Spatchcocking and smoking give these cornish hens an irresistible sweet, smoky flavor while keeping the meat incredibly moist and tender. This easy technique results in a quick dinner with impressive flavor that will become a regular favorite.
2tbspChicken Spice BlendWe used Nashville hot chicken
1tspKosher 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
We love Jack Daniel’s charcoal pelletsin the hopper and a few chunks of apple or cherry wood on the hottest back corner of the smoker grates for added smoky flavor.We use Cowboy Charcoal briquets for our charcoal grill and Jack Daniel's Bourbon Barrel Wood chips for smoking on both our kettle grill and gas grill.
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.