Tandoor-Style Grilled Chickens or Cornish Hens

Name: Tandoor-Style Grilled Chickens or Cornish Hens
Prep time: 5 h
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp achiote or 3 drops red food coloring (optional); 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper; 118 milliliters roughly chopped cilantro leaves; 4 Cornish game hens, about 1 1/2-pounds each; 2 Tbsps fresh ginger, grated on a microplane grater; 8 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater; 1 Tbsp toasted ground coriander seed; 2 Tbsps toasted ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 59 milliliters kosher salt; 118 milliliters lemon juice; 2 lemons or limes, cut into wedges; 4 servings Thinly sliced raw onion; 2 Tbsps toasted paprika; 473 milliliters yogurt

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Tandoor-Style Grilled Chickens or Cornish Hens a try. This recipe makes 4 servings with 1056 calories, 84g of protein, and 69g of fat each. This recipe covers 42% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. A mixture of onion, cornish game hens, yogurt, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so yummy. To use up the lemons you could follow this main course with the Watermelon, Lemonade, and Blueberry Ice Pops as a dessert. It is a good option if you're following a gluten free and primal diet. It can be enjoyed any time, but it is especially good for The Fourth Of July. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 5 hours.

Instructions

Using sharp kitchen shears, remove the backs from the Cornish hens.

Ingredients you will need

Cornish Hens

Peel skin off of hens, then using a sharp knife, make deep incisions at 1-inch intervals all over the flesh

Equipment you will use

Knife

Lay hen with breasts facing up. Press down firmly on center of breasts until wishbone cracks and they lie flat. Arrange legs so that they are pointing up towards the top of the breast. Use two long metal or wooden skewers to secure legs and breasts in place.

Equipment you will use

Wooden Skewers

Place in a large rimmed baking dish.

Equipment you will use

Baking Pan

Combine cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, achiote, garlic, ginger, yogurt, lemon juice, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Ingredients you will need

Lemon Juice

Coriander

Turmeric

Paprika

Ground Cayenne Pepper

Garlic

Ginger

Yogurt

Cumin

Salt

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Bowl

Pour marinade all over cornish hens, using hands to coat every surface. cover loosely and refrigerate. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 8, turning occasionally.

Ingredients you will need

Cornish Hens

Marinade

Ignite a large chimney starter full of charcoal and allow to burn until all coals are ignited.

Spread coals evenly under one side of grill and set grill grate in place. Cover and allow to preheat for 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Spread

Equipment you will use

Grill

Brush grill grates clean.

Equipment you will use

Grill

Wipe excess marinade off of hens then place meaty-side down directly over the coals. Cover partially and allow to cook until deeply charred on first side, 7 to 10 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until hens register 145°F in the thickest part of the breast and 165 to 170°F in the legs, about 5 minutes longer (for larger chickens, transfer to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue cooking until desired temperature is reached).

Ingredients you will need

Chicken