Perfect Oven Roasted Baked Cornish Hens Recipe (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.

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.

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.

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°.

Directions. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place hens in a roasting pan, breast sides up. Place 2 thyme sprigs and 1 lemon half in cavity of each hen.

To prevent loss of moisture, let chicken rest for 5 to 8 minutes before carving. To maintain a crispy, crunchy skin, do not tent bird with foil after removal from oven.

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.

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.

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.

Should I put anything in the bottom of my roasting pan? ›

"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan.

We've already established that a roasting pan is basically an extra-large casserole dish. If you have a 9x13-inch casserole or baking dish, you can make this work for smaller roasts like chicken or game hens. For a full-sized turkey, go with an oversized baking dish with relatively high sides.

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.

Like a regular chicken, Cornish hens are pink when they are raw, and golden brown and crispy on the outside when roasted.

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. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water.

A minimum of 2 square feet of coop or tractor space is recommended per bird for optimal growth. Make sure their area is protected from wind, rain, and other fluctuating weather conditions as this can affect their health and growth rate. Cornish cross are typically ready to process around 7 weeks of age.

Trussing Cornish hens, or any poultry, is never required. But, doing so ensures your bird cooks evenly without drying out.