Traeger Smoked Cornish Hens - Grilled Cornish Game Hens Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long to smoke cornish game hens at 225? ›

Marinate the game hens in the fridge overnight. Remove the birds from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Smoke the Cornish game hens at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 to 4 hours, or until the thigh temperature reaches 175 degrees.

On average, it takes approximately 2 to 2.5 hours to smoke Cornish hens on a pellet grill at 275°F.

Smoked Cornish Hens: How to smoke cornish game hens with an easy brine that creates a moist and juicy bird, and a dry rub that gives it a delicious flavor! Important: For best results, soak the cornish hens in a chicken brine recipe for the smoker, 24 hours before smoking.

Place breast side up on rack in shallow roasting pan. 5. Roast, uncovered, basting frequently with butter for 1 hour (if hen weighs over 1lb 2oz, roast 1 hour and 15 minutes) or until internal temperature on instant read thermometer reaches 180°F when inserted into inner thigh.

If your smoker will not go above 225°F, that's not a problem, just plan on about 2 hours of cook time. Place the cornish hens on the smoker grate breast side down. Keep the smoke going with pecan or your favorite smoking wood for at least an hour.

Some of the benefits to spatchco*cking poultry are:

– More even cooking. Long gone are the days of dry breast meat or under cooked thighs. – faster cooking times. By flattening out the bird you have increased the surface area so that the heat can get inside quicker.

Because they're harvested so young, Cornish hens' meat is exceptionally tender. Their high skin-to-meat ratio makes them remarkably succulent too.

When the chicken has cooked for the required time, (20-25 minutes per lb/500g) pierce the thickest part of the drumstick (leg) with a sharp knife or skewer. If the juices are clear your chicken should be cooked. If they still run pink, leave the chicken to cook for another 15 minutes or so, and check again.

After brining, let the meat air-dry for about an hour. Drying the chicken before smoking helps the meat absorb flavors from the wood chips.

Do you rinse chicken after soaking in brine? ›

After waiting the appropriate amount of time, remove the meat from the brine and pat it dry with a paper towel. You won't need to rinse it with fresh water unless you accidentally brined it for too long. From here, cook the meat according to your favorite recipe.

Combine with Salt, Brown Sugar, Dried Oregano, and Lemon zest. Pat Cornish Hen dry and season liberally with dry brine over a sheet pan with a rack ( juices will come out of the hen because of the dry brine). Dry brine Cornish Hen for 4 hours.

Do not rinse the skin or cavity of the bird, as doing so may spread bacteria in the sink and on the countertop. Once defrosted, remove bird from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove giblet bag from cavity and reserve for making sauces, etc.

I oil the hens, season them, then make a basting sauce of 1/4 cup of oil, 1/4 cup of sherry, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, garlic powder and other favorite seasonings, and cook the bird uncovered, basting every 15 - 20 minutes.

Adult Cornish game hens are not smaller than standard broiler chickens; the size of cooked Cornish game hens is due solely to the very young age at which they are slaughtered. The Cornish game hen is known for its tender meat, which absorbs marinades and seasonings readily.

An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

Smoker temps for smoked chicken

Cook your chicken at 225–250°F (107–121°C) for an hour to imbue the meat with smoky goodness. The slow smoking not only gives us flavor, but it also cooks the meat quite gently for that first hour. Once that's done, though, it's time to crank up the heat.

Smoking a whole chicken can take between 3-4 hours, but it all depends on the temperature you choose, the size of the bird, and whether you spatchco*ck it or not. For best results, follow your recipe, but if you're feeling nervous, monitor the internal temperature with a MEATER 2 Plus wireless meat thermometer.

It will take 4 – 5 hours if smoking a whole chicken at 225 degrees F. We find that it will also results in rubbery skin.