Description
This smoked cornish game hen recipe will create tender, juicy cornish hens with crispy skin. You only need a few spices from your spice cabinet and a smoker to make this delicious recipe!
Ingredients
Scale
- Cornish game hens, defrosted (1 per person)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Open and remove the packaging from your defrosted cornish hens. Remove the giblets.
- Dry the skin with a paper towel. Mix the spices together in a small bowl.
- Slowly drizzle the olive oil over the top of the cornish hens and rub it down the sides.
- Sprinkle the spice rub over the skin to ensure an even coating for each cornish hen.
- Preheat your smoker for cooking with indirect heat to 260°F. If your smoker only gets to 225°F, plan on an extra 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Place the cornish hens on the smoker grate with the breast side down. Add enough pecan wood chips or pellets to ensure the smoker maintains steady smoke for an hour.
- After 1 hour and 30 minutes, check the internal temperature of the hens with a meat thermometer.
- The hens are done when the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh reaches 165°F.
- Remove the hens from the smoker and let them rest for 20 minutes so the juices redistribute through the meat.
- Serve each person one cornish hen along with your choice of side dishes. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rest Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 hen
- Calories: 667kcal
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 46.8g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 57.2g
- Cholesterol: 300mg