With its perfectly crispy, golden brown skin and moist, flavorful meat, this Roasted Cornish Game Hen recipe is sure to win you a standing ovation from your dinner guests!
Get ready to learn how to prepare roasted Cornish hen that is super moist and flavorful with perfectly browned and crispy skin!
I’ve always enjoyed Cornish game hen. Growing up they were our traditional New Year’s Eve dinner for many years. Not only were they delicious, they also catered perfectly to those egocentric developmental stages of childhood and teens where the importance of possession dominates: Being in miniature form, I could have an entire chicken all to myself! And it’s still neat to be served a mini chicken you can call your own.
One of the reasons I like Cornish hen is that it makes for such an elegant presentation. It’s one thing when you bring in the large roasted chicken for your dinner guests to admire and it’s then carved and divided among the plates, each guest with their own little pile of chicken meat – and of course the dark meat lovers have to fight over who gets the two drumsticks. But it looks much more impressive when you can serve your dinner guests their very own beautifully golden-browned hens. And those dark meat lovers get both sets of drumsticks to themselves! Thinking of inviting your boss over to dinner to prep him for that raise request? These Cornish game hens are the perfect thing to feed his ego.
Do people even still do that or have I been watching too many 60’s movies??
There are a few tips and tricks to achieving roasted Cornish game hen that is perfectly browned and crispy on the outside while super moist and flavorful on the inside. Whether you’re preparing a special meal for your family, enjoying a romantic dinner for two, celebrating a special occasion or holiday, or simply feeding your egocentric needs, this recipe will show you what you need to do to get the perfect results.
What to Serve with Cornish Game Hen
Roasted Cornish Game Hen pairs with virtually any roasted, steamed or grilled veggies and with potato, rice or grain dishes of all kinds as well as a variety of salads (both savory and sweet) and bread. Here are just a few ideas for your vegetables and starches:
- Vegetables: Green Beans Almondine, Creamed Spinach, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction, Zucchini Au Gratin, Cheese Souffle, Chilled Asparagus with Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette, Roasted Spiralized Beets, Grilled Eggplant
- Starches: Mashed Potatoes with Parsnips and Horseradish, Yorkshire Pudding, Tomato Risotto, Mushroom Risotto, Pumpkin Risotto, Semmelknödel, German Potato Dumplings, Roasted Rutabaga
Roasted Cornish Game Hen Recipe
Let’s get started!
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
I used fresh rosemary and thyme for these hens, but you can use any herb of your choice. Peel four whole cloves of garlic and cut a lemon in quarters. Pat the hens dry with paper towels. This is important for getting nicely browned, crispy skin.
Use your index finger to carefully loosen the skin on top of the hens, then slip a thin slice of butter under the skin on top of each breast.
Next slip a few fresh herb leaves under the skin.
In each cavity, stuff a quarter of the lemon, a clove of garlic, and a sprig of fresh rosemary and thyme (or herbs of choice).
Rub each hen all over with some extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Truss the hens by tying the legs and wings. For a step-by-step visual, you can Google “how to truss a chicken” and multiple videos will come up.
Place the hens on the rack of a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Place the hens as far apart from each other as possible to enable the skins to get browned and crispy (I added a fifth hen this time for our dinner guests). Place the hens in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes.
In the meantime, combine the chicken broth and white wine in a small bowl. After the hens have roasted for 25 minutes. pour the liquid over the hens, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue roasting for another 35 minutes, basting every 8-10 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. This is important to keep the meat juicy and flavorful.
The hens are done when an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Using a meat thermometer is very helpful for getting the best results. You want the chicken to be done but cooking it too long will dry out the meat.
If you want the skins browner, turn off the oven to broil and roast for a couple more minutes, watching closely so the skin doesn’t burn. Carefully remove the hens, pour the juices from the cavities into the roasting pan. Transfer the hens to a warmed platter, remove the trussing string, and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour the liquid from the roasting pan into a small saucepan and boil for 5 minutes until it is a thin sauce-like consistency. Serve the hens whole per guest or cut them in half lengthwise, placing them cavity side down on each plate, drizzle with the sauce and garnish with a sprig of fresh herb and a slice of lemon. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
For a very different and incredibly delicious roast chicken recipe, be sure to try our Peruvian roasted chicken, Pollo a la Brasa!
Roasted Cornish Game Hen
Ingredients
- 4 Cornish game hens ,patted dry with paper towels
- 8 thin slices of butter
- 4 sprigs each of fresh rosemary and thyme or herbs of choice plus some extra leaves of each
- 4 large cloves garlic ,peeled
- 1 lemon ,scrubbed well and cut into quarters
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Pat the hens dry with a paper towel. Use your index finger to loosen the skin on the top of the hen and slip a thin slice of butter under the skin on top of each breast. Add a few rosemary and thyme leaves (or herb of choice). Repeat for each hen. Put a quarter of a lemon in the cavity of each hen along with a clove of garlic and a sprig of fresh rosemary and thyme (or herb of choice). Truss the hens by tying the wings and legs.
- Rub each hen all over with some extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place then hens on the rack of a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil, spacing them out so they are as far apart from each other as possible. This will enable their skins to get browned and crispy.
- Place the hens in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes.
- While the hens are roasting, combine the chicken broth and wine in a bowl.
- After the hens have been roasting for 25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Pour the broth/wine mixture over the hens and continue to roast for 30 minutes, basting the hens with the juices at the bottom of the pan every 10 minutes or less. The hens are done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. If you prefer darker skins, turn up the temperature to broil for a couple more minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Carefully remove the hens and pour the juices from their cavities into the roasting pan. Transfer the hens to a warmed platter, remove the trussing string, and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan and boil for about 5 minutes until the liquid is a thin sauce-like consistency. Serve the hens whole per guest or cut in half lengthwise and place cavity-down on each serving plate. Drizzle the sauce over the hens and garnish with fresh herb sprigs and a slice of lemon. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet March 24, 2014
Jodie says
Well it is my mini Thanksgiving. Have my lil hen in my lil toaster oven and yes, it all ready smells great. Threw some parsnips sweet potatos onions underneath to roast. I added just a little maple syrup along with the butter under the breast. Going to serve it with some green beans with fried shallots and sundried tomatoes. Thanks for a lovely recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Those are some delicious touches, Jodie, I hope you had a wonderful and tasty Thanksgiving!
Sarah says
If I were to brine the hens, do you think that would change anything with this recipe?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried that specifically with Cornish game hens but I would think they’ll grill the same way as brined chicken and turkey would.
Cindy says
If your very lucky , you should use Myer lemons. A totally diferant creature than a Eureka , mild , perfumey .
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
They sure are, Cindy, they’re marvelous. I regularly make preserved lemons and Meyer lemons are always my top choice.
Andrea says
Quick question, as we are making this tonight for guests: Aprox how much did your Game Hens weigh. I find there is such a variance when you buy them. We found four that our aprox 1.7 pounds each
Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Andrea! The same as yours – they’re usually between 1-2 pounds and most of the ones I’ve found are right in the middle.
Andrea says
Thank you for the quick reply. These look delicious!
Lance says
Thank you guys all so much for posting this recipe , this was absolutely delicious. I cooked these hens for a small group of people , now they keep asking me to cook it for them. Thumbs up big time for this recipe and the wonderful group of people in the recipe community.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Lance, thanks for the feedback!
Nathan Lombough says
Agreed, ours turned out perfectly last year and I’m making them again for Thanksgiving!
Ben Schultz says
Dinner came out very well last night! Root vegetables, and Cornish game hens served over brown rice. Everything tasted great and the hens came out great! The only negative element was that from roasting the hens on top of the vegetable the bottom of the hens did not crisp or render. I think next time I prepare this dish I will roast the veggie in a separate pan with a little chicken stock and allow the hens to roast in their own pan; and then combine them when plating.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe and website. Because of your work I received many compliments last night. This will be a recipe that I know I will repeat for years to come, I have already had a few people at the dinner table request them for our large Christmas gathering. Now that will be a challenge since we usually have about 20 people!
Please keep up the good work, it is appreciated by all you try your recipes.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Ben, I’m so glad to hear it! That’s great that the requests came pouring in but I hear you, 20 Cornish game hens IS quite the challenge! :) Thanks again for the feedback and for the compliment, Ben, I really appreciate it. Best, Kimberly
Ben Schultz says
Thank you for this great sounding recipe. I have eaten Cornish game hens, but never cooked them myself. I am having a small dinner party tonight with my beautiful wife Veronica, her parents and a few family friends; I wanted to try making something fancy and elegant so Cornish hen came to mind. I plan to follow your recipe exactly with the addition of a variety of root vegetables placed under the hens as they roast, allowing the veggie to cook in all the hen juices.
Your recipe made my mouth water just by reading and looking at your pictures. I appreciate that you not only give instructions, but also educate the reader why you’re doing those steps, like patting the hen dry to give it a crispier skin. I really love that you have the recipe written twice, once with step by step pictures and again in a more traditional format. Your way of writing is clear and easy to understand. I also really like that you help people to understand how flexible a recipe like this can be; subbing out ingredients that you don’t care with those you favor while still keeping things like cooking time consistent.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Ben, I really appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts and I’m also happy to hear that my format is helpful. Thank YOU! I’ve no doubt your wife, family and friends will be thrilled. Your plan to roast the hen with root vegetables sounds wonderful. Let us know how your dinner party goes!
Tally says
Hi Kimberly,
I’m so excited to try your recipe tomorrow! My mom always added stuffing when she made us Cornish hens growing up so I want to incorporate that. Do you recommend I put in the lemon and garlic first and then the stuffing? Wanted to see if you had any tips for me to use your flavors as well as stuffing :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tally, I’d stuff the lemon and garlic in the back of the hen, then add the stuffing and use the same herb profile (rosemary and thyme) for the stuffing. Happy cooking! :)
Tally says
Okay great thank you!
James Lancaster says
Number 4 and number 6 are in conflict: 4. Place the hens in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes.
6. After the hens have been roasting for 35 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Pour the broth/wine mixture over the hens and continue to roast for 30 minutes, basting the hens with the juices at the bottom of the pan every 10 minutes or less. The hens are done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. If you prefer darker skins, turn up the temperature to broil for a couple more minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi James, thanks for catching the typo, the first phrase in #6 should read “25” minutes.
Angie says
This recipe is amazing! One tip…do not use a glass roasting dish. Mine burst when I added the liquid. I should’ve known better and looked at the photos more carefully. Thank you for the tasty, fragrant recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Whoa, I’m sure that must have startling! I’ve never heard of that happening before but then I don’t have much experience using glass cookware. Now I’ll know what to avoid :) Thanks so much for the feedback, Angie, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it in spite of the startle!
Shelly says
You are not the only one who had a glass baking dish burst. When I was a new bride I was baking a chicken and removed the lid and poured in some cool basting broth, and yes it blew on me. Lesson learned, in pyrex dish do not add cool liquid in hot dish.
stacey says
I have been cooking Cornish hens in the oven for years. After about 30 min. or so taking out of oven & placing on a plate turning the hens over and pouring broth over them and returning to oven for another 25-30 min. if needed turning oven on broil for a couple of minutes to get that golden brown skin. Also I find that starting with hens breast down lets the juices of the dark meat keep the breast side moist. Rosemary,garlic and onions are great! My question is: can I achieve good results in a slow cooker? Thank you so much!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Stacey, thanks so much for the input! I’ve never tried cooking them (or a regular whole chicken) in a slow cooker. No doubt it would result in very tender, moist and flavorful meat but the skin would be poached and soggy.
Maryjane Hedreen says
My 18 year old granddaughter just asked me for my Cornish Game Hen recipe. Couldn’t find it, but found yours, and sent it on. She will really appreciated all the pics showing the preparation. Will pass that on her assessment if she ever decides to use the recipe. MJH
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I appreciate that, Maryjane, thanks so much!
Maryjane Hedreen says
I reread my comment, which I should have edited before posting. In the second to last sentence, ….she will really appreciated, should say….she will really appreciate I tried to delete the word “that” in the last sentence, but couldn’t. Is this the kind of editing you wanted me to do? Can’t understand what [….[“) means. :-)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I make typos all the time, Maryjane, no problem! :) I’m not sure what you mean by “is this the kind of editing you wanted me to do?” I didn’t request any edits. Did you get some kind of strange automated response?
Anonymous says
I feel it was too much lemon…an onion would have been a good replacement
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
An onion isn’t the same as a lemon, but if you’re not a huge lemon fan by all means cut back on it.
Toni Bush says
Hi excellent recipe thank you!! However I read the directions from the top and the part where you are supposed to rub the hens with the olive oil was missing didn’t see that til it was too late!!! Only saw that when I read the recipe as it was written below the lovely pics! Turned out just fine anyways but you may want to re edit the recipe that goes along with the photos!!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Toni, sorry about that oversight in the pictured steps and thanks for catching it – I’m glad it was still a hit, thank you!
Chris Kuhle says
This works well with spatchcocks. Might work with squab if you can get them.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’ll bet it is, Chris!