how long to cook cornish hen

01.05.20

Updated: 10.01.20

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These Roasted Cornish Hens will be your new favorite recipe for romantic date nights or to impress dinner party guests. They're simple, elegant, and turn out perfectly every time with my easy step-by-step instructions.

two roasted cornish hens in a roasting pan garnished with rosemary and lemons

Whenever I come across beautiful Cornish hens like these, I just can't help myself but buy a few. They're just as easy to roast as a chicken, but the serving is even easier. All you have to do is slice them hen in half, and voila! you have 2 servings ready to go without any messy carving.

These hens are very easy to customize and switch up the seasoning, as well. I think after all these years of roasting chickens and Cornish hens I've perfected this as my absolute favorite seasoning. It's fresh, herby, citrusy, laid over aromatics, and a touch smoky.

What are Cornish Hens?

Cornish hens are simply a particular breed of chicken. Sometimes referred to as Cornish game hens as well, this variety of chicken is much smaller than the standard chickens we usually see sold in grocery stores. They are typically 1 – 2 lbs each. The flavor isn't much different than a regular chicken, either. They are an easy-to-serve variety of whole chicken that will allow each diner to have a full breast and leg with that delicious skin intact.

Ingredients

Get ready for the most flavorful Cornish hens you've ever tried. Keep scrolling for the full recipe ingredient amounts.

Cornish hens – Mine were about 1.5 pounds each.
Fresh herbs – I used rosemary and thyme.
Onion & garlic – This is what we will use as a bed for our hens in the roasting pan like an au naturale roasting rack. Add more or less as you prefer!
Lemon – I prefer to lay my lemon slices in the pan rather than on top of the chicken to keep the skin crispy.
Olive oil – Other oils that would work are avocado, safflower, sunflower, or vegetable.
Salt & pepper – Use as much or as little as you prefer.
Italian seasoning – Make sure to find a no salt added mix. Otherwise, add less salt to the dry rub.
Smoked paprika – This is my secret weapon in the kitchen! It packs so much more amazing flavor versus regular paprika.
Red pepper flakes – You can use more, less, or none depending on your preference.

process shots showing how to cook cornish hens

How to Roast Cornish Hens

Prep the hens: Combine all the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Dry the hens with paper towel, and season generously with the dry rub both inside and out.
Prep the roasting pan: Preheat the oven to 425F. Add the fresh herbs, garlic, onion, and half the lemon slices to the roasting pan. Place the hens in the roasting pan over the bed of ingredients and drizzle olive oil all over the hens.
Roast the hens: Roast, uncovered, for 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165F in the thickest part of the breast. Let the hens rest for 20 minutes and serve with remaining lemon slices. Garnish with fresh herbs if you have any leftover.

How to serve

While you can serve these whole, as in, each person gets their own roasted Cornish hen, it is quite a lot of meat for a single serving, especially if your hens are closer to the 2 pound mark. I like to cut them in half after they've rested and serve each person half a hen.

To cut them in half, get yourself a nice and sharp long knife. A cleaver will work as well or my favorite a good pair of kitchen shears. Start slicing between the breasts and with steady and intentional force, use slicing motions until you've cut all the way through. That's it! now you are ready to serve. Save those delicious pan drippings and drizzle over the meat.

overhead shot of roasted cornish hens in a roasting pan garnished with rosemary or lemon slices

What to Serve With Roasted Cornish Hens

As with chicken, Roasted Cornish hens will go with just about any sides you're craving. I served mine with some creamy mashed potatoes, but give these ideas a try!

Veggies

Garlic Herb Roasted Carrots
Roasted Green Beans
Skillet Green Beans
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Potatoes

Thyme Skillet Potatoes
Rosemary Smashed Potatoes
Potatoes au Gratin
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Chives
Garlic Herb Red Potato Salad

Homemade Bread

No Knead Bread
Butter Biscuits
Best Ever Dinner Crescents
Honey Rolls
Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Salads

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Avocado Cucumber Salad
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Mediterranean Coucous Salad

half a cornish hen with mashed potatoes, pan juice and garnished with rosemary and lemon slices

Some tips

Use your hands to make sure the dry rub is coating every inch of your hens.
Get yourself a digital instant-read thermometer to check the doneness of your hens. This will avoid the guesswork, over/under cooking, or slicing into the hens to check and losing all those juices.
Want extra crispy skin? Sprinkle some salt over your hens 12-24 hours before you need to roast them. Pat the excess moisture and salt off before adding the dry rub.
Feel free to play with the amounts called for in the dry rub to make it your own.
Stuff the hens with some onion, herbs, and/or lemon wedges if you have extra that needs to be used up.
Save those pan drippings of your roasted Cornish hens and drizzle over the meat when serving. It's so good!

Leftovers

Your leftover roasted Cornish hens will last 3-4 days in the fridge or 1-3 months in the freezer. It reheats very well in the microwave. You can also keep some of the pan drippings and reheat the chicken in a skillet with the drippings to prevent it from drying out.

You can also use your leftover chicken to make some fantastic salads like these:

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad
The Best Chicken Salad
Mexican Chicken and Rice Salad
Waldorf Salad

Did You Love This Recipe? Try These:

Roast Chicken
Moroccan Style Roast Chicken and Potatoes
Lemon Roast Garlic Chicken Legs
Garlic and Paprika Chicken
Baked Chicken Breast
Spatchcock Chicken
Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken

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These Roasted Cornish Hens will be your new favorite recipe for romantic date nights or to impress dinner party guests. They're simple, elegant, and turn out perfectly every time with my easy step-by-step instructions.

▢ 2 whole Cornish hens about 1 1/2 lb each
▢ 2 sprigs rosemary
▢ 4 sprigs thyme
▢ 1 large onion cut in quarters
▢ 6 cloves garlic
▢ 1 lemon cut in slices
▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil

Combine all the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
Pat the hens dry with paper towels and generously season with the dry rub both inside and out.
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
In a roasting pan add the rosemary, thyme, garlic, onion, and half the lemon slices. Place the hens in the roasting pan over the herbs and onions and drizzle the olive oil over the hens.
Transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers at 165°F.
Remove the hens from the oven and let them rest for 20 minutes. Garnish with additional thyme, lemon slices and rosemary and serve over mashed potatoes.

Your leftover roasted Cornish hens will last 3-4 days in the fridge or 1-3 months in the freezer. It reheats very well in the microwave. You can also keep some of the pan drippings and reheat the chicken in a skillet with the drippings to prevent it from drying out.

Serving: 0.5 hen Calories: 783 kcal (39%) Carbohydrates: 10 g (3%) Protein: 60 g (120%) Fat: 55 g (85%) Saturated Fat: 14 g (88%) Cholesterol: 344 mg (115%) Sodium: 796 mg (35%) Potassium: 960 mg (27%) Fiber: 3 g (13%) Sugar: 2 g (2%) Vitamin A: 966 IU (19%) Vitamin C: 22 mg (27%) Calcium: 85 mg (9%) Iron: 4 mg (22%)

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: roasted cornish hens

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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