Grilled Cornish Game Hens with Thai Marinade (Thai BBQ)

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These cornish game hens are marinated in a delicious blend of Thai spices, then grilled to juicy perfection in just a matter of minutes for the most perfect easy-to-make Thai BBQ! A must for the summer grilling season!

Guys, if you’re looking for one of the easiest BBQ recipes ever, this Thai marinated cornish game hen recipe is it.

This is what you’ve been searching for your whole life.

The Thai marinade is packed full of the most amazingly delicious umami flavors (think soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic…all the good stuff guys) with just enough coconut sugar for a hint of sweet, this Thai BBQ is SO AWESOME.

And the cornish game hens are just so much fun. And absolutely perfect for that summer BBQ! The recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, etc. etc. have fun with it!

Let me also reiterate how incredibly awesome the marinade is.

**It’s similar to the marinade used in these Vietnamese Shrimp Street Tacos or this Vietnamese Crispy Pork Noodle Bowl – slightly spicy and packed with umami flavor**

This cornish game hen recipe calls for spatchcocking your hens. If you’ve never spatchcocked a chicken, don’t worry, it’s not hard.

You’re pretty much just removing the spine. But if it’s your first time, you should totally check out this tutorial from Martha Stewart to learn how to spatchcock a chicken (or in this case a cornish game hen).

An overnight Thai marinade and a few minutes on the grill is all it takes to get these cornish hens tasting amazing.

How to Make Grilled Cornish Game Hens

Combine all marinade ingredients. Place hens in a freezer bag and add marinade (reserve 1/8 cup marinade for serving). Refrigerate overnight.

Now reserving the marinade is optional, but I 100% recommend it. I love to have just a touch of marinade left over to drizzle over the hens.

Heat grill to 450 degrees. Grill the hens for 6-8 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Let rest for 10 minutes and serve with reserved marinade and fresh limes.

**you can eat this with a fork and knife, but what’s the fun in that. Roll up your sleeves and get in there with your hands**

Now I ask you, does it get any easier than that?

Or more delicious?

This marinade would also be delicious on beef, pork, shrimp, fish, or shoe rubber. It will literally make shoe rubber taste amazing! LOL.

If you like the flavors in this recipe, you’re going to LOVE these other recipes:

Vietnamese Crispy Baked Chicken
Lemongrass Spring Rolls
Caramelized Pork Noodle Bowls
Instant Pot Korean Ribs
Spicy Korean Rice Cakes
Vietnamese Beef Pho
Caramelized Pork Ramen
Chicken Katsu Curry

Did you make these grilled cornish game hens? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out.

Grilled Cornish Game Hens with Thai Marinade

Cornish game hens marinated in Thai spices then grilled to juicy, crispy perfection.

4.58 from 7 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Marinade: 1 day

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 1039kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• 2 cornish game hens, spatchcocked
• Limes, for garnish

Marinade:

• 2 tbsp. lemongrass paste
• 4 tbsp. coconut sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sambal or chili garlic sauce
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

• Combine all marinade ingredients. Place hens in a freezer bag and add marinade (reserve 1/8 cup marinade for serving). Refrigerate overnight.
• Heat grill to 450 degrees. Grill the hens for 6-8 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve with reserved marinade and fresh limes.

Nutrition

Calories: 1039kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 79g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 454mg | Sodium: 2554mg | Potassium: 1275mg | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 655IU | Vitamin C: 7.7mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 5.2mg

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