Grilled Cornish hens is one of those easy recipes I make when I want to make an amazing main dish without a lot of effort.
Grilled Cornish hens is one of those easy recipes I make when I want to make an amazing main dish without a lot of effort.
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish hens thawed
Cumin Lime Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 4 tsp sugar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 limes
Instructions
- Make Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, Worcestershire sauce, cumin and juice of 2 limes.
- Marinate: Remove the hens from the packaging. Place in a zip-top bag. Add 3/4 cup of the vinaigrette. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Massage the vinaigrette into the hens. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours, flipping at least once.
- Heat Grill: Set your Ninja Grill function to smoker. Set the temperature to 375F/190C and the time to 1 hour. If you want to add smoker flavor, be sure to add a cup of pellets to the box.
- Grill: Remove the hens from the marinade. Place on the grill over indirect heat and grill for 30 minutes.
- Baste: After 30 minutes, baste with the marinade that you set aside and continue cooking for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers at 165F/74C degrees.
- Rest: Remove from the grill and rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Grill Settings by Model
Notes
You can use any type of homemade or store bought vinaigrette for this recipe. You’ll need 1 cup total – 3/4 cup for the marinade and 1/4 cup for basting.
To prevent illness, never baste the birds with the vinaigrette that was used as the marinade. Instead, use the 1/4 cup that wasn’t cross contaminated with the raw poultry.
The nutritional values have been adjusted to account for the majority of vinaigrette that will be discarded after the hens are marinated. To reduce the grams of fat, enjoy the grilled cornish hens without eating the skin.
Nutrition
Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 731mg | Potassium: 574mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 258IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
*Total cook time varies by grill model. See instructions above for details.
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