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.
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.
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
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Start by removing the Cornish hen from the package and patting it dry with a paper towel.
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Using kitchen sheers, spatchcock, then hens by placing the bird, breast side down and cutting along the backbone on both sides to remove it.
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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
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Next, preheat your pellet smoker to 325 °F.
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When the grill is preheated, place the Cornish hens on the grilling grates, breast side up.
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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.
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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
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Flip the birds again and transfer them to a clean cutting board or baking sheet and tent loosely with foil.
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Let the game hens rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving with your favorite sides.
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Serve a single juicy bird per guest for individual portions with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and minced parsley.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 939kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 79g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 455mg | Sodium: 1441mg | Potassium: 1249mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 738IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 9mg