Cornish Game Hens
Take your holiday feast to the next level with these elegant, savory, and surprisingly simple roasted Cornish Game Hens!
Tender, juicy chicken with golden crispy skin, this fancy Cornish Game Hens recipe will impress EVERYONE (and they’re easy to make in your oven!). These exotic little birds are rubbed with a blend of pantry-staple seasonings, surrounded with fresh aromatics like onion, lemon, rosemary, and thyme, and roasted to delicate perfection!
Better than Turkey for the Holidays
In recent years, the traditional Thanksgiving turkey has been deep-fried, smoked, stuffed, spatchcocked, served “breast only,” and shaped into concoctions like turducken – all to make this beloved, big, dry bird a little tastier.
For a truly elevated feast (like Christmas, romantic date nights, and formal dinner parties), single-serving Cornish Game Hens are the way to go! These beautiful birds are easily available, moderately priced, and SO easy to prepare! The result is a tender, tasty, beautifully roasted chicken that will look like you’ve cooked all day!
Other Recipes to Serve with Cornish Game Hen
- This Thanksgiving Stuffing is an unbelievably delicious dressing that keeps you wanting more!
- Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Cinnamon turns basic cranberry sauce into something extra special and scrumptious!
Ingredients
Chicken: Cornish Game Hens are what we’re making here!
Rub: The dry rub for these birds consists of dried rosemary and thyme, sea salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Simple!
Aromatics: The game hens will be surrounded in the roasting pan with fresh rosemary and thyme, a quartered onion, sliced lemons, cloves of garlic, and some extra virgin olive oil—your house will smell AMAZING while these are cooking!
How to Make Cornish Game Hens
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and set the rack in the middle. Mix all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl, then set aside.
STEP TWO: Lightly spray a 3.6-quart cast iron Dutch oven. Pat the Cornish hens dry with a paper towel, rub them with oil, then coat them fully inside and out with the dry rub mixture. Place the birds in the prepared pan.
STEP THREE: Add the onion, lemon slices, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs to the Dutch oven around the game hens.
STEP FOUR: Roast for 40-50 minutes or until the instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F as the interior temperature at the thickest part of the breast. Remove from the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into these juicy birds! Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- For great flavor, pat the coating of the dry rub onto every part of the hen and gently press the seasonings into the skin with your hands.
- Keep your aromatics (lemon, onion, rosemary, thyme, etc.) in large chunks and sprigs to make the finished product extra attractive.
- For extra-crispy skin, sprinkle a little salt over the birds a few hours before roasting.
- When ready to serve, dip the pan drippings from the bottom and drizzle over the meat after it’s sliced. YUM!
What Are Cornish Game Hens?
Cornish Game Hens are a popular poultry breed originally bred in Cornwall County in England. They’re small birds – about 2 pounds each – and taste like chicken…because they ARE chicken! Because of their size, each bird makes a single serving, and they are SO beautiful when plated! Plus, they cook quickly and the meat is especially tender and delicious!
How Long Does it Take to Cook a Cornish Game Hen?
One-and-a-half to two-pound Cornish game hens will fully cook in the oven at 425 degrees F in under an hour! On the other hand, a 12-pound turkey can take up to 3 days to thaw and several hours to cook! This makes Cornish hens a much more reliable entree for your holiday dinner than a traditional turkey!
Other Elegant (but Easy!) Thanksgiving Recipes
- Parmesan Truffle Roasted Potatoes
- Cranberry Pecan Green Bean Casserole
- Vanilla Caramel Roasted Pears
- Cranberry Buckle
- Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
- Pumpkin Sage Crostini
Cornish Games Hens
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Game Hens
- 2 Cornish game hens thawed (1 to 1.5 pounds each)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 2 lemons sliced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the middle position. Coat the inside of the cast iron Dutch oven (or skillet) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, dried herbs, and garlic powder for the dry rub. Set aside.
- Unwrap the game hens and use a paper towel to pat them dry. Rub the hens all over with olive oil and then rub the dry rub all over, inside and out, until coated. Place the game hens in the Dutch oven.
- Arrange the onions, lemon slices, garlic, and fresh herbs around the hens.
- Roast for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through. (The thickest part of the breast should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.)
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve the birds whole with the roasted onion and garlic along with your favorite side dishes. You can squeeze the roasted lemons over the hens for extra flavor if desired.
Notes
- If you don’t have a shallow Dutch oven or large cast iron skillet available, you could make the game hens in a roasting pan. This is also a good option if you want to double the recipe so there is room for everything in the pan.
- Game hens are typically served whole, but if preferred, you can cut them in half down the center and serve half of a hen per serving. Place the hen halves skin side up for a nicer presentation.
