Cornish Hen Recipe (Video) - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

Should Cornish hens be cooked breast up or breast down? ›

Place breast side up on rack in shallow roasting pan. 5. 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.

I oil the hens, season them, then make a basting sauce of 1/4 cup of oil, 1/4 cup of sherry, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, garlic powder and other favorite seasonings, and cook the bird uncovered, basting every 15 - 20 minutes.

To prevent loss of moisture, let chicken rest for 5 to 8 minutes before carving.

Some Cornish game hens come with giblets and some do not. If yours does, you need to remove them from the cavity before cooking. After we rub them down with oil, I place the Cornish hens in a 9x13 baking dish, I combine the seasonings in a small bowl, and I season both sides.

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.

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution.

Lay a wire rack in the bottom of a big roasting pan and place 6 Cornish game hens on it. If you don't have a wire rack that fits the pan, bunch up a few pieces of aluminum foil and place these on the bottom of the pan. You can easily cut this recipe in half or a third if you only want to make 2 or 3 hens.

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!

The current official definition of a Cornish hen is as follows: A “Rock Cornish game hen” or “Cornish game hen” is a young, immature chicken (less than 5 weeks of age), of either sex, with a ready-to-cook carcass weight of not more than 2 pounds.

One of the primary contributors to tough chicken meat is the age of the bird at the time of slaughter, Knight said. “As the [bird] gets older the muscle fibers become tough,” he said. “So a 2-year-old hen or 3-year-old farm rooster is going to be tough.”

What makes Cornish hens so good? ›

Cornish hens are butchered younger, which tends to make their meat more tender than chickens when cooked.

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.

If your chicken is slimy, has a foul smell, or has changed to a yellow, green, or gray color, these are signs that your chicken has gone bad. Toss any chicken that's past its use-by date, has been in the fridge for more than 2 days raw or 4 day cooked, or has been in the temperature danger zone for over 2 hours.

Why are Cornish hens so expensive? Part of the price is due to its decades-old reputation as an exotic new bird (though it really isn't). It's been marketed as a fancy alternative to chicken and so manufacturer's can get away with charging such a steep price.

“I find they came out juicier and crisper when they're cooked breast-side down.” She recommends roasting the bird for 25 minutes per pound, starting the cooking time with the bird breast-side down, but turning it right side up halfway through.

If your smoker will not go above 225°F, that's not a problem, just plan on about 2 hours of cook time. Place the cornish hens on the smoker grate breast side down. Keep the smoke going with pecan or your favorite smoking wood for at least an hour.

Chicken roasted breast side up. I roast my chicken breast-side up, as the vast majority of recipes suggest. This gives the skin maximum exposure to heat, rendering a golden, crispy bird. But since the breasts are so lean, they're easy to overcook and dry out.