Smoked Cornish Hens Recipe: How to Smoke Cornish Hens

Smoked Cornish hens are young chickens (under five weeks old) weighing two pounds or less, slowly cooked via the indirect heat of woodsmoke. Also known as a Cornish game hen or Rock Cornish game hens, a Cornish hen can be male or female despite the name “hen.” These small, young chickens take their name from the Cornish chicken, a breed developed in nineteenth-century England, but the USDA does not require chickens labeled “Cornish hens” to be of any particular breed. The most significant difference between a Cornish hen and a regular broiler chicken is that the former is half the age of the typical supermarket chicken.

The chickens’ small size makes them ideal for serving one or two people. If you want to make a whole smoked chicken or turkey but don’t have the space, smoked Cornish hens are a great option: Their small size frees up your smoker or grill for other dishes, like smoked mac and cheese.

Follow these tips to make juicy Cornish hens that are flavorful and cooked perfectly every time.

1. 1. Learn about your smoker. Decide what kind of smoker you’re going to use to smoke the Cornish hens: A pellet smoker is user-friendly but can be difficult to troubleshoot because of how high-tech they are. A charcoal smoker benefits from the addition of wood chunks to add extra flavor, though most of the smoke comes from charcoal. Learn about the different types of meat smokers.
2. 2. Select your wood. Choose the wood that works best for your smoker, which will always be a type of hardwood such as applewood, hickory, or mesquite. Different types of smokers require different types of wood, so it is important to do your research. You’ll need wood chips for grill smoking, whereas wood chunks are best for kettle grills. Here’s how to choose the best wood for smoking.
3. 3. Spatchcock the hens. Spatchcocking a Cornish hen before smoking helps the birds cook quicker and more evenly. The result is a beautifully browned smoked Cornish hen with crispy skin and delicious smoky flavor. The process of spatchcocking involves removing the backbone and breaking the chicken’s breastbone so that the Cornish hen lies flat. (Save the backbone and the giblets to make chicken stock or gravy; learn how to make chicken stock.) Use this spatchcock chicken recipe as a guide.
4. 4. Add flavor with brines and rubs. There are many ways to infuse flavor into a Cornish hen when smoking. Try a dry rub of spices, salt, and sugar, which you’ll massage directly onto the skin of the Cornish hen before smoking. Wet-brining the Cornish hens in a saline solution twenty-four hours before cooking is a trusted way to keep the birds juicy and flavorful when smoking. Try flavoring the brine with different ingredients like fresh herbs, peppercorns, and even orange juice. To add a glaze to your smoked Cornish hens, brush them with BBQ sauce and increase the smoker’s heat to finish.
5. 5. Get an accurate temperature reading. Remove your smoked Cornish hens from the smoker when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a digital thermometer with an external probe or check the doneness frequently using a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer to know exactly when to pull your Cornish hens from the smoker. Here’s how to use a meat thermometer properly.