Grilled Cornish Game Hens
A simple but elegant dish featuring Cornish game hens grilled with a sweet and tangy mustard glaze. Perfect for entertaining or a special dinner at home.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
- Kitchen Scissors (for cutting the hens in half)
- Broiler Pan with Rack (if cooking in the oven)
Ingredients
GAME HENS:
- Three 1½-pound Cornish Game Hens
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
MUSTARD SAUCE:
- ¼ cup whole grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
PREPARE THE HENS:
- Remove and discard giblets and necks from the Cornish hens. Rinse the hens under cold water; pat dry. Remove the skin; trim the excess fat and discard. Split the hens in half lengthwise. Sprinkle salt and pepper over hen halves; set aside.
PREPARE THE SAUCE AND COOK:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.
- Pre-heat your grill or your oven broiler. Place hen halves, meaty sides up, on a grill rack or rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 15 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting occasionally with mustard mixture.
Notes
- If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, just be sure to use a brand of mustard that is known to be GF.
- I recommend removing the skin. This lets the sauce soak into the meat and avoids flare-ups on the grill.
- Monitor the grilling temperature- medium-high heat is ideal for browning without burning.
- Let them rest after grilling- a 5-minute rest keeps them juicy
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 344mg | Sodium: 516mg | Potassium: 829mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 377IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg