The 10 BEST Cornish Hen Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Should I cover my Cornish hens when baking? ›

Roast, uncovered, basting frequently with butter for 1 hour (if hen weighs over 1lb 2oz, roast 1 hour and 15 minutes) or until internal temperature on instant read thermometer reaches 180°F when inserted into inner thigh.

Because of their small size, Cornish hens are perfect as a serving for one person or split in half when served with some delicious sides. I love pairing this easy roasted Cornish hen recipe with my Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes; Italian Oven Roasted Vegetables; or Brussels sprouts... Lots more ideas below!

Don't leave the hens in the brine for too long, or the meat will be too salty.

Place hens in a roasting pan, breast sides up. Place 2 thyme sprigs and 1 lemon half in cavity of each hen. Loosen skin from breast, and place remaining thyme and the parsley underneath.

Do not rinse the skin or cavity of the bird, as doing so may spread bacteria in the sink and on the countertop. Once defrosted, remove bird from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove giblet bag from cavity and reserve for making sauces, etc.

Step 1: Mix together liquid, salt, and sugar (if using) until salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Step 2: Add the protein to the brine, making sure that it is fully submerged. Step 3: Leave the protein in the brine for an hour per pound.

Classes of brines include chloride brines (calcium and sodium), bromides, and formates. A general term that refers to various salts and salt mixtures dissolved in an aqueous solution. Brine can be used more strictly, however, to refer to solutions of sodium chloride.

At this stage you should have already defrosted the Cornish hens or purchased fresh ones, frozen will not work here. Allow your hens to sit out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking to come to room temp then preheat the oven to 350°.

Cornish Hens are just baby chickens but they taste completely different. They present really well when serving and cook in a short period of time. I like serving them for dinner parties or for the holidays. Typically 1/2 a Cornish hen is enough for one person but someone with a good appetite could eat a whole one.

NOTE: Check and remove all parts from the cavities of Cornish hens before washing with fresh water. I learned how to cook Cornish hens using many different recipes. I like the presentation of these individual servings but there are other reasons I like these little birds.

How long should you brine a Cornish hen? ›

The key is giving them a day of rest once out of the brine before cooking. The cornish hens are small and 2 days brine will be too much. over night (approx 8-12 hrs or 1 day I think would be max because after a certain point, the brine will change the chicken's texture and it may taste mushy.

The rule of thumb is to let a chicken brine for approximately one hour per pound of meat, though you may want to lengthen or shorten that time depending on the strength of your salt solution or the level of salt you want to achieve.

Pat Cornish Hen dry and season liberally with dry brine over a sheet pan with a rack ( juices will come out of the hen because of the dry brine). Dry brine Cornish Hen for 4 hours.

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.

An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

Allow your hens to sit out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking to come to room temp then preheat the oven to 350°. Quarter up the onions, peel the garlic leaving it whole, and quarter the lemon (remove zest before cutting).

Roasting Cornish hens on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet also helps elevate the birds so that the thighs cook as quickly as the breasts. Cornish hens are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and their juices run clear.