I have spatchcocked (buttterfly) chickens often over the years. I then decided that if I can enhance the cooking process and infuse smoke profiles into the chickens then I could also apply the technique to turkeys. I have since spatchcocked many turkeys some of which were up to 14 pounds with scrumptious success. I found that the chickens and turkeys cook more evenly when spatchcocked.
So why not spatchcock Cornish Hens? Indeed, why not! Ever since I started smoking poultry I have used different hard wood pellets for my cooks ... Hickory, Cherry, Maple, and Apple. Each provided the poultry with wonderful results. I have since discovered Premium Cookinpellets.com Perfect Mix which does not use any fillers (Oak or Alder) but rather a mix of 100% hard wood Hickory, Cherry, Hard Maple, and Apple. This combination of wood pellets provided awesome flavor and a smooth finish. When biting into your first piece of meat you will never experience the harsh smoke profiles often associated with other forms of fuel.
Spatchcock the Cornish Hens like you would with a chicken by removing the backbone and flattening the breast plate. Season under and on the skin with your favorite poultry seasoning/rub. Smoke for an hour at 180ºF before bumping the pit temp to 375ºF until the internal temperature reaches 180ºF at the breast. The 180ºF is recommended by Tyson on the label. Rest 10 minutes loosely under a foil temp before serving ... Enjoy!!