Without question, one of the greatest things we can do for our mothers, wives and other women in our lives, is to cook for them! What could be more fun than grilling an absolutely delicious delicacy of Cornish Game Hens and serving them with Mom’s favorite: Shrimp!
Next, marinate the Hens in the marinade below for 3 or 4 hours in the fridge. When ready to start, warm up the grill to medium heat (375 or so) and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place the hens breast-side down to get the grill marks going and close the grill. Grill for about 5 minutes on this side, then flip over to cook the back side. Baste with the marinade. Watch closely and grill for another 5 minutes or so.
Now turn it back over the the breast-side down and turn it enough to get the crossing grill marks. Don’t forget to baste! This takes around another 5 minutes or so. Now turn it back over on its back, baste and grill for another 5 minutes. At this point check the temperature of the meat. If you are at around 135 degrees and the juices run clear, all is well! Otherwise, you may need to keep it going for a few more minutes.
This is where grill experience comes in. You have to train yourself to know when the Hens are done. The first time I grilled these beauties, I checked the temperature several times and would even cut one open a little to check to see if they were cooked through. The PERFECT time to get these off the grill is the instant that the juices run clear and the moisture is still there! Overcooking will dry them out, so be picky about getting it off the grill on time.
Now prepare and serve with your favorite side dishes!
Enjoy!
- 4 Cornish Game Hens, 24 ounces each
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup vinegar of choice
- 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- garlic salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- If frozen, thaw the Hens overnight in the fridge.
- Lay the Hen breast-side down and cut out the backbone.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients into a marinade. Feel free to use your favorite marinade here!
- I put all four into a gallon zip-lock bag along with the marinade.
- Place the bag in a pan in the fridge.
- Turn it occasionally so the marinade gets on all sides.
- Plan on at least 2 to 4 hours to really make it great.
- Pre heat your grill to about 375 to 400 degrees and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the Hens breast-side down on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes after basting
- Turn them over, baste, and grill for another 5 minutes or so.
- Turn it back to the breast-side down and turn it to get the criss-cross marks.
- Baste and grill for another 5 minutes
- Turn it back one more time to its back and grill after basting.
- Check the temperature and make sure the juices run clear before removing from grill
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes, cut in half, and serve with your favorite side dishes!
- I have found that ½ of a Hen is perfect for most people!
- Enjoy!
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