Meet your new go-to holiday meal or family dinner – Smoked Cornish Hens with tender, juicy meat, and sweet, smoky flavor in just 60-90 minutes! Spatchcocking and smoking these petite game hens means easy dinners full of finger-licking flavor that will have the whole family asking for seconds.
This is one of those chicken recipes that’s so easy to make but looks incredibly impressive. We spatchcock the birds for easy cooking, and more smoky flavor, but this quick cooking method works no matter what grill you’re using.
🍗 The Cut: What are Cornish Hens?
Also called Cornish game hens, these are a small breed of chicken that weigh 1 – 2 pounds. They are the perfect petit bird, smaller than regular chickens, for dramatic plating, as one game hen per person is ideal. Because of their size, they cook much faster than regular smoked chickens, which makes them perfect for roasting and smoking.
We find these birds in the frozen meat department at our local grocery store, but if you can’t find them there, check our favorite places to buy meat online. These little birds are perfect for an intimate romantic dinner, a small holiday, or as an alternative to big turkeys for any holiday feast.
Ingredients
We quickly spatchcock these birds to make cooking them even easier and to add more smoked flavor to every bite.
- Cornish Game Hens
- Chicken Spice Blend – We used Nashville hot chicken
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
How to Smoke Cornish Game Hens
These cornish hens were smoked on our Traeger pellet grill for an incredibly easy recipe but scroll down for notes on how to cook them on other grills. We love Jack Daniel’s charcoal pellets in the hopper, and a few chunks of apple or cherry wood on the hottest back corner of the smoker grates for added smoky flavor.
- Start by removing the Cornish hen from the package and patting it dry with a paper towel. Using kitchen sheers, spatchcock, then hens by placing the bird, breast side down and cutting along the backbone on both sides to remove it. Flip the birds over and press them flat. Then season the game hens liberally on both sides with the chicken dry rub and salt.
- Next, preheat your pellet smoker to 325 °F. When the grill is preheated, place the Cornish hens on the grilling grates, breast side up. Close the lid and let the game hens smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F at the thickest part of the breast, about 50 to 90 minutes.
- Using grilling tongs, flip the game birds, breast side down on the grill grates to sear the skin and cook another 5 to 10 minutes for crispy skin, until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer. Flip the birds again and transfer them to a clean cutting board or baking sheet and tent loosely with foil. Let the game hens rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving with your favorite sides. Serve a single juicy bird per guest for individual portions.
Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
You could brine this cornish game hens recipe in a wet brine or a dry brine, but we find with their smaller size, we don’t need to.
How to smoke game hens on a charcoal grill
- Prep your charcoal grill for a two-zine fire by pouring a lit charcoal chimney on one side of the grill. Place the grill grates on top and adjust the air vents to allow the grill to preheat to around 300 – 325 degrees F. If you’re adding smoking wood, add it now, cover it with the grill lid, and allow the smoke to burn clean before adding the hens to the grill.
- When the grill is preheated, add the game hens to the cooler side of the grill, cover, and smoke as directed in the recipe card. When flipping the birds to rest side down to sear, move them to the direct heat side of the grill and use tongs to maneuver the Cornish hens to avoid flare-ups but get a good chat on the skin.
How to smoke a Cornish hen on a gas grill
- For a gas grill, preheat your grill for a two-zone fire by igniting the grill and allowing it to preheat with the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes. When the grill has preheated, turn off two of the three burners or three of the four to create a cool zone and a hot zone. If adding wood chips to smoke on a gas grill, add them now.
- When the grill is ready, place the game hens, breast side down, on the indirect heat (the cooler side of the grill). Cook according to the recipe card until the cornish game hen reaches an internal temp of 160 degrees F. Sear the skin, breast side down, on the hotter side of the grill.
What to serve with Cornish Hens
Pair these smoked game hens with all of your favorite BBQ side dishes. Try beef-fat French Fries, foil-wrapped potatoes, coleslaw, or grilled asparagus.
Wine Pairing
This smoked cornish hen recipe can go with either a red or white wine. We love something with a mild oaky flavor, whether a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Pick which one strikes your fancy.
Leftovers and Storage
Wrap any leftovers tightly in aluminum foil or in an air-tight container and, once cooled, store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, microwave in 30-second batches to heat through. Alternatively, reheat the entire bird in an oven preheated to 325 degrees F and place the smoked cornish game hens, still wrapped in foil, on a baking sheet in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until heated through.
More Smoker Recipes
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Half Chickens
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Chicken Drumsticks
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Whole Chicken
Have you spotted these small chickens at your market and wondered how to make them at home? Start here for a simple recipe that is finger-licking good and worthy of any special occasion or just a fun weeknight dinner.
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Smoked Cornish Hens Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish Game Hens about 2 lbs each
- 2 tbsp Chicken Spice Blend We used Nashville hot chicken
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Spatchcock the game hens
- Start by removing the Cornish hen from the package and patting it dry with a paper towel.
- Using kitchen sheers, spatchcock, then hens by placing the bird, breast side down and cutting along the backbone on both sides to remove it.
- Flip the birds over and press them flat. Then season the game hens liberally on both sides with the chicken dry rub and salt.
Smoke the Cornish hens
- Next, preheat your pellet smoker to 325 °F.
- When the grill is preheated, place the Cornish hens on the grilling grates, breast side up.
- Close the lid and let the game hens smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F at the thickest part of the breast, about 50 to 90 minutes.
- Using grilling tongs, flip the game birds, breast side down on the grill grates to sear the skin and cook another 5 to 10 minutes for crispy skin, until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer.
Rest and Serve
- Flip the birds again and transfer them to a clean cutting board or baking sheet and tent loosely with foil.
- Let the game hens rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving with your favorite sides.
- Serve a single juicy bird per guest for individual portions with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and minced parsley.
Notes
HOW TO SMOKE GAME HENS ON A CHARCOAL GRILL
- Prep your charcoal grill for a two-zine fire by pouring a lit charcoal chimney on one side of the grill. Place the grill grates on top and adjust the air vents to allow the grill to preheat to around 300 – 325 degrees F. If you’re adding smoking wood, add it now, cover it with the grill lid, and allow the smoke to burn clean before adding the hens to the grill.
- When the grill is preheated, add the game hens to the cooler side of the grill, cover, and smoke as directed in the recipe card. When flipping the birds to rest side down to sear, move them to the direct heat side fo the grill and use tongs to maneuver the Cornish hens to avoid flare-ups but get a good chat on the skin.
HOW TO SMOKE A CORNISH HEN ON A GAS GRILL
- For a gas grill, preheat your grill for a two-zone fire by igniting the grill and allowing it to preheat with the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes. When the grill has preheated, turn off two of the three burners or three of the four to create a cool zone and a hot zone. If adding wood chips to smoke on a gas grill, add them now.
- When the grill is ready, place the game hens, breast side down on the indirect heat (the cooler side of the grill). Cook according to the recipe card until the cornish game hen reaches an internal temp of 160 degrees F. Sear the skin, breast side down, on the hotter side of the grill.
Nutrition
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