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Cornish hens are so versatile and utterly delicious. These little birds can easily take on your favorite whole chicken recipe in a fraction of the time. Perfect for that WOW factor at a dinner party!
So this past Sunday I did a freezer cleanout and I happened to find these 2 lovelies. I had been craving roasted chicken but didn’t want to make a whole big bird.
That’s where cornish game hens come into play. they look like mini chickens well that’s because they actually are mini chickens. They can weigh between 1-2 pounds but the average is about 1.4 pounds.
How to cook Cornish Game Hens
Cornish game hens cook pretty much identical to how you would make a whole chicken. Now I make one killer roasted chicken (both stuffed and unstuffed) so when it came to making these I went with an herbed compound butter rub.
I’ve never seen them fresh so mine are always found in the freezer section.
I thaw them in the fridge for 1-2 days. Never thaw poultry on the counter or at room temperature.
- Thaw the game hens and clean out the gizzards (they typically are in a little bag). You can save them and make gravy or add it to a stuffing. Totally your choice.
- Pat the birds dry and make your compound butter. (See below)
- Separate the skin from the breast meat and put the compound butter in there. Smush it down and help spread it out. What’s going to happen is that when the bird roasts, that butter, and all the herbs are actually going to infuse into the meat and not only make it juicier BUT add such incredible flavor!
- Add oil, salt, and pepper and bake!
How to make Compound Butter
I wrote up an entire post here on how to make it. Check out THIS post!
- For this recipe, I just took room temperature unsalted butter and added my herbs and aromatics to it – garlic and my favorite herbs.
- Combine the ingredients into a smooth mixture. At this point, you can roll into a log and refrigerate for serving later OR use it as I did in this recipe.
Cooking Times of Cornish Game Hens
As mentioned above the average size is about 1.4 pounds each. For hens larger than 1.4 pounds, you’ll want to increase the baking time to 50-60 minutes when the temperature is reduced to 350F.
You’ll still cook it the same amount of time at 450F but when it’s reduced to 350F, that’s when you’ll want to bump up the cooking time.
That being said, the BEST (and safest) way to determine that they are done is to check the birds in the thickest part of it (not touching a bone) with a meat thermometer. It should read 165F.
What to serve with Cornish Game Hens
Honestly, pretty much anything.
Roasted Cornish Hens
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1.25 hours
- Category: Poultry
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Cornish hens are so versatile and utterly delicious. These The Ultimate Roasted Cornish Game Hens can easily take on your favorite whole chicken recipe in a fraction of the time. Perfect for that WOW factor at a dinner party!
Ingredients
- 6 Rock Cornish Hens, thawed (~1.4 lb each) *See note
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Remove birds from wrapping, remove gizzards (inside stuff) and pat dry inside and out. Place a cooling rack on a baking pan. Place them breast-side up on the cooling rack inside of the pan.
- In a bowl combine the butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme to make a soft, but spreadable herbed butter. Carefully separate the skin from the breast. Spread about 2 tablespoon of the butter between the skin and breast of each bird. Smooth skin back down to cover the meat. Rub the olive oil all over the birds and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
- Roast at 450F for 20 minutes. the reduce the heat to 350F. Continue roasting about 40 more minutes or when the thickest part of the meat reaches 165F. Baste occasionally with pan juices. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
If your hens are larger than 1.4 lbs each you’ll want to increase the cooking time when the temperature is reduced to 350F to about 50-60 minutes.
The most important thing is to check the temp!
Vicki says
I came across this recipe and it sounds delicious. I’m going to make these Christmas Eve. One question… do you think these will be ok if I put them in a warming drawer for about 30 minutes before serving?
TKWAdmin says
Hi! As long as it’s covered and in there no more than an hour you should be fine.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Vicki says
Thank you! I’m sure they’ll be a hit!
Vicki says
Thank you for your response. Should I let them stand for the 10 minutes before covering and putting in the warming drawer?
TKWAdmin says
I don’t think so – as long as you keep them covered in the warming drawer you should be fine.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Vicki says
Thank you! Looking forward to sharing these with my family Christmas Eve!
L B Chinn says
I’m going to make these for Sunday dinner. Can’t wait to try them!
Gail Sims says
Delicious. Skin was Chrisp. I will make again.
TKWAdmin says
Yeah! So happy you loved it Gail! Thank you so much!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Margaret says
Do I need to put my oven on confection roast????? Plz help.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Margaret!
Take a minute and review this article I wrote about oven temps and times when using a convection oven (https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2015/03/03/tuesdays-tip-with-the-kitchen-whisperer-convention-oven-to-convection-oven-temps-and-times/). The recipe isn’t written for convection but it certainly can be made in one. Rule of thumb for convection is to reduce the time by 25% but the temperature stays the same.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Soozen C says
Substituted cilantro for rosemary. In the oven, smells devine. Thanks for the recipe.
TKWAdmin says
Oh I love the twist on herbs! Great idea!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Kay Lancaster says
I haven’t tried but that’s what for dinner tonight
Scott Adams says
I came across this wonderful recipe and just finished the meal…OMG… perfect recipe and the flavor and spices were right on target. THANKS FOR THE RECIPE!!! Cheers…. Scotty
TKWAdmin says
Yeah!!! Thank you so much Scotty! I’m so happy you loved them!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Samantha says
Stumbled upon this site after googling ‘good Cornish game hen recipes.’ Lol.
This recipe sounds/looks DELICIOUS and I am going to give this a try tonight! also- I giggled the whole way through your blog post. Too too funny 😄 🙂
Thank you for sharing this dish!!
TKWAdmin says
Yeah Samantha! Welcome to the TKW Family! I can’t to hear your thoughts on it!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Dee Dee says
I’m trying Cornish hens for the first time for my friends birthday. There’s 6 of us, so will 6 hens be enough?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Dee Dee!
Yes, one hen per person is enough. They aren’t huge like chickens so if you truly want leftovers then you can always make a few extra.
Happy Birthday to your friend!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Willie Macon says
This sounds so good will be making for Christmas!
I use a similar recipe for my chicken,it is called rosemary chicken and I use my Nuwave.
A Big Hit ! It is requested a lot
TKWAdmin says
My sister had one of those and loved it!
Merry Christmas!
Best Kitchen Wishes!