I shall attempt to try to convey exactly how delicious this Smoked Cornish Hen rub recipe turned out to be! If only you could smell and taste through the computer! I love it when the first try is perfect, don’t you!
I have challenged my hubby to create a new smoked meat recipe once a month for this year! Nice challenge, right! Yes, I am no dummy. He got himself a new bigger and better smoker for Christmas so I thought I would encourage him to use it often!
I’m not quite ready to allow him to create the rub though so this one is my recipe. He can’t take credit for all the yummy goodness these Smoked Cornish Hens provided for our New Year’s Day dinner! In all fairness I must add that I do have great confidence in my husbands cooking skills. Some of his delicious recipes are on the blog like this Strawberry Cake. He is always trying to get out of making it for Thanksgiving but our family won’t allow that!
Two little baby birds aka Cornish Hen went into the smoker covered in my Poultry Rub Recipe made just for them. They cooked at 260° for about 2 and a half hours until they reached 185° internal temperature. Those little Cornish hens do not take long to smoke! If you filled the smoker full of Cornish hens, you would likely need longer cook time.
Stacy is currently using Apple Wood Chips in the smoker which is our preference.
They look good for a reason! See how that apple wood smoke just bathed those birds in flavor!
I split each Cornish Hen in half for serving.
Our New Year’s Day menu was simple and traditional. I prepared Hoppin John, Homemade Cornbread and Cabbage Soup as sides for our Smoked Cornish Hen.
- 2 Cornish Hens
- 1 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Ground Thyme
- ½ tsp. Sage
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- Blend all five ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Wash Cornish Hens and pat dry with paper toweling.
- Gently cover each hen with the rub getting into all the crevices well.
- Smoke at 260º for about 2½ hours or until internal temperature reaches 185º.
- Use a sharp knife to split each hen in half for serving.
- Serve and enjoy.
Stick around to see what’s cooking next in our my hubby’s new smoker! In the meantime, head over to our Entree’s page for lots more dinner ideas.
Shirley Wood
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My daughter loves Cornish Hens. When she was little she used to call them little chickens, lol. I have a smoker, unfortunately it’s freezing in my neck of the woods. I’m going to PIN this post for future use. Thanks for sharing on Sunday’s Best.