Baked Cornish hens are a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for any occasion. They are small chickens that are typically roasted whole, making them a great option for smaller gatherings or as a main course for a special dinner. Not only are they delicious, but they are also relatively inexpensive and can be found at most grocery stores. Whether you are a seasoned cook or a beginner, this guide will provide you with all the information and tips you need to create a perfectly cooked Cornish hen that will impress your family and friends.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
CORNISH HENS THE EASY WAY
This recipe is so simple, and it adds a little zest to your Cornish Hens.
Provided by Mary Fortman
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Cornish Hen Recipes
Time 1h
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Rub each hen with a lime half. Drizzle the hens with olive oil, and season with chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper. Place hens on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
- Roast hens 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue roasting 30 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 332.4 calories, Carbohydrate 3.8 g, Cholesterol 151 mg, Fat 23.5 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 26 g, SaturatedFat 6.2 g, Sodium 556.5 mg, Sugar 0.6 g
CORNISH GAME HEN: SPATCHCOCK HEN
Steps:
- Preheat a panini press on high.
- Place the game hen breast side down on a cutting board. Using scissors or poultry shears, cut from the neck to the tailbone to remove the backbone. Once you remove the backbone you will be able to see the inside of the bird. Make a small slit in the cartilage at the base of the breastbone to reveal the keel bone. Grab the bird with both hands on the ribs and open up like a book, facing down towards the cutting board. Remove the keel bone. Cut small slits in the skin of the bird behind the legs and tuck the drumsticks into them in order to hold them in place. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Spray the bottom of the panini press with the nonstick cooking spray. Place the bird, skin side up onto the press, pray the skin side with non-stick cooking spray and close the lid. Top the press with a 10-pound weight and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.
- Allow to rest 3 minutes before serving.
ROASTED CORNISH GAME HENS
Go for a different kind of bird by stuffing and cooking the Neelys' Roasted Cornish Game Hens recipe from Down Home with the Neelys on Food Network.
Provided by Patrick and Gina Neely : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h20m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together salt, lemon pepper, dried basil and poultry seasoning. Rub olive oil all over the hens and season each with the salt mixture. Place the hens on a baking sheet pan with plenty of space between them. You may need to use 2 pans. Loosely stuff the cavities of each hen with some green bell pepper, celery and onion. Roast the hens in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. Remove the hens from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving or serving.
CORNISH HENS ON A ROTISSERIE
I went online and bought the Rotisserie pictured, it is much bigger than what I need but I could not pass it up. I made 32 hens! These are truly the best IF you have a ROTISSERIE that works well and maintains the exact temp when cooking. You can use this recipe also for whole chicken,goose,duck,turkey or even boneless pork loin.
Provided by Timothy H.
Categories Poultry
Time 50m
Yield 2 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Wash the hens under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Mix all the spices together and rub the outside of the hen making sure it is coated with the spice very well. Slide the hens on to the the rod and secure with cotton string around the end of the legs and wings.
- If you have a rotisserie, set temp to 350 or on the medium setting. Cook hens 30-40 or until temp reaches 170 in the thigh area . Let set for 5-7 minutes before serving.
- You can also use your oven set at 350,I have found it works the best if you can set the hens on a small rack inside a roasting pan ans baste the last 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 145.2, Fat 4.1, SaturatedFat 1.1, Cholesterol 108.8, Sodium 228, Carbohydrate 1.4, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 0.1, Protein 24.2
BAKED CORNISH HENS
Make it easy on yourself--bake Cornish hens with a simple wild rice, dried apricot and almond stuffing all in one dish. Serve with a green vegetable and cranberry relish. To save time, start with precooked wild rice, sold in pouches in the rice section.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 2h10m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- In a small saucepan, bring broth and rice to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 60-70 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. , Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, saute onion and celery in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the apricots, almonds, 1/3 cup apricot nectar, 1/4 cup wine, 1/4 teaspoon salt, poultry seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir into cooked rice. , Spoon mixture into four mounds in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray; top each with a Cornish hen half. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 180°. , In a large saucepan, combine remaining nectar and wine. Bring to a boil; cook for 5-7 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Add the vinegar, cinnamon and remaining salt and pepper. Reduce heat; cook and stir over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Serve with hens and rice.
Nutrition Facts :
STUFFED CORNISH GAME HENS
THIS ENTREE makes an ordinary day special. Whenever I cook Cornish hens for my husband and me, it stirs up warm memories of family times around the holiday dinner table. I bake the extra stuffing separately so we're sure to have enough. -Nancy Aubrey, Ruidoso, New Mexico
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h20m
Yield 2 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a large skillet or saucepan, saute celery and onion in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in cornbread, bread crumbs, pimientos, broth, egg, poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix well. , Stuff each hen with 3/4 cup stuffing. Place extra stuffing in a greased 1-qt. baking dish; refrigerate. Place hens breast side up on a rack in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover loosely with foil; bake at 375° for 45 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the remaining butter; add garlic, lemon zest, mint and remaining salt and pepper. Brush over hens. Bake 15-30 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 180° for hens and 165° for stuffing. Bake the extra stuffing, covered, for 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1728 calories, Fat 106g fat (44g saturated fat), Cholesterol 601mg cholesterol, Sodium 3675mg sodium, Carbohydrate 106g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 7g fiber), Protein 82g protein.
BAKED CORNISH GAME HENS
Cornish game hens stuffed with a vegetable mixture, then roasted. A Cornish game hen recipe that I found and tweaked a bit for the taste and size of our small family, but it would be very easy to adjust it to fit your needs. It goes well with oven-roasted potatoes.
Provided by JMRYGH
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Chicken Cornish Hen Recipes
Time 2h
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup melted butter, onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, basil, oregano and parsley.
- Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper to taste, then stuff with equal amounts butter/vegetable mixture. Place stuffed birds in a 9x13 inch baking dish, breast side up. Drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter.
- Cover dish and bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover and brown at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 476.2 calories, Carbohydrate 4.5 g, Cholesterol 166.8 mg, Fat 45.2 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 14.3 g, SaturatedFat 24.8 g, Sodium 421 mg, Sugar 1.8 g
UN-STUFFED CORNISH HEN
I've always loved when my mother made cornish hens. These can be quite flavorful and juicy. A hen can be stuffed with any side (rice, corn, stuffing, etc.) of your choice. I usually leave the hen un-stuffed and place sides on the plate to complete the dish.
Provided by MrMansMrs
Categories Whole Chicken
Time 45m
Yield 1-2 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove the thawed hen from it's wrapping and rinse it with lukewarm water.
- Smother or brush the olive oil over the hen.
- Squeeze lemon juice down the center of the hen.
- Sprinkle the hen with salt & pepper (or any seasoning of your choice).
- Place hen on roast pan and let it cook for 35 minutes.
Tips:
- Choose the right size Cornish hens: Smaller hens are more tender and cook more evenly, so choose hens that are about 1 to 1.5 pounds each.
- Thaw frozen Cornish hens completely before cooking: This will ensure that they cook evenly. If you need to thaw them quickly, place them in a sink filled with cold water and change the water every 30 minutes.
- Season the Cornish hens generously: Use a combination of salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs and spices. You can also add a citrus marinade or a savory glaze.
- Roast the Cornish hens at a high temperature: This will help to brown the skin and keep the meat moist. Roast the hens at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to cook for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let the Cornish hens rest before serving: This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it more tender and flavorful. Let the hens rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
Conclusion:
Cornish hens are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for a variety of occasions. With their small size and relatively short cooking time, they are a great option for busy weeknight meals or special gatherings. By following these tips, you can ensure that your Cornish hens are cooked to perfection every time.
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