Traeger Smoked Cornish Hens Recipe

Published: Oct 18, 2023 by Jenna Passaro · This post may contain affiliate links.

If you’re looking for a slight variation to a traditional smoked whole chicken or are trying to feed a smaller crowd, then smoked cornish hens are a fantastic way to go. Each of your dinner guests can have their own hen and this pairs well with any holiday meal or special occasions. Let’s get smoking!

Traeger Pellet Grill Cooking Smoked Cornish Hens Recipe

Pair this cornish hen with smoked asparagus and smoked mashed potatoes and you’ll be in for a healthy meal.

Dinner Main Dish with Traeger Smoker Cooked Cornish Hen

Quick look at smoking cornish hens…

Smoking cornish hens is a great way to make a healthy protein packed main dish that pairs well with sides or any holiday meal.

Here’s a quick look at this recipe for smoked cornish hen.

Quick look

Preheat the smoker and prepare cornish hens with dry rub seasoning.
Smoke at 250 degrees F for ~ 1 – 1.5 hours.
Add BBQ sauce and increase smoker temp to 375 degrees F to finish at 165 degrees F internal temp.
Remove, rest & enjoy.

Brushing BBQ sauce on Smoked Cornish Hens on the Traeger Pellet

New to smoking cornish hens?

Nothing says “look how sophisticated I am” even when your life is falling apart, as inviting people over and serving them up some cornish hens!

Scroll for a printable recipe and a step-by-step video.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make smoked cornish hen.

3 cornish hens (~1.5 – 2 pounds each, individually portioned)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp BBQ dry rub seasoning
¼ cup BBQ sauce

Seasoned Raw Cornish Hen Prepped on a Tray

Don’t miss my latest cooking tips – find me on Instagram…

How to smoke cornish hens (detailed recipe steps)

Now I’ll walk you through the detailed recipe for cornish hens with extra tips…

Individual Portion of Traeger Pellet Grill Smoked Cornish Hen Dinner

Preheat Traeger Grills or Pitt Boss or whatever pellet grill you’re using to 250 degrees F.
Prep cornish hens for smoking. Pat dry with a paper towel and coat the cornish hens with olive oil.
Season cornish hens all over with BBQ rub.
Smoke at 250 degrees for about 1 – 1.5 hours.
Check internal temperature. When the internal temp reaches 150 degrees F in the thickest part of the cornish hen (the thigh), then it’s time for the sauce.
Brush cornish hens with BBQ sauce.
Increase smoker temperature to 375 degrees F and continue smoking until done with a crisp skin. About an additional 20 minutes.
Remove cornish hens when they reach 165 degrees F as measured with an internal read thermometer.
Rest smoked cornish hens for 10 minutes before slicing.

Resting Traeger Smoked Cornish Hens on a tray

See popular smoked food recipes on Sip Bite Go…

Checkout my popular whole smoked turkey recipe!

FAQs

What temperature should cornish hens be cooked to?

When cooking any type of white meat bird protein, you need to cook it until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

How long to smoke cornish hens?

It will take about 2 hours to smoke a cornish hen. Timing and doneness are determined by its size, smoker temp and internal temperature. I recommend that you use an internal read thermometer and remove the fully cooked cornish hens from the smoker once they reach 165 degrees F internally.

PELLETS I recommend using the following for smoking cornish hens…

Try hickory, mesquite, or apple.

More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes

See this Traeger Flatrock grill review.

See my favorite smoker tools and seasonings in my Amazon Storefront.

Meat thermometer recommendations

Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly.

On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:

Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill.

It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature.

How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.

While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!

Are you a foodie, too?

Hey home chef, hope that answers all your questions about smoking cornish hens.

Smoked cornish game hens is an awesome way to turn an ordinary meal into a special occasion or holiday meal.

If you use a tasty BBQ rub and finish with BBQ sauce during the smoking process, you’ll create one of the best possible flavors for this main smoked dish.

Enjoy cooking and chat soon on Instagram / TikTok / YouTube.

– Jenna

Next, browse the Sip Bite Go recipe collection…

Smoked Cornish Hens Recipe | Sip Bite Go

If you’re looking for a slight variation to a traditional smoked whole chicken or are trying to feed a smaller crowd, then smoked cornish hens are a fantastic way to go. Each of your dinner guests can have their own hen and this pairs well with any holiday meal. Let’s get smoking! | sipbitego.com