Impress Your Dinner Guests With These Special Cornish Hen Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is special about Cornish hens? ›

Because they're harvested so young, Cornish hens' meat is exceptionally tender. Their high skin-to-meat ratio makes them remarkably succulent too.

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!

Cornish hens are known to have a more delicate flavor than chicken, and they absorb marinades and other seasonings better. Because of their small size, they take a shorter amount of time to cook. So be sure to keep an eye on your roasted Cornish hen when it's in the oven. No one wants to eat a dry bird.

Place breast side up on rack in shallow roasting pan. 5. 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 elegant main course that is deceptively easy to cook, Cornish hens are perfectly portioned to feed one person per bird. Tender and juicy, with little seasoning required, birds can be roasted in the oven, grilled, braise in a slow cooker, deep fried, smoked or cooked sous vide.

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.

The Cornish game hen still commands a higher price per pound than regular broiler or fryer chickens, partly due no doubt to its decades-old reputation as an exotic new fowl. It is not exotic or new.

If you've never tried Cornish hens and are wondering about the flavors, they have a slightly stronger, more gamey taste than chicken but are not as flavorful as a quail. The taste is light and savory, especially when well seasoned. Each hen will make two servings, giving each person a half a bird.

Roast the hens: Roast, uncovered, for 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165F in the thickest part of the breast. Let the hens rest for 20 minutes and serve with remaining lemon slices. Garnish with fresh herbs if you have any leftover.

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.

Should Cornish hens be at room temperature before cooking? ›

Allow the Cornish hens to come to room temperature by taking them out of the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Bred to develop a large breast over a short period of time, the fowl weighs roughly 2.5 pounds (1.1 kilograms) when slaughtered at four to six weeks of age and typically commands a higher price per pound than mature chicken.

Tyson Premium Cornish Hen, 25 oz, 6 ct | Costco.

Cornish hen is a dish, not a breed of chicken. It's slaughtered at 4-6 weeks old, weighing no more than 32 ounces, when its breast has grown quickly enough to serve as a tender, lean, whole chicken. Cornish hen is healthier and lower in calories than standard chicken.

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.

Since they are comprised of primarily white meat, Cornish hens are very lean and rich in niacin, which can help lower cholesterol and boost brain function.

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.