September 28, 2021

Smoked and Roasted Cornish Hens

Name: Smoked and Roasted Cornish Hens
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 tsp Black Pepper; 6 Garlic Cloves, Minced; 1 tsp Kosher Salt; 1 Lemon, Sliced; 1 tbsp Poultry Seasoning; 4 Thyme Sprigs; 2 Cornish Hens; 1/2 tbsp Italian Herbs; 1 Leek , Rough Chop; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 2 Rosemary sprigs

Rated 5.0 stars by 3 users

Cuisine

American

Servings

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Elegant, flavorful and moist, these Smoked & Roasted Cornish Game Hens are a delightful change-up to the traditional roast chicken. Cornish hens are a smaller variety of chicken that are perfect for individual servings at your next gathering or family dinner. The birds are smoked in to infuse woodsy notes then roasted until the skin is crisp and golden.

Ingredients

1/2 tsp Black Pepper
6 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Lemon, Sliced
1 tbsp Poultry Seasoning
4 Thyme Sprigs
2 Cornish Hens
1/2 tbsp Italian Herbs
1 Leek , Rough Chop
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Rosemary sprigs

Directions

Fire up your Louisiana Grills pellet grill on SMOKE mode and let it run with lid open for 10 minutes then preheat to 200°F. If using a gas or charcoal grill, set it up for low-indirect heat.
Place the leek, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and lemon in a cast iron pan. Set hens on top.
Pat the hens dry with paper towels, then drizzle with olive oil.
In a small bowl combine the poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Season the hens inside and out with the seasoning blend, then transfer to the grill.
Smoke the hens for 1 hour, then increase the temperature to 425° F, and roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until an internal temperature of 165° F is reached.
Remove the hens from the grill, rest for 20 minutes, then serve warm.

Special Tools

Cast Iron Pan
Paper Towels
Small Bowl

Tips:

Rotate the hens every 20 minutes to ensure even browning.