We are going to be butterflying and grilling our little birds for this Cornish hen recipe. This will allow them to cook quickly and uniformly.
Butterflying a Cornish hen – or a chicken for that matter – is quite easy. All you need is a sharp pair of kitchen shears and voila! I decided to butterfly the hens for this recipe because I wanted to press them down onto the grill with my super heavy cast iron pan. You can use any heavy pan you have – even bricks if you want. The point is to get those birds as flat as possible so they cook faster.
To butterfly a Cornish hen simply means to remove its backbone. Place the bird back side up on a cutting board and, using some sharp kitchen shears, cut closely along one side of the backbone.
Turn breast side up and now open the Cornish hen so the drumsticks point out. Press the breastbone firmly to flatten. It’s that easy!
1 cup Susie Q Santa Maria Seasoning (available in bulk at Costco) 1/2 cup Cayenne pepper 1/2 cup ancho, chipotle or pasilla chile powder 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (moscovado sugar for more intense flavor if you prefer) 1/4 cup powdered garlic (not minced) 1/4 cup dried parsley
Mix together all ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl. When using the rub on meat rub it with a high quality olive oil before applying rub liberally. When using fish or chicken first cover with the juice of limes or lemons. Make sure you let the rub do its thing for at least 2 hours (preferably 4) before barbecue. We did exactly as instructed!
We heated the grill for 20 minutes on high and then turned it down to medium, cleaned the grids really well and then oiled them with a wad of paper towel soaked in olive oil. Pete, my husband, proceeded to place the hens breast side down on the grill and placed the cast iron pan on them.
If you do not want to prepare the rub, go ahead and coat the hens with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Or, use any of the other rub recipes that we have on this site! Cook them as instructed.
1 cup Susie Q Santa Maria Seasoning (available in bulk at Costco) 1/2 cup Cayenne pepper 1/2 cup ancho, chipotle or pasilla chile powder 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (moscovado sugar for more intense flavor if you prefer) 1/4 cup powdered garlic (not minced) 1/4 cup dried parsley
Mix together all ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl. When using the rub on meat rub it with a high quality olive oil before applying rub liberally. When using fish or chicken first cover with the juice of limes or lemons. Make sure you let the rub do its thing for at least 2 hours (preferably 4) before barbecue. We did exactly as instructed!
We heated the grill for 20 minutes on high and then turned it down to medium, cleaned the grids really well and then oiled them with a wad of paper towel soaked in olive oil. Pete, my husband, proceeded to place the hens breast side down on the grill and placed the cast iron pan on them.
If you do not want to prepare the rub, go ahead and coat the hens with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Or, use any of the other rub recipes that we have on this site! Cook them as instructed.
To butterfly a Cornish hen simply means to remove its backbone. Place the bird back side up on a cutting board and, using some sharp kitchen shears, cut closely along one side of the backbone.
How to Spatchcock a Cornish Hen
FAQ
Can you butterfly a Cornish hen?
Do Cornish game hens go broody?
Do you have to truss a Cornish game hen?
How do you butterfly a Cornish hen?
The greater surface area exposed when the birds are flat allows them to cook faster. 1. To butterfly a Cornish hen, place it back side up on a cutting board. 2. Using poultry shears, cut closely along one side of the backbone. 3. Repeat on the other side; discard backbone. Turn breast side up. 4. Open the bird so the drumsticks point out.
Should you butterfly a roasted Cornish hen?
When you butterfly your chicken, it greatly reduces its cooking time. Roasted Cornish hens are great stuffed, of course, but for quicker cooking, butterfly them. Butterflying simply means removing the backbone so the hen can be opened up like a book and laid flat. The greater surface area exposed when the birds are flat allows them to cook faster.
What is grilled butterflied Cornish hen?
Grilled Butterflied Cornish Hen uses a method, also called spatchcocking, that produces tender flesh and crispy skin. (Recipe Credit: Aube Giroux from Kitchen Vignettes) To ensure quick, even cooking and tender meat, butterfly your chicken or Cornish hen.
How long to cook a Cornish hen?
The skin should quickly crisp in about 5 to 10 minutes and the meat should reach internal temperature of 165F when you insert a meat thermometer into the deepest part of the breast meat. Remove it as soon as temperature is reached and let the cornish hen rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.