of a great dove hunt is meeting back at the house, cleaning birds, and immediately starting to prepare dinner. This recipe is super simple, and the ingredients are easily found in your house or with a quick trip to the store.

As mentioned below, this recipe can be used for just about any wild game. I’ve made it with duck and deer many times. Generally speaking, the flavors and ingredients don’t have to change much if you switch out the protein. For me, it's important to make the chunks of meat larger rather than smaller. This way, they really stand out visually, and when you go in for the bite, you know you are eating meat-filled mushrooms and not just stuffed mushrooms.

Hope you enjoy this great dove breast recipe. Make sure to tag MidwayUSA or Wild Game Cook on social media if you give these a try! Happy Hunting!

Ingredients

• 12-15 dove breasts
  SUB: any other wild game meat
• 3-4 large portobello mushroom caps or 10-12 large “baby” portobellos.
  SUB: white button mushrooms would also work
• ¼ cup thick-cut bacon (diced)
  SUB: regular bacon works, too, just don’t overcook it
• ½ cup shredded Monterey jack
  SUB: any similar melty shredded cheese
• ¼ cup red onion (finely chopped)
  SUB: white/sweet onion, if you prefer
• ½ tbsp. minced garlic (1 clove)
• 1 tbsp. of fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
  SUB: ½ tbsp dried parsley
• crushed red pepper flakes (to taste, optional)
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
  SUB: regular breadcrumbs
• extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tbsp. kosher salt
• black pepper (to taste)
  SUB: seasoning/rub of choice instead of salt/pepper

Marinade:

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
• 1-2 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 pinches of kosher salt
• 1 pinch cracked pepper
  SUB: seasoning/rub of choice instead of salt/pepper

Prep

Dove Breasts: Prepare the marinade in a bowl with the abovementioned ingredients. Place the dove breasts in the bowl of marinade and stir well to incorporate. Place the bowl with the marinated dove breasts in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge and allow the meat to come up to room temperature. 

Preheat the grill, smoker, camping stove, or oven to 400 degrees. If using the oven, pan-sear the dove breasts on the stove before chopping and adding to the mushroom mixture.

Bacon: Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat to render the fat slowly. Be sure not to overcook the bacon; we want it crispy yet still chewy and juicy.

Filling: Finely chop red onion and add it to a bowl along with the garlic, bacon, cheese, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and parsley.  Stir to incorporate.

Mushroom Caps: Remove any stems. Also, using a spoon, remove the dark inner ribbed portion of the mushroom. Lightly drizzle the inner and outer portion of the mushroom with olive oil and lightly salt the inside of the cap and the outside. Place on the grill and cook until plenty of water leaves the mushrooms. You must dump the water from the mushroom as it pools. This will take approximately 10 minutes for the large caps and 6-8 minutes for the smaller “button” sized mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have cooked, remove them from the grill, dump any remaining water, and set them on a rack or plate upside down until ready to assemble. Dab with a paper towel if desired to remove any excess moisture.

Dove Breasts: As the mushrooms are grilling, you can place the dove breasts on the other side of the grill and cook them for just 1-2 minutes on the first side and then flip and cook for another 1 minute on the other. Be sure not to overcook the dove. We are looking to keep some red in the middle. Remove the dove breasts from the grill and allow them to rest for at least 5 minutes. Once rested, chunk the breasts into pieces (1 breast should be about 3-5 pieces) and add to the filling mixture. Stir to incorporate. 

Assemble

Grab a mushroom cap and stuff it with the mixture over the bowl (this will make for easy clean up later). Use your hand to firmly press the mixture into the cap. The last step is sprinkling some panko breadcrumbs over the top of each mushroom.

Cook

Place the mushrooms back on the grill until the cheese has melted. This should only take about 4-6 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow them to rest for a good 5 minutes. The larger caps may need more resting time to cool down.

Enjoy!

--Wild Game Cook