Small Chickens Marinated in Tequila & Lime
Submitted by cheryljf
Spatchcocked Cornish game hens marinated in tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and garlic then roasted until golden and crispy. A showstopper dinner with serious fiesta flair.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
120 minCOOK
30 minREADY
150 minThis is the dinner party recipe that makes you look like you studied under a Mexico City chef. Cornish game hens get spatchcocked (backbone out, flattened), then soaked in a marinade of golden tequila, fresh-squeezed lime juice, Cointreau, olive oil, and garlic.
The tequila and citrus tenderize the meat while building layers of bright, boozy flavor that caramelize into the skin during roasting.
Baste them a few times while they cook, and you’ll pull out birds with crackling golden skin and juicy, citrus-scented meat underneath.
Pro Tips
- Marinate overnight in the fridge for the deepest flavor, but even two hours at room temperature makes a noticeable difference.
- Flatten the birds firmly with your palm after removing the backbone. The flatter they are, the more evenly they cook and the crispier the skin gets.
- Bring the hens back to room temperature before roasting. Cold birds straight from the fridge cook unevenly.
- Serve with lime wedges, warm tortillas, and a cold Mexican lager to lean into the theme.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove backbones from chickens.
Flatten chickens with palm of hand.
In large bowl, combine lime juice, tequila, olive oil, Cointreau and garlic.
Add chickens and turn to coat.
Cover and marinate, turning once or twice, up to 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in refrigerator.
Return to room temperature before cooking.
Remove chickens from marinade and arrange, skin-side up, in shallow baking pan.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bake at 400 degrees on upper rack of oven, basting occasionally with marinade, until skin is golden and juices from thighs, pierced at their thickest part, run pinkish-yellow, 25 to 30 minutes.
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