Even though I grill all year long Summertime is my favorite time to grill! Besided the usual hot dogs and hamburgers we also love to grill chicken, fish and steaks. For something new I thought it would be fun to try grilling some Cornish Hens - this is not an item I have really seen grilled and I think it will be a fun and unique idea - once I tried it I just loved the results! You must try this marinade - it is absolutely delicious!! My cousin introduced me to this marinade and it is one that my family just Loves!!
Grilled Cornish Hens with Chicken Marinade
First thing I did was put together my shopping list for my little family barbecue for the weekend. I ran to Walmart for my barbecue ingredients and there I picked up my Tyson Cornish Hens and Kikkoman Soy Sauce, which is the main ingredient to my marinade.
Here is what you will need for this recipe:
- Tyson Cornish Hens (they are frozen so they will need several days in the fridge to thaw)
- ¼ Cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
- ¼ Cup Oil
- 3 Tbsp. Honey
- 1 ½ tsp. Ginger
- 2 Tbsp. Vinegar
- 2 Green onions, diced
- 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. pepper
You want to marinade your cornish hens for at least 4 hours, so I usually prep the cornish hens first thing in the morning. I wash and dry the hens and then I like to butterfly them to make them easier to cook on the grill. The official term for this is "spatchcock" - I was surprised at how easy it was to do this. First you place the hen backside up and cut along both sides of the backbone so the cornish hen can open up like a book. I used kitchen sheers to do this. Now place breast side up and press down on the breastbone so it flattens. If you want to cut out the breastbone with your kitchen shears you can.
I then easily cut them in half. Once the cornish hens are butterflied then I make up the Marinade. Mix all ingredients mentioned above together.
Put the Cornish Hens in a baggie and add the marinade. I then move the chicken/marinade all around until everyting is nicely coated. Place in the fridge for 4 hours to marinade.
Now it is time to grill!! #Grill4Flavor ! I start with my grill on a low to medium heat. I place the hens on the grill and let it cook for about 5 minutes to get some nice grill marks.
Flip over and grill for another 5 minutes to get nice grill marks on the other side.
After the next five minutes I move the cornish hens to the top rack. I close the lid and turn the heat up to a medium/high heat. My grill has a thermometor so I try to keep the heat to about 350 degrees. I turn these every 5 minutes until they are done (juices run clear).
This whole process takes about 25 minutes.
When these came off the grill I couldn't wait to eat them - they smell and look so good!!
This is delicious with anything served up at your barbecue or you can make it for a nice family dinner with a side of your families favorite vegetables along with some potatoes or rice and some fresh fruit - Delish!!
amber.m
These look so yummy! Pinning this for later 🙂
Deb
Sounds delicious!!
Morgan - Modern Mommyhood
This looks delicious! I'm going to have to show my husband this recipe so that he can grill these!
Jamie Rippy (@MamaMommyMom)
I'm going to have to try this! I've never grilled a hen anyway other than the "beer can" chicken thing (which is pretty amazing!)
Kendra
Yummy! Summer pretty much means grilling for every dinner around my house. I'll have to add this to the list of recipes to try.
kristinethefoleyfamblog
Love us a good grill out! Can't wait to make these! Thanks!
Carly
This looks amazing!!!
Melissa @ This Girl's Life Blog
We like to cook these cornish hens a lot. I'm going to have to try this marinate, looks yummy.
Casey @ Beauty 101
I've actually never tried a Cornish Hen (weird, right?) but this recipe is making me think I need to change that!
Chrissa - PHysical Kitchness
This is SO helpful! I have never made cornish hens but can buy them locally, I've just been too afraid! This post is awesome. Thank you!