Roasted Cornish Game Hens With Vegetables

Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Vegetables is a quick, easy meal to prepare any day of the week. A healthy recipe the whole family will love!

I just love Cornish game hens!

They’re so tiny and cute, not to mention tender, juicy, and full of delicious flavor.

I didn’t always feel that way about them, but David has always loved them. To be quite honest, I didn’t know what kind of bird Cornish game hens were. So I learned more about them, and I taught myself how to cook them. 

These little chickens are small, they cook in less time than a regular chicken, and this whole recipe can be made in one pot. The vegetables are nestled in the bottom of the pan and baste in the delicious juices from the chicken.

This healthy recipe can be made any night of the week or special occasion. Let me show you how to prepare roasted Cornish game hens that are tender, moist, and full of flavor with beautiful brown crispy skin. 

This is one of the easiest fancy dinners you can make!

What is a Cornish Game Hen?

In the 1950s, a couple of farmers in Connecticut, Jacques, and Alphonsine (Therese) Makowsky cross-bred a Cornish chicken, a White Plymouth Rock hen, and a Malayan fighting cock. The result was a Rock Cornish Game Hen, Cornish Game Hen, for short.

The difference between a regular chicken and cornish hens?

The USDA defines cornish game hens as “a young, immature chicken.” They are less than five weeks of age, usually weighing between 1-2 pounds compared to a regular chicken weighing around 4 pounds. This particular breed of chicken matures quickly with large breasts and fatty skin. 

At what temperature do you roast Cornish hens in the oven, and for how long?

Roast the Cornish game hens in a preheated 375 degrees F oven until juices run clear. The temperature of the chicken needs to reach a minimum internal temp of 165-170 degrees F when read with an instant-read thermometer, such as a Thermapen® ONE, by Thermoworks. 

I highly recommend that you cook the chickens until at least 170 degrees. To me, the meat is still a little toothy and hard to gnaw off the bone at 165 degrees F.

Ingredients / Variations you’ll need to make this recipe

• Cornish Game Hens: you’ll need one hen per person. Try to look for hens that are similar in size so they will take about the same time to cook.
• Cooking Oil: the oil is needed to coat the chicken to help the seasoning adhere to the skin and aid in browning and crisping up the skin during roasting. I always use extra virgin olive oil but use whatever oil you prefer. You may even melt some unsalted butter in a small saucepan to pour over the chicken before seasoning.
• Poultry Seasoning: use your favorite poultry seasoning. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just something that will taste good on chicken and complement the vegetables that you use.
  You can find a nice poultry rub in this post or a spicy one here.
• Vegetables: carrots, red onion, broccoli, or any variety of hearty root vegetables you prefer will go great with this chicken. Make sure you cut the vegetables all the same size so they cook in the same amount of time. I think next time, I may throw in a few potatoes, also.

How to Make Roasted Cornish Game Hens

1. Preheat and Convection Bake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. If you have a convection oven, use that setting. Convection baking will aid in browning and crisping up the skin. They’ll still roast nicely if you don’t have a convection setting.
2. Chop the Veggies: Roughly chop the vegetables into equal-sized pieces and place them in the bottom of a roasting pan or oven-safe braiser.
3. Prepare the Chicken for Roasting:
   1. Pat hens dry with paper towels, making sure the inside of the cavity is as dry as possible. 
   2. Coat with oil.
   3. Season with the poultry rub inside and outside the cavity. Add extra salt to the inside, which results in juicier meat.
4. Roast: Place the cornish game hens on top of the vegetables and roast in the preheated oven as directed in the recipe card below.
5. Rest: Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes (uncovered) before serving.

How to Serve Cornish Game Hens with Roasted Vegetables

I usually use poultry shears to cut the chicken in half and serve cut side down with the roasted vegetables on the side.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover chicken wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating Leftovers

There are two ways I recommend reheating leftover Cornish game hens:

1. Air Fryer or Toaster Oven: This method yields the crispiest skin. Bake breast side up at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temp is 165 degrees F. 
2. Oven: 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. 

Notes: Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is whole or not. For quicker cooking, cut the chickens in half first and back cut side down.

Tips for Roasting Cornish Game Hens

• Try to purchase hens that are about the same size to cook in about the same amount of time.
• Don’t forget to season the inside of the chicken. This results in better cooking and more flavor. Feel free to add fresh herbs and lemon wedges to the cavity for even more flavor.
• For crispy skin: DO NOT COVER OR TENT WITH FOIL.
  1. Dry the hens completely before seasoning
  2. Use the convection bake setting on your oven. 
  3. Baste the chicken with the pan juices every 10 minutes during the last 30 minutes of cooking. 
• Use an instant-read meat thermometer to help monitor the temperature to ensure the meat is done and not overcooked. Read the thickest part of the chicken: the breast and around the thigh.
• Rest the chicken at least 10 minutes before carving to maintain moisture loss.
• Poultry Sheers are awesome for cutting the chicken in half.

FAQs:

Do I need to truss the chicken?

You don’t have to. The chickens are small and don’t take that long to cook. The wings and legs don’t dry out as badly as regular chicken. If you decide to truss the chicken with kitchen twine, check out this helpful video on how to truss a chicken.

How do you keep Cornish hens from drying out?

• Add salt to the cavity of the chicken when seasoning.
• Adding ½ cup of water to the bottom of the pan will keep the chicken moist until the drippings from the chicken start to fill the bottom of the pan. 
• Don’t overcook it.

Do you cook Cornish hens breast up or down?

Roast the hens, breast side up, so that the breast skin crisps up. There isn’t much meat on the back of a chicken, so let that be the less crispy side.

This Cornish hen recipe is one your whole family will love!

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See ya on the mountain!