Grilled Cornish Hens – Girls Can Grill

By Christie Vanover | Revealed November 14, 2022 | Final Up to date November 14, 2022

That is a kind of straightforward dinners that appears extravagant, however actually it’s a brilliant easy recipe. I’ve included a cumin-lime French dressing marinade, however in the event you’re operating brief on time, you should utilize store-bought marinade, too.

What’s a Cornish hen?

In keeping with the North American Meat Institute, Cornish hens are literally chickens.

Not like the 4-7-pound complete hen you’re accustomed to within the butcher aisle of your grocery retailer, cornish hens are a particular, smaller breed. They’re processed at a youthful age and normally weigh between 1-2 kilos.

Whereas you might even see them labeled as Cornish sport hens, they’re not really sport birds like quail, pheasant or squab. They’re farmed like chickens, however bred for a smaller last product.

Most frequently, Cornish hens might be discovered within the freezer part at your market. They’re normally are available packs of two and solely take 1-2 days to thaw within the fridge.

Like all chickens, they include two legs and thighs, that are darkish meat, and two breasts and wings, that are chicken.

Why would you grill Cornish hens as an alternative of bigger hen?

Due to their petite dimension, Cornish hens make for a singular, individual-sized presentation.

Additionally they cook dinner extra shortly and have a barely sweeter and extra tender taste and texture. Their small dimension additionally permits them to soak up marinade extra shortly.

Substances

• Cornish Hens: Search for these within the freezer part of your native grocery retailer. They normally are available 2 packs.
• Olive Oil: This serves as the bottom of the French dressing.
• White Wine Vinegar: When making the cumin French dressing for this recipe, I exploit white wine vinegar. See the notes under for different choices.
• Sugar: Each French dressing wants one thing candy to steadiness the acid. This recipe makes use of granulated white sugar.
• Garlic: Contemporary cloves are finest, however garlic powder or granulated garlic may also be used.
• Kosher Salt: I favor to grill with kosher salt. Should you solely have desk salt, use half as a lot.
• Worcestershire Sauce: This helps brown the hen pores and skin because it’s cooking.
• Cumin: Floor cumin is an earthy spice typically utilized in Latin cooking.
• Limes: The juice of two limes provides sweetness and acid.

1. STEP ONE: In a small bowl, combine the French dressing and set 1/4 cup apart. The bulk will probably be used for marinating the Cornish hens, whereas the quantity you put aside will probably be used for basting the birds as they’re cooking.

2. STEP TWO: Take away the thawed Cornish hens from their packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Place hens in a zip-top bag. Add 3/4 cup of the French dressing to the bag. Seal it, eradicating as a lot air as doable, and therapeutic massage the birds so that they take up the marinade. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours.

3. STEP THREE: Take away the hens from the marinade and place the entire hen on a preheated grill over oblique warmth. Prepare dinner them for about half-hour, rotating (not flipping) sometimes.

Rotating them 1 / 4 flip each 10 minutes will assist them brown evenly.

4. STEP FOUR: After about half-hour, begin basting them with the 1/4-cup of French dressing that you simply put aside. Proceed grilling the hens for about Quarter-hour, or till they’re golden brown and the interior temperature reaches 165F levels.

Learn how to serve grilled Cornish hens

As soon as the hens are golden brown, take away them from the grill and place them on a platter. Garnish with contemporary herbs for a fairly presentation. Serve them complete or reduce them in half and serve with a pair facet dishes like Grilled Carrots or Grilled Acorn Squash Rings.

Storage

Identical to a rotisserie or Grilled Whole Chicken, you may pull any remaining meat from the bones and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 5 days. It’s also possible to freeze the meat in an hermetic container for as much as six months.

Should you save the meat in small baggies, it makes for an incredible fast protein snack. It’s also possible to use the leftovers in quiche, tacos or on a sandwich or wrap.

Grilled Cornish Hens

Grilled Cornish hens is a kind of straightforward recipes I make after I wish to make an incredible most important dish with out plenty of effort.

Recipe by Christie Vanover

Substances 

Cumin Lime French dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 4 tsp sugar
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp floor cumin
• 2 limes

Directions 

• Make French dressing: In a small bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, Worcestershire sauce, cumin and juice of two limes.

• Marinate: Take away the hens from the packaging. Place in a zip-top bag. Add 3/4 cup of the French dressing. Seal the bag, eradicating as a lot air as doable. Therapeutic massage the French dressing into the hens. Marinate within the fridge for 4-8 hours, flipping a minimum of as soon as.

• Grill: Warmth grill to 375-400F levels with an oblique warmth zone (see above). Take away the hens from the marinade. Place on the grill over oblique warmth and grill for half-hour, rotating (not flipping) sometimes.

• Baste: After half-hour, baste with the marinade that you simply put aside and proceed cooking for about Quarter-hour, or till the interior temperature registers at 165F levels.

• Relaxation: Take away from the grill and relaxation for 10-Quarter-hour earlier than serving.

Notes

You need to use any kind of home made or retailer purchased French dressing for this recipe.  You’ll want 1 cup whole – 3/4 cup for the marinade and 1/4 cup for basting. 
To stop sickness, by no means baste the birds with the French dressing that was used because the marinade. As an alternative, use the 1/4 cup that wasn’t cross contaminated with the uncooked poultry. 
The dietary values have been adjusted to account for almost all of French dressing that will probably be discarded after the hens are marinated. To cut back the grams of fats, benefit from the grilled cornish hens with out consuming the pores and skin. 

Vitamin

Energy: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 39gFats: 42gSaturated Fats: 10gPolyunsaturated Fats: 7gMonounsaturated Fats: 22gLdl cholesterol: 227mgSodium: 731mgPotassium: 574mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 258IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg

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