Cornish game hen sounds kind of fancy, like something you might serve at a dinner party, but really they are essentially mini-chickens. They are smaller and have a richer flavor with a higher fat content than chicken, comparable to the dark meat you find in chicken. Because of their slightly higher fat content, the meat is a little juicier and, when cooked correctly (ie: not overcooked so they dry out!) lend themselves to an enjoyable dining experience.
First things first, make your jerk marinade:

Ingredients
- one large bunch scallions
- one red bell pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
- 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper or 2 habenero ***
- kosher salt
- 4 Cornish game hens 1 1/2 to 2 pounds each, butterflied
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Combine ingredients 1-11 (use 1 tablespoon salt) in food processor and make a thick sauce. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce in the refrigerator for serving with the hens later.
- Remove the backbone from the hens so that you can butterfly them. Season the hens all over with salt and pepper; poke a few holes into the meat so the marinade can penetrate the bird. Rub 1 cup jerk sauce all over the hens in a large bowl or pan. Then, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.
Grilling:
- Preheat the grill to medium. **Note that some recipes call to use a brick covered in foil or a metal press on the grill to flatten the hens and make them extra crispy. I did not do this, I only butterflied the hens and after marinating in the fridge for 2 hours they were pretty flat already.
- Cook the hens on the grill until browned on each side (this will vary according to grills and meat size), at least 7-8 minutes per side. While grilling, baste the hens with any extra jerk sauce. The hens will be done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 160 degrees.
- I served the hens with saffron rice (yellow rice) and grilled vegetables.
- Guests went crazy over this dish and went back for seconds. Yours will too!!!
Notes
https://grillgirl.com/2011/04/spatchcocked-chicken-with-jerk-seasoning-paste/
As soon as the clouds go away, you can bet I will be the first one on our block to get out there and do a little barbecuing.
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Great looking cornish hens. Something I need to start grilling more.
Looks good, the jerk marinate
recipe is so simple.I like grilled jerk, thanks for sharing the recipe.