SmokeBarbecue
Smoked Cornish hens
Personal birds. Fruitwood, 325°F, done in an hour. Easier than a whole chicken when you want a bone-in plate.
Made it?
1 hr 30 min · 20 min hands-on · pull 165°F · rest 10 min
Ingredients
2 lb on the fire · ~1.4 lb to the table · 3 plates at 8 oz
- Cornish hens, 1–1.25 lb each4 (2 lb)
- kosher salt4 tsp
- black pepper2 tsp
- softened butter2 tbsp
Method
- 1
Pat dry. Salt under and over the skin. Butter under the breast skin if you want insurance.
- 2
Smoke 325°F with apple or cherry until breast is 160°F and thigh 175°F, 50–70 minutes.
- 3
Rest 10 minutes. Serve a bird per person. They cool fast — eat them.
If you don’t have it
- Cornish hens → Poussin, or chicken halves. Halves take longer. Same pull numbers.
- Apple → Cherry or pecan. Small birds take smoke fast. Go easy on hickory.
Same cook, different day
Spatchcocked hens
You want crisp skin. Backbone off, 325°F, 10 minutes less, skin up the whole way.
Glazed
A holiday plate. A thin honey-mustard in the last 10 minutes.
Oven hens
No smoker. 425°F sheet pan, 35–45 minutes, same temps.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making vinegar slaw.
Anytime. Better after an hour in the fridge. Cabbage, carrot, cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper. No mayo if the meat is already rich.
20 min
- With this dish, try making potato salad.
While the meat rests. Waxy potatoes, salt in the water, mustard-mayo, pickle, celery. Fold when the potatoes are still warm.
45 min
- With this dish, try making skillet mac.
In the oven while a roast rests, or the last stretch of a smoke. A real béchamel, cheddar, a breadcrumb top. Do not start it at the same time as a packer and expect timing to match.
40 min