Talking to myself about grilling cornish game hens…
Question: I'm hungry. What are we making today?
Answer: Today, we're grilled cornish game hens. Be patient, they'll be done soon.
Q: It's raining? Again? Why does it always start to rain when it's time to light the grill?
A: It is spring in Northeastern Ohio. It's the rainy season. Mother Nature doesn't care that I have grilling fever. Or, maybe she does, and she just likes watching me squirm. Besides, it's just sprinkling. The hens will be fine.
Q: Hmm. Smells good. What ethnicity is that brinerade?
A: Well, it's got Mediterranean olive oil, British worchestershire sauce, Asian soy sauce…let's call it pan-ethnic.
Q: I'm getting hungrier. These hens were supposed to be done in a half an hour. What's taking so long?
A: Christopher Kimball said you should never trust the cooking times in a recipe. Which is good, because the timings for grilling cornish game hens I found in Cooks Illustrated are too fast. Besides, I'm always saying you need to go by internal temperature, not by time, when you're cooking. This is particularly true with grilling - live fire cooking never happens the same way twice. Â See? Â The instant read thermometer says they're 160*F now..time to sear them.
Q: I'm still hungry. Aren't they done yet?
A: Good grief, you're worse than the kids. Here, try a drumstick.
Q: Yummmmmmm...
A: That's right. A little grilled poultry to soothe the soul.
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📖 Recipe Card
Grilled Split Cornish Game Hens, Brinerated
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Cornish game hens split in half, soaked in an olive oil, soy, Worcestershire and garlic brinerade, grill roasted over indirect heat, then seared crisp over the flames.
Ingredients
Hens
- 2 Cornish game hens
Brinerade
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Split the hens: With kitchen shears or a heavy chef's knife, cut down one side of the backbone, open the hen up, then cut it in half through the middle of the breast.
- Brinerate: Whisk the brinerade ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Put the hen halves in a gallon zip-top bag, pour in the brinerade, squeeze out the air, and seal. Refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours, turning the bag every hour or so.
- Prepare the grill: Preheat the grill with all burners on high for 15 minutes. Brush the grate clean and wipe it with an oiled paper towel. Then turn off all but the two outer burners for indirect high heat.
- Grill roast the hens: Remove the hens from the brinerade and pat dry. Put them skin side down over the unlit burners, close the lid, and cook for 20 minutes. Flip skin side up and cook until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F, 5 to 15 minutes more.
- Sear: Move the hens over the lit burners and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the skin is browned and crisp.
- Rest and serve: Let the hens rest for 10 minutes, then serve half a hen per person.
Notes
Equipment: A grill (I use a Weber Summit 650) and a gallon zip-top bag. See my grill roasted chicken pieces basic technique for more about the technique.
Kitchen shears are the best tool for splitting hens. Aim slightly off-center so you don't have to cut through the keel bone under the breast, and squeeze hard.
Go by temperature, not time - the hens often take longer than recipes say.
Plan on half a hen per person, or a whole hen for big eaters. This makes enough brinerade for 2 hens; for more, double the brinerade and use two bags.
Other brinerades: Try the brinerade from my Thai Butterflied Chicken or my Greek Rotisserie Boneless Leg of Lamb.
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, "Don't Marinate, Brinerate".
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Brinerate: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
*My apologies to Terry Pluto for borrowing his Talking to Myself style in the opening.
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Rotisserie Cornish Game Hens, Brined and Herbed
Grilled Butterflied Chicken, Thai Brinerated
Adapted from:
Cooks Illustrated: Don't Marinate, Brinerate [cooksillustrated.com, subscription required]
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Sam says
I did this brineride with cornish hens and chicken. You can't go wrong here! This is a great recipe and technique for poultry. Thanks for sharing!😀
A Year on the Grill says
excellent post. I am ashamaed to say I have never cooked game hens. I do have a neighbor who adores them and serves em to me. He cooks whole, I like the split better... more even heating (His dark meat comes out too dry)
As always, a great recipe... will consider these soon after I GET A GRILL AGAIN.... ARRRGGGGHHHHH