How to Air Fry a Dove
A recipe to air frying a dove so that they come out juicy and full flavor
If you don’t own an air fryer, you are officially in the minority. The more I talk with folks who own one, the more I hear how they understand the product isn’t revolutionary—after all, it’s basically just a compact convection oven. However, it makes preparing meals simpler and with a great degree of control and consistency compared to most large, traditional home ovens.
As mentioned in “How to Air-Fry A Pheasant,” an air fryer does not actually fry food. Well-circulated heat cooks food from all 360 degrees. Because far less oil is used, the end product is indeed healthier versus traditional frying methods.
If you need first-time-user tips on how to make the most of your air fryer, check the above “How to Air Fry a Pheasant” article.
For dove, the delicious, delicate morsels are best-served crispy and as close to medium rare in the breast meat as possible.
Air Fried Dove Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- Multiple doves plucked
- Olive oil for coating dove
Brine
- 1 gallon water
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup whole black peppercorns
- ½ cup whole anise stars
- ¼ cup coriander seeds
- 1 garlic bulb smashed
- 8 oz fresh ginger smashed
Instructions
- Add all the brine ingredients to a large pot. Tip: Use only half a gallon of water to start. Heat the mixture on low and stir for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add the other half gallon as cold water. When safe to add to the fridge or when the pot bottom is cool, stick it into the refrigerator. Once the brine is cold, add doves to the brine and let them sit for 4-6 hours.
- Remove the doves from the brine and thoroughly rinse them under cold running water. Pat dry and leave to dry in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hours (24 hours is preferred). Dry skin results in crispy skin.
- Two hours prior to cooking, pull doves and lightly coat them with olive oil, and crack fresh black pepper over birds. Allow doves to sit out at room temp for that 2 hours prior to cooking.
- To cook, set the air fryer to roast at 400 F. Once ready, insert doves and cook for 3 minutes for a medium-rare finish but slightly less-crisp skin. Air fry for 4 minutes for crispy skin and a blush of pink, likely medium-well, meat at the center.
- Another option is never to bring doves to room temperature and instead place them into the air fryer directly from the fridge. Make sure they are lightly oiled prior to adding them to the air fryer. Air fry for 4 minutes for crispy skin and a finish closer to rare/medium-rare breast meat.
- Remove from the air fryer and let the bird rest, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes before serving.
Notes
