Roast Cornish Hens

Contents… Recipe Ingredients How to Make Variations and Substitutions Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love Watch How To Make It

What is a Cornish Hen?

Cornish hen (also known as Rock Cornish game hen) is a British chicken breed produced in the US from a cross of the White Plymouth Rock and the Cornish chicken.

The name hen is a slight misnomer since the birds we buy at the store are both male and female.

Although the flavor is similar to that of a regular chicken, Cornish hens are smaller, weighing in at under two pounds (900 grams).

So you might ask, what are the advantages? In addition to lending a certain elegance to your dinner table, Cornish hens tend to have lower calories and fat since they’re younger than regular chickens.

Roast Cornish Hen Ingredients

• Cornish Game Hens – Obviously the star of this dish! Look for birds that are 1½-2 pounds. They’re available at almost any grocery store or butcher shop.
• Garlic Butter – Made with simple ingredients in your pantry, this garlic butter is the secret ingredient to making flavorful and juicy Cornish hens.
• Creole Seasoning – Another easy-to-prepare addition to this recipe, Creole seasoning adds a little bit of boldness. I like to prepare the Creole seasoning ahead of time and store it in an airtight container. That way, it’s always on hand!
• Chicken Stock – Store-bought chicken stock will work fine if you’re short on time. Or even better, you can make it ahead and freeze it. Just simmer bones from a whole chicken or chopped chicken parts for a few hours with vegetables, herbs, and aromatics, and voila! Homemade chicken stock.
• Dry White Wine – The wine’s acidity helps the meat stay tender. As wine cooks, its flavor becomes concentrated, which lends savoriness to this already flavorful dish.

How To Roast Cornish Hens

Prepare the Hens

1. Clean, Salt, and Pepper – Rinse Cornish hens with water, then pat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper the hens.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F/232℃. The high temperature at the beginning will crisp the hens. Line the bottom of a baking pan, cast iron, or roasting pan with foil.   
3. Apply Garlic Butter – Use your index finger to carefully loosen the skin on top of the hens and rub them with garlic herb butter mixture. Plain butter works as well. 
4. Oil the Hens – Lightly spray or coat the skin of hens with olive or cooking oil, then season with Italian and Creole seasoning. (Photos 1-2)
5. Season Them – Open up the cavity of the hens and stuff with half of the herbs, bay leaf, onion, garlic, and lemon. Just think of all those flavors infused in the meat! (Photo 3)

Ready for the Oven

1. Truss the Hens – Tuck the wings under the hen and use kitchen twine to tie the legs together. That helps the hens roast evenly and present well. No worries, if you don’t have any on hand, it won’t affect the taste. 
2. Ready to Roast – Place hens in a roasting pan and place the extra herbs, garlic, lemon, and onions around them. Roast for about 20-25 minutes. (Photo 4)
3. Make the Sauce – While the hen is roasting, whisk together chicken stock, white wine, and lemon juice. Set aside.
4. Reduce Oven Temperature – After the hens have roasted for 20-25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F/177℃.  
5. Baste with Sauce – Carefully and heavily baste the hen with the chicken stock mixture. Continue roasting for about 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear and/or the thermometer reaches 165°F/74℃ (ensure the thermometer doesn’t touch the bone!). 
6. Optional Flavor Injector – Inject hens with chicken mixture, baste and inject your hens every 10 minutes. This step is optional for those who choose to do it.  (Photos 5-6)
7. Final Touch – Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for about 5-10 minutes. Transfer fully cooked hens to a carving board, cut, and serve. 
8. Serve with roasted fingerling potatoes and honey-glazed baby carrots.

Variations and Substitutions

If you don’t have a bottle of white wine in your pantry, try substituting it with apple juice or ginger ale. Or just add extra chicken broth to the recipe.

Don’t have time to prepare all the seasonings ahead of time?

For a quick variation of the Italian seasoning, simply mix ¼ teaspoon each of dried thyme, rosemary, basil, and oregano, and you’re good to go! Quick and easy Italian seasoning.

Tips and Tricks

Roasting Cornish game hens is relatively easy. Remember, they cook faster than regular chickens due to their smaller size. Keep your eye on the oven, so they don’t overcook!

Some people prefer butterflying the hens to get that nice, crispy skin or grilling them after marinating. But I find that the regular basting and the garlic butter under the skin get the flavors into every inch of the meat while keeping it moist and juicy.

Use your fingers to apply the garlic butter and work quickly. If the bird is still cold, the butter solidifies quickly and is difficult to spread.

What’s the best way to tell if roasted Cornish game hens are done? A digital instant-read thermometer is a solid investment for any kitchen. They’re easy to use and the best way to ensure perfectly cooked meat at every meal!

Make-Ahead Instructions

I suggest making the garlic butter, Italian seasoning, and Creole seasoning a day or two before. Garlic butter keeps in the fridge for up to a week, and the seasonings will keep much longer.

If you opt for homemade chicken broth, it can be made ahead and kept in the freezer. That gives you a jump on meal prep.

If you have those ingredients ready, the rest of the prep time for this recipe is only about 20 minutes.

Serving and Storage Instructions

To prevent moisture loss, you’ll want to let the chickens rest for about 5-10 minutes after taking them out of the oven. Serving size is up to you.

Serving one perfectly baked, golden, and crispy roast Cornish hen per plate lends a certain elegance, restaurant-at-home feel to your table. However, if your hen is close to the 2-pound mark, it might be too much meat for a single serving.

Another option is to split the hen in half. Each person will still get a perfectly delicious chicken breast and leg.

In my experience, there aren’t a lot of leftovers after this meal! But if you do have leftovers, just pop them in the fridge or freezer. It’ll last 3-4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer!

The meat reheats equally well in the microwave, skillet, or warm oven. My son likes it when I save some pan drippings and spoon them over the meat while reheating. They keep the meat extra-moist and flavorful. Delish!

FAQs

What Goes with Roast Cornish Hens

For side dishes, roasted fingerling potatoes and honey-glazed carrots are perfect accompaniments. Or opt for roast garlic mashed potatoes and green beans and bacon to have them coming back for seconds… and thirds!

And if you’re entertaining, why not cap off the evening with a pecan pie? Talk about comfort food!

More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

Love a good whole chicken recipe? Then I think you’ll love these:

• Slow-Cooker Whole Chicken
• Cajun Whole Roast Chicken
• Beer Can Chicken
• Blackened Spatchcock Chicken

Conclusion

Mouthwateringly delicious and visually impressive, this roast Cornish hen is sure to be a hit. Whether your next meal is a Wednesday night dinner with the family, date night with your significant other, or a special occasion that needs to be remembered, why not give Cornish game hens a try? Leave me a comment below and let me know how they turn out!

Watch How To Make It

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This blog post was first published in April 2020 and has been updated with a new write-up, and a recipe ingredient photo.