Easy Cornish Hens Recipe | Holiday Dinner Idea To Try (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to eat Cornish 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!

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.

Basically the difference is the age at which they are processed. Cornish hen is a strain of broiler that is slaughtered to have a weight of no more than two pounds after processed.

Cornish hen is smaller and a lighter in weight than chicken. They can be a healthier substitute for chicken because they have less fat and fewer calories. Aside from that, they are rich in protein and a good source of B12 which helps prevent skin and heart diseases.

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.

Because they are butchered young, some find the taste of Cornish Game Hen to be more tender compared to regular chicken. Cornish game hens are fairly lean, with half of a hen (120 grams or about 4 ounces), meat only, providing 139 calories, 24 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fat.

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.

Cornish chickens are excellent meat birds with their extremely large breasts, and they can provide a large amount of tender and flavorful meat. However, they also have large appetites and grow slowly, though once they are mature, they will have a market weight of 6.5-8.5 pounds.

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.

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).

How do you know when a Cornish hen is done? ›

Roast the hens in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear.

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.

In summary, Cornish hens are a specific breed of young chicken slaughtered at a very young age, known for their tenderness and small size compared to other young chickens that might come from various breeds and are slaughtered at a slightly older stage.

They're at least as scrumptious as turkeys, but they're much smaller — weighing in at 1 pound to 2 pounds — making them easier to cook. They roast up much more quickly, and you don't have to wrestle them into a roasting pan to make them fit. With hens that are on the large size, you get two servings out of every bird.

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.

In summary, Cornish hens are a specific breed of young chicken slaughtered at a very young age, known for their tenderness and small size compared to other young chickens that might come from various breeds and are slaughtered at a slightly older stage.

Neither the grocery store Cornish Hens nor the larger fryers are adult birds. It's a Jumbo Rock-Cornish cross, the same breed as typical grocery store chicken. They are processed at 4–5 weeks old. The larger fryers in the grocery store are also very young.