Roasted Cornish Hen – by Gastro Guru

This straightforward cornish hen recipe roasts the petite poultry with warming herbs and spices, providing you with crispy and juicy outcomes each time. It’s a formidable dish that wants little or no prep.

A complete roasted hen is usually my go-to for particular occasions or dinner events, however generally, I’ll change issues up with this roasted cornish hen recipe as an alternative. 

Rubbed with fragrant herbs and flavorful spices, this recipe transforms the standard cornish recreation hen right into a dish that brings rustic appeal to any desk. Paired with mashed potatoes and your favourite roasted greens, it’s good for cozy household dinners, particular dinner events, and stylish vacation feasts! 

Desk of Contents

1. What’s a cornish recreation hen?
2. Substances wanted
3. The way to roast a cornish hen
4. Recipe ideas and variations
5. The way to retailer leftovers
6. Extra hen recipes to attempt
7. Cornish Hen Recipe (Recipe Card)

What’s a cornish recreation hen?

A cornish recreation hen is a cross between the Cornish and White Plymouth Rock hen breeds, so sure, these hens are certainly chickens. Nonetheless, they sometimes weigh not more than two kilos, making them smaller than the typical roast hen you’ll discover within the grocery retailer.

Due to their small measurement, cornish hens are notably good for dinners the place you need everybody to have their very own roast hen! Listed below are a number of extra the reason why I really like this recipe:

• Simple to make. Similar to basic roasted hen recipes, you don’t should be a grasp chef to make cornish hens at house.
• Tender and flavorful. Whereas these birds are recognized for his or her succulence, roasting them with fragrant herbs and spices makes each chew much more scrumptious.
• Gorgeous crowd-pleaser. I’ll serve particular person roasted hens once I need my household or friends to take pleasure in a complicated, gourmand contact to informal and stylish dinners. 

Quick on time? My air fryer cornish hen recipe shaves about 20 minutes off of the cooking time however has the identical great-tasting outcomes!

Substances wanted

• Cornish hen. I made this recipe with one 1 ½ pound cornish hen, which was sufficient to serve 1 to 2 individuals. In the event you’re serving it as half of a bigger meal with appetizers and sides, one cornish hen must be sufficient for 3 to 4 individuals or you possibly can double or triple the quantity of hens. Lastly, this recipe works with frozen cornish hens however you’ll must thaw them within the fridge earlier than cooking.
• Contemporary herbs. Roasting the fowl on a mattress of recent rosemary sprigs and recent thyme sprigs infuses it with fragrant and herbaceous flavors.
• Lemon slices. The lemon slices impart tangy, citrusy undertones.
• Olive oil. Only a drizzle to assist the pores and skin turn out to be golden and crispy. 
• Dried herbs and spices. I used Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder, purple pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

The way to roast a cornish hen

I’ve included step-by-step photographs beneath to make this recipe straightforward to comply with at house. For the total printable recipe directions and ingredient portions, scroll to the recipe card on the backside of this publish.

Step 1 – Season. Stir the dry rub seasonings collectively in a small bowl, then sprinkle the combination all around the cornish hen.

Step 2 – Assemble. Place the rosemary, thyme, and lemon slices on the underside of a roasting pan. Place the cornish hen on prime and drizzle with olive oil. 

Step 3 – Roast. Roast the hen within the oven till it’s golden brown and cooked by means of. 

Step 4 – Relaxation, then serve. Set the hen apart to relaxation earlier than carving and serving. Get pleasure from!

Recipe ideas and variations

• Deliver to room temperature. I extremely advocate letting the hen sit on the kitchen counter for about half-hour earlier than cooking. Room temperature meat at all times cooks extra evenly than chilly meat.
• Checking for doneness. I like to make use of a meat thermometer to examine that the hen is cooked by means of. To take action, stick the thermometer into the hen because it cooks. You’ll comprehend it’s executed when its inside temperature is between 160ºF and 165°F. 
• Let it relaxation. I understand how tempting it’s to dig proper in, however letting the cornish hen relaxation for about 20 minutes after roasting helps its pure juices soak again into the meat.
• Swap the seasonings. You may swap the seasonings within the recipe for a poultry seasoning mix or your favourite hen dry rub as an alternative.
• Think about marinating. For a flavorful twist, attempt marinating the cornish hen for 1 to 4 hours in my 4-ingredient hen marinade, hen drumstick marinade, or hen thigh marinade.

The way to retailer leftovers

To retailer: Let the leftover cornish hen cool to room temperature, then switch it to an hermetic container. Retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days.

To freeze: Let leftovers cool, then freeze in a freezer-safe bag for as much as 3 months. Let it thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating.

To reheat: Reheat the cornish hen in a baking dish within the oven at 350ºF till the pores and skin is crispy once more and the meat is heated by means of.

Extra hen recipes to attempt