Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

grilled mexican-style cornish hens

(3 ratings)
Recipe by
Daily Inspiration S
Sugar Land, TX

A great way to grill cornish game hens. Lots of flavor and the recipe recommends serving these hens with a corn salsa. Prep time does not include the overnight marinating time.

(3 ratings)
yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 45 Min
method Grill

Ingredients For grilled mexican-style cornish hens

  • 4
    cornish hens
  • 4
    jalapeno peppers
  • 8
    garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1/4 c
    fresh orange juice (or bottled)
  • 2 Tbsp
    fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp
    ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp
    dried oregano
  • 2 tsp
    salt
  • 1/3 c
    olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp
    maple syrup

How To Make grilled mexican-style cornish hens

  • 1
    To butterfly the hens, turn them breast side down and using poultry shears, cut down each side of the backbone and discard it. Turn the birds over and open them out flat, pressing down hard on the breastbone. Thread 2 skewers diagonally through each hen from the wings to the thigh bones.
  • 2
    To make the marinade, skewer the chili peppers and garlic together and cook on a preheated medium-hot outdoor grill or under a broiler for 10 minutes, turning frequently until evenly browned. Scrape off and discard the skins from the peppers and chop the flesh coarsely. Put the flesh (and seed if you like the heat) into a blender. Add garlic and all the remaining marinade ingredients and blend to a puree. Pour the marinade over the hens and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Retun them to room temperature for 1 hour before cooking.
  • 3
    When ready to cook, remove the birds from their marinade and grill over preheated medium-hot coals for 12 minutes on each side (or until juices run clear), basting occasionally. Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes, then serve with corn salsa.

Categories & Tags for Grilled Mexican-Style Cornish Hens:

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