Roasted Cornish Game Hen (2024)

With its perfectly crispy, golden brown skin and moist, flavorful meat, this Roasted Cornish Game Hen recipe is sure to win you a standing ovation from your dinner guests!

Get ready to learn how to prepare roasted Cornish hen that is super moist and flavorful with perfectly browned and crispy skin!

I’ve always enjoyed Cornish game hen. Growing up they were our traditional New Year’s Eve dinner for many years. Not only were they delicious, they also catered perfectly to those egocentric developmental stages of childhood and teens where the importance of possession dominates: Being in miniature form, I could have an entire chicken all to myself! And it’s still neat to be served a mini chicken you can call your own.

One of the reasons I like Cornish hen is that it makes for such an elegant presentation. It’s one thing when you bring in the large roasted chicken for your dinner guests to admire and it’s then carved and divided among the plates, each guest with their own little pile of chicken meat – and of course the dark meat lovers have to fight over who gets the two drumsticks. But it looks much more impressive when you can serve your dinner guests their very own beautifully golden-browned hens. And those dark meat lovers get both sets of drumsticks to themselves! Thinking of inviting your boss over to dinner to prep him for that raise request? These Cornish game hens are the perfect thing to feed his ego.

Do people even still do that or have I been watching too many 60’s movies??

There are a few tips and tricks to achieving roasted Cornish game hen that is perfectly browned and crispy on the outside while super moist and flavorful on the inside. Whether you’re preparing a special meal for your family, enjoying a romantic dinner for two, celebrating a special occasion or holiday, or simply feeding your egocentric needs, this recipe will show you what you need to do to get the perfect results.

What to Serve with Cornish Game Hen

Roasted Cornish Game Hen pairs with virtually any roasted, steamed or grilled veggies and with potato, rice or grain dishes of all kinds as well as a variety of salads (both savory and sweet) and bread. Here are just a few ideas for your vegetables and starches:

• Vegetables: Green Beans Almondine, Creamed Spinach, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction, Zucchini Au Gratin, Cheese Souffle, Chilled Asparagus with Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette, Roasted Spiralized Beets, Grilled Eggplant
• Starches: Mashed Potatoes with Parsnips and Horseradish, Yorkshire Pudding,Tomato Risotto, Mushroom Risotto, Pumpkin Risotto, Semmelknödel, German Potato Dumplings,Roasted Rutabaga

Roasted Cornish Game Hen Recipe

Let’s get started!

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

I used fresh rosemary and thyme for these hens, but you can use any herb of your choice. Peel four whole cloves of garlic and cut a lemon in quarters. Pat the hens dry with paper towels. This is important for getting nicely browned, crispy skin.

Use your index finger to carefully loosen the skin on top of the hens, then slip a thin slice of butter under the skin on top of each breast.

Next slip a few fresh herb leaves under the skin.

In each cavity, stuff a quarter of the lemon, a clove of garlic, and a sprig of fresh rosemary and thyme (or herbs of choice).

Rub each hen all over with some extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Truss the hens by tying the legs and wings. For a step-by-step visual, you can Google “how to truss a chicken” and multiple videos will come up.

Place the hens on the rack of a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Place the hens as far apart from each other as possible to enable the skins to get browned and crispy (I added a fifth hen this time for our dinner guests). Place the hens in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the chicken broth and white wine in a small bowl. After the hens have roasted for 25 minutes. pour the liquid over the hens, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue roasting for another 35 minutes, basting every 8-10 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. This is important to keep the meat juicy and flavorful.

The hens are done when an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Using a meat thermometer is very helpful for getting the best results. You want the chicken to be done but cooking it too long will dry out the meat.

If you want the skins browner, turn off the oven to broil and roast for a couple more minutes, watching closely so the skin doesn’t burn. Carefully remove the hens, pour the juices from the cavities into the roasting pan. Transfer the hens to a warmed platter, remove the trussing string, and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour the liquid from the roasting pan into a small saucepan and boil for 5 minutes until it is a thin sauce-like consistency. Serve the hens whole per guest or cut them in half lengthwise, placing them cavity side down on each plate, drizzle with the sauce and garnish with a sprig of fresh herb and a slice of lemon. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

For a very different and incredibly delicious roast chicken recipe, be sure to try our Peruvian roasted chicken, Pollo a la Brasa!

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet March 24, 2014