This Cornish Game Hen Brine is my favorite for making Smoked Cornish Game Hens. I do love to change it up sometimes so this time I decided to see what would happen if I took brined cornish game hens and added a dry rub. Well let me tell you this took the flavor to the next level, and now I am not sure I will make them another way besides changing spices around. (I have included affiliate links to products I love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. )
Now I love that my old lady is a frugal shopper she picks up these cornish game hens at Safeways $5 Fridays quite often so we always have at least four in the freezer. After being on the road working I was ready to get my smoke game back on!!
Smoke Hollow 30-Inch Electric Smoker
Bradley Smoker Apple Bisquettes 48 packEatSmart Precision Pro Digital Thermometer
Now I use a Smoke Hollow Smoker to smoke in and also use apple pucks as well when I smoke. Everything smoking equipment I use is above and on Amazon! I did adapt the pipe on the smoker to billow out more smoke to help it smoke at a lower temperature to make the food taste even better.
Cornish hen Brine Ingredients:
- 4 Cornish Game Hens
- 1 Gallon Water
- 1 Cup Salt
- ¼ Cup Garlic Salt
- ¼ Cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Black Pepper
- ¼ Cup Montreal Steak Seasoning
- Ice
cornish hen brine Dry Rub Ingredients:
Cornish Game Hens Stuffing Ingredients:
- 1 Bundle Leeks
- 1 Bunch Green Onions
- 3 Stalks Celery
- Garlic Herb Butter
- Minced Garlic
- Cooking Twine
How TO Make A brine for cornish hens:
This meal does take some planning to do. We keep our cornish game hens frozen and place them in the brine frozen. Be sure to know food safety procedures for thawing time and storage of this brine and the hens.
Fill a large container with water and put in all your brine ingredients.
Give the water and the brine a good stirring with a whisk.
Place your frozen game hens into the container and keep them refrigerated until you are ready to smoke. Note if you are not placing them in a refrigerator you need to keep a constant ice bath on the chickens.
Pull your hens and brine mixture out of the fridge a couple of hours before you are ready to smoke to allow them to get to room temperature.
When you remove your cornish game hens pat them dry from the brine.
How To Dry Rub Cornish Game Hens:
Rub the sesame oil, or olive oil, on to the hens.
Season with your rub. I did use Jack Daniels Chicken Rub but Spiceology makes amazing rubs as well.
Allow to rest for a bit, you can store them in the fridge as well to let them season more.
How To Smoke Cornish Game Hens:
Start your smoker up with the water and wood pucks to get a good smoke rolling and going before putting in your chicken.
Spray your smoker racks with a nonstick spray or rub with oil.
Chop up your celery, leeks, and green onion into stalks that are about the same length.
Take your twine and tie a combination of the three into bundles that will fit into the cornish game hens. Note you won’t be eating these, this is to keep the meat moist while smoking.
Scoop premade garlic butter or scoop your garlic butter blend into balls that will fit into the cornish game hens, you can make these any size I used a Wilton cookie scoop.
Hold your hen open and drop in your garlic butterball, minced garlic, and then shove in a bundle of the green mixture.
Place your breast side down chicken on the racks in the smoker. Keep your smoker at about 225 degrees and smoke for about 3 ½ hours.
*Be sure to use a food thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked to the right temperature!
As you can tell the skin was falling off the hens, and they were so juicy!
Now, this was my first dinner since getting back into town with my family and we had a nice spread of food! I did doctor up some bbq sauce to my liking that I coated my hen in. No one left hungry that night with pasta salad, potato salad, and rice.
What is your go-to way to make Cornish Game Hens?? Have you smoked them before?
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SMOKED CORNISH GAME HENS:
- Caesar Salad
- Rice
- Smoked Baked Potatoes
- Smoked Deviled Eggs
- Grilled Twice Baked Potatoes
- Smoked Potato Salad
- Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad
OTHER SMOKED CORNISH GAME HEN RECIPES TO TRY OUT:
- Sweet And Spicy Cornish Game Hens
- Mediterranean Smoked Cornish Game Hens
- Cold Smoked Cornish Game Hens
- Coca Cola Brined Smoked Cornish Game Hens
- Smoked Cornish Game Hens Brine
Smoked Cornish Game Hens With Brine And Dry Rub Recipe
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
- 4 Cornish Game Hens
Brine Ingredients
- 1 Gallon Water
- 1 Cup Salt
- ¼ Cup Garlic Salt
- ¼ Cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Black Pepper
- ¼ Cup Montreal Steak Seasoning
- Ice
Dry Rub Ingredients
- Sesame Oil
- Jack Daniels Chicken Rub
Stuffing Ingredients
- 1 Bundle Leeks
- 1 Bunch Green Onions
- 3 Stalks Celery
- Garlic Herb Butter
- Minced Garlic
- Twine
Instructions
How To Make A Brine For Cornish Hens
- This meal does take some planning to do. We keep our cornish game hens frozen and place them in the brine frozen. Be sure to know food safety procedures for thawing time and storage of this brine and the hens.
- Fill a large container with water and put in all your brine ingredients.
- Give the water and the brine a good stirring with a whisk.
- Place your frozen game hens into the container and keep them refrigerated until you are ready to smoke. Note if you are not placing them in a refrigerator you need to keep a constant ice bath on the chickens.
- Pull your hens and brine mixture out of the fridge a couple of hours before you are ready to smoke to allow them to get to room temperature.
How To Dry Rub Cornish Game Hens:
- When you remove your cornish game hens pat them dry from the brine.
- Rub sesame oil, or olive oil, on to the hens.
- Season with your rub. I did use Jack Daniels Chicken Rub but Spiceology makes amazing rubs as well.
- Allow to rest for a bit, you can store them in the fridge as well to let them season more.
How To Smoked Cornish Game Hens
- Start your smoker up with the water and wood pucks to get a good smoke rolling and going before putting in your chicken.
- Spray your smoker racks with a nonstick spray or rub with oil.
- Chop up your celery, leeks, and green onion into stalks that are about the same length.
- Take your twine and tie a combination of the three into bundles that will fit into the cornish game hens. Note you won't be eating these, this is to keep the meat moist while smoking.
- Scoop premade garlic butter or scoop your garlic butter blend into balls that will fit into the cornish game hens, you can make these any size I used a cookie scoop.
- Hold your hen open and drop in your garlic butterball, minced garlic, and then shove in a bundle of the green mixture.
- Place your breast side down chicken on the racks in the smoker. Keep your smoker at about 225 degrees and smoke for about 3 ½ hours.
Video
Notes
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SMOKED CORNISH GAME HENS:
- Caesar Salad
- Rice
- Smoked Baked Potatoes
- Smoked Deviled Eggs
- Grilled Twice Baked Potatoes
- Smoked Potato Salad
- Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad
OTHER SMOKED CORNISH GAME HEN RECIPES TO TRY OUT:
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