Dove teriyaki is one of those can’t-miss options when you are grilling doves in September. Teriyaki is a great dove marinade everyone will love.
Teriyaki is one of the most beloved flavors in the American hunting world, and there is a reason: It is sweet, salty and flavorful all at the same time, and the caramelization you get on something grilled with teriyaki sauce is wonderful.
Of all the many dove recipes I make, this dove marinade is the most popular.
My version of dove teriyaki is taken from traditional Japanese teriyaki, which is most often done with chicken or fish. You marinate the doves in the sauce, reduce the sauce to a glaze, then grill the birds, basting with the sauce.
You can also slow barbecue your doves by putting them in a grill, covered, set around 225°F for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Baste every 15 minutes with the marinade.
I add a little extra zip with some sesame oil and sesame seeds at the end. Japanese togarashi, a spice mix with chiles in it, is a nice touch, but regular cayenne is fine, too.
I’ve used this dove marinade on squab, wild pigeon, teal, woodcock, snipe and quail, too. You’ll need to cook squab or pigeon maybe five to 10 minutes longer than doves, but the other birds will be about the same cooking time.
Serve with a salad of whatever happens to be in your garden or is fresh at the moment, along with some steamed rice.
This recipe can be doubled or halved. Oh, and should you have any leftover dove teriyaki, they’re good cold right out of the fridge.
If you’re looking for more great teriyaki recipes, try my teriyaki mushrooms and teriyaki meatballs.
OTHER GREAT DOVE RECIPES
I have 25 dove recipes here on Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, ranging from Moroccan-inspired bacon-wrapped doves to dove poppers. Some great Labor Day grilling or barbecue options include:
- Doves la Mancha. An irresistible Spanish preparation that has become one of my signature dishes.
- Grilled doves Cajun style. Super easy with a Louisiana flair.
- Smoked doves bathed in a Mexican guajillo sauce. Rich and only moderately spicy.
- Grilled doves with an Arizona desert inspired barbecue sauce.
- Slow and low barbecued doves.
Grilled Dove Teriyaki
Ingredients
SAUCE
- 1/4 cup sake
- 1/4 cup mirin (a Japanese sweet wine)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice or rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon corn starch (optional)
DOVES
- 12 doves or 4 pigeons
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Sesame oil to coat doves
- sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar in a pot. Heat just to the point where the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and let cool. Submerge the birds in the marinade — breast side down — for up to an hour. If you go longer, the birds might get too salty.
- Put the marinade in a small pot and boil it down until it gets syrupy. Alternatively, you can mix the corn starch with a little water and add that to the boiling sauce to thicken it. Either way, add lime juice to taste.
- Get your grill nice and hot. Scrape down the grates and close the lid. Wet a paper towel with the vegetable oil and, using tongs, wipe down the grill grates. Paint the birds with sesame oil and put them breast side up on the grill, close the lid and cook over high heat for 4 minutes. Up this to 6 to 8 minutes for pigeon or squab.
- Open the lid and paint the doves with the reduced marinade. Turn them on their sides and paint the exposed side. Grill over high heat (with the cover open) that way for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sides are nicely grilled. Repeat on the other side.
- Finally, turn the doves breast side down on the grill and paint the tops. Grill for another 2 minutes (cover open), or until the skin is browned.
- Remove from heat, paint one more time with the marinade, and let cool for 5 minutes. To serve, sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and have at it!
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