Our Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens were dressed to impress. We had one of Patti’s best friends over for dinner and we wanted to make something extra, extra special, but not with taking a lot of time to prepare. So, we came up with a delicious three ingredient entrée. Rock Cornish Game hens are always popular because everyone gets their own little chicken. This will be a great recipe for the upcoming holidays, too.

We used the Bull Rack system on our Char Griller Acorn Kamado and smoked our hens to perfection.

Patti and I have set one night a week just for us. It’s our date night. We usually put something special on our Green Mountain Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker but sometimes we cook inside. We always eat outside on our patio where it is very comfortable with a rainforest theme.  Wood Pellet Patio Heater, little lights, candles, lanterns and surround sound. We enjoy a little wine, or strawberry margaritas using frozen strawberries for ice, good food, music and sometimes a dance or two…

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Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens
A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour @ 275* (135c)
Grill: Char Griller Acorn
Pellets: Green Mountain’s Gold Blend BBQ Pellets
Charcoal: lump

Ingredients: Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens

• 4 game hens, spatchcocked and about 24ozs. each
• Swimmin’ in Smoke Salt Free Chik Bait, to taste
• Briggs True Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce, to taste

Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens
A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe

Cooking Directions: Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens

Spatchcock your hens and season them. Spray your Bull Rack trays with a cooking spray for easy clean up. Place your birds on the Bull Rack trays and then onto the grill. We smoked these for an hour at 275* (135c) saucing them at the halfway point.

When the chicken reaches an internal temperature around 175* (80c) pull it off, cover it and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. I like chicken around 180 to 190 degrees because it the meat flakes apart nicely. U.S.D.A. safe is 165* (74c). Keep in mind that the meat will continue cooking for another 5 to 10 degrees after you pull it off the grill. I use a Maverick ProTemp Instant Read Thermometer for checking meat temps.

See Video:
https://datenightdoins.com/video-bourbon-bacon-game-hens/

See Video How to Spatchcock a Chicken:
https://datenightdoins.com/how-to-spatchcock-a-chicken/

Note: I get a lot of questions about the kind of pellets you can use with a recipe. Keep in mind that a recipe is just an outline. Some you need to follow closely like when you are making bread, but most you can do anything you can dream, our favorite way to cook. Feel free to mix and match the pellets until you find a combination you really like. Also you are only smoking at temps less than 250 degrees (122c), anything higher is cooking and there will not be much if any smoke so it does not matter what kind of pellet you are using.

Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens
A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe

 

 

Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens
A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe

 

Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens
A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe

 

Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens
A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe

Cooking In the Oven: Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens

We have been getting requests for recipe conversions for the Oven. I tell folks all the time that cooking on a Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker is just as easy as cooking in your oven. Just about anyone can do it and do it well. Think about it. You set your control knob to the temp you want, put your meat in and leave it for a set time. It is the same thing, time and temperature is what it is all about. The Grill is just like your oven except it uses wood pellets and has wheels.

I do 1 hour @ 275* (135c).

 

Bourbon Bacon Smoked Game Hens
A Wood Pellet Grill Recipe

About our Recipes

We do our recipes on our patio where we have a lineup of grills, including Green Mountain, Uuni Wood Fired Pizza Oven, Sawtooth, Louisiana, Royall, Memphis, Traeger pellet grills, Char Griller side box smoker, Saber, Charmglow, Char-Broil, The Big Easy, Lodge Sportsman’s, Brinkman and Weber. I call it our “Wall of Grill”. Our grilling styles are healthy and low fat and will fit pelletheads, gas, natural wood and even charcoal purists. Almost any of our recipes can be done on any kind of good BBQ.

The important thing to keep in mind is TIME & TEMPERATURE. You can do our recipes on any grill, even some of them in the oven or crock pot, but, then you lose all the flavors you get from cooking outdoors. But sometimes it does rain.

Remember that a recipe is simply an outline; it is not written in stone. Don’t be afraid to make changes to suit your taste. Take it and run with it….

Live your Passion and Do What You Love,
Ken & Patti

Check Out Our Cookbooks
They are “How To BBQ Picture Books

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