Butterflied Brick Grilled Cornish Hens

3-4h
Prep Time
20-30m
Cook Time
3h 20m
Ready In

Recipe: #1141

October 23, 2011



"I love Cornish Hens, they are so sweet and just a nice change. I often use them for entertaining as they are perfect to serve individually and they are so easy to cook. Butterflied and cooked with a brick, these cook up in no time. This is a grilled recipe, but an indoor or outdoor grill work equally as well. For the brick - Invest a couple of dollars and buy them from any home improvement store - and just wrap in foil and keep on hand. Note: after cooking with your brick, remember to change your foil each time. Since Cornish Hens are small, they don't take too long to marinate; maybe 2-3 hrs, and this recipe we finish off by using some of the reserved marinade as a glaze. Serve with Asian slaw and stir fried baby bok choy."

Original is 5 servings

Nutritional

  • Serving Size: 1 (75.8 g)
  • Calories 157.2
  • Total Fat - 1.3 g
  • Saturated Fat - 0.2 g
  • Cholesterol - 0 mg
  • Sodium - 142.9 mg
  • Total Carbohydrate - 37.7 g
  • Dietary Fiber - 0.3 g
  • Sugars - 23.2 g
  • Protein - 0.9 g
  • Calcium - 21.5 mg
  • Iron - 0.6 mg
  • Vitamin C - 6.3 mg
  • Thiamin - 0 mg

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Chicken ... How to butterfly a chicken or cornish hen. Turn the chicken upside down so you are looking at the back of the chicken. Using kitchen shears, cut around the back bone on each side; then pull out the back bone and open up the hen so it lays flat skin side down. There is cartilage that covers the breast bone, use a small knife to cut it out and just use your fingers to pull it out. There are many videos online that that give step by step directions on how to do this. Also, many butchers will do this at no cost.

Step 2

Marinade ... Add all the ingredients to a measuring cup and mix well. Pour approximately 2/3 of the marinade in a large ziplock bag or a non-reactive (glass) dish, add the chicken, and make well to rub the marinade all over the chicken so it is coated well. Seal the bag or cover the dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 3-4 hours. The remaining marinade you will use as a glaze

Step 3

Brick ... Make sure your brick is covered with foil - and if you used it to cook before, you need to replace the foil. Place on the grill to heat up before cooking.

Step 4

Chicken ... Remove your chicken from the refrigerator to take the chill off.

Step 5

Reserved Marinade ... Add the reserved marinade with the honey and mix well. This is your glaze for the chicken.

Step 6

Grill ... Medium to medium high heat. Season your hen well with salt and pepper and add skin side down and top with the brick which has been heating up on the grill. Cook 8-10 minutes until you get good grill marks. Remove the brick and flip; continue to cook another 8-10 minutes. Remove the brick, brush with the glaze, flip and glaze the top. Cook another 4-5 minutes continuing to glaze the hen. The hen is done when the juices runs clear, use a thermometer is you are worried about the temperature.

Step 7

Serve ... Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before serving. Since the hen is already butterflied, it makes it easy to cut in half which is the perfect serving per person. ENJOY!

Tips


No special items needed.

1 Reviews

Gerry

Love butterflied chicken, seasoned, baked and all crisped! Great recipe with excellent instructions that will have beginners look like a pro. I used a small chicken and grilled in the oven. Living in Saskatchewan, come November I do not brave the outdoor grill! Thank you KC, it's a keeper that will see to one lot of repeats.

5.0

review by:
(10 Nov 2011)

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