Looking for a fancy recipe for a special occasion at home?
This roasted Cornish hen recipe or “game hens” is simple to prepare, delicious, and as easy as it is elegant.
You’ll Love This Cornish Hen Recipe Because…
- This recipe comes together in just one dish for easy cleanup.
- Cornish game hens come out tender and juicy with crisp skin.
- The juices from the game hens flavor the veggies for a cozy, delicious meal.
- This recipe looks gourmet, but it’s as easy as could be!
What You’ll Need for This Cornish Hen Recipe
Cornish Hen: Cornish hens (aka game hens) are a breed of chickens that weigh about 1 ½ to 2 pounds as opposed to a regular chicken that weighs 4 or more pounds. Cornish hens are fully matured at a smaller weight, and the meat is super tender. You can most often find them at the grocery store in the freezer near the frozen turkeys.
Rub: A simple mixture of olive oil and herbs flavor the skin. Rosemary, lemon zest, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper create the perfect savory taste.
Vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, and onions are added to the pan. Arrange the veggies around the hens, and once cooked, remove the hens and stir the veggies into all of the delicious juices for extra flavor!
Variations
Try tucking sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, or oregano amongst the veggies, or rub the outside of the hen with your favorite seasoning mix for a super savory skin!
Chunks of zucchini, squash, brussels sprouts, or bell peppers can be added to the pan with the other veggies.
How to Cook Cornish Hens
- Brush the hens with oil and season. Tuck wings under the bird and place them on a pan. Arrange vegetables around the cornish hens.
- Bake, uncovered according to recipe directions below.
- Remove hens from the oven and let them rest before serving.
PRO TIP: Place the roasting pan under the broiler until the skin turns golden brown and gets crispy!
Tips for Perfect Cornish Hen
- For best results, rub some salt into the cavity of the hens to draw more moisture out while it roasts; this also helps season the meat a little more.
- A few sprigs of fresh herbs or a slice of lemon can be added to the cavity as well.
- If you save bacon grease, this is a perfect way to substitute bacon grease for the olive oil, adding another subtle layer of flavor!
- The most important tip is to ensure that the chicken is cooked to a juicy 165°F. I remove the hens from the oven at 160°F as the temperature will continue to rise as they rest.
Elegant Sides to Pair with Cornish Hens
Did your family love this Roasted Cornish Hen recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below.
Cornish Hen
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch Casserole Dish or rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cornish hens about 1.5 pounds each
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Optional Vegetables
- 1 pound potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 onion cut into 1-inch wedges
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- If using, toss the vegetables with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt & pepper to taste. Place in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish or rimmed baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with kosher salt, rosemary, lemon zest, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder. Brush hens with the olive oil mixture. Twist wings to tuck under the bird. Tie legs together with twine if desired.
- Place cornish hens on top of the vegetables in the baking dish. Transfer the dish to the oven and reduce heat to 400°F.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until the hens reach 165°F* with a thermometer. Ensure the thermometer does not touch the bone.
- Transfer the hens to a serving plate and loosely tent with foil for 10 minutes.
- Stir the vegetables into the juices on the pan. If needed, you can place them back into the oven as the hens rest. If the vegetables are cooked to your liking, turn the oven off and place them in the oven to keep warm.
- Cut hens in half using kitchen scissors and serve with the vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
If you leave the bird tightly trussed up with its elastic string in place, then the heat is not able to penetrate into the groin area, and it could well be underdone and still ‘bloody’ in spite of a good colour to the skin.
I love the spend with pennies blog! Quick question for you Holly: I should thaw the hens first right?
Yes, the hens should be thawed before cooking.
do you cover the Cornish hens while cooking
They are cooked uncovered so the skin can get crispy.
This recipe rocks, I’ve made it numerous times.
I love roasted celery so I added it.
Like a rough chop Mara poix
So good! We really enjoyed this recipe.
YUM!!! Flavors are amazing! Both hens and veggies seasoned and cooked perfectly!
I’m planning to make this for Easter. If I half the hens before baking, does that affect the baking time? Would you recommend this or not? I’m also not baking the veggies with the hens. Thanks
I haven’t tried halving the hens in this recipe so I can’t say for sure.
We subbed in a sweet potato for the regular potato. My family loved it! Thank you