Spoon sauce over hen halves, garnish with orange slices, and serve. Mix first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Slide fingertips under skin of hen halves to loosen.

They are full grown chickens, but they are a smaller breed of chicken. If you have never seen them before, they are available in the meat section of your grocery store near chickens and turkeys. Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any weeknight is a fine occasion for making Cornish game hens. Ok, so they are more expensive per pound than your average whole chicken. BUT, remember that when you don’t really want leftovers and you only want to heat up your oven for a small amount of time, they are the perfect solution. Cornish game hens would be perfect to cook if you are having Thanksgiving away from family.

Roast Cornish Hen with Vegetables

Brandi’s goal is to share recipes that support a consistently healthy lifestyle. Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com New Cooking Games. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful. See the recipe card for complete instructions. Cornish Hens – Cornish hens are usually available in 2 packs and are typically between 1 and 2 pounds each.

Mash together 5 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon sage, thyme, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, rosemary, and thyme; set aside. It is not necessary to cover Cornish hens when cooking them. However, you can if you would like to keep the breasts from drying out.

• The USDA recommends cooking poultry, including Cornish hen, to an internal temperature between 165F to 180F depending on the desired doneness.
• Use a dutch oven with a lid or a deep baking dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil.
• They are either female or male broiler chickens.
• But the name refers to the fact that Cornish game hens are a cross of the White Plymouth Rock and the Cornish chicken .

If you’d like a richer, darker colored gravy, add a 2 to 3 drops of browning sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small gravy boat or bowl. I love chicken, but sometimes it gets old, making the same few recipes repeatedly. These Roasted Cornish Hens are a game-changer with minimal work and a decadent presentation, too!

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

This is a beautiful dish and gorgeous presentation and it tastes absolutely divine! Garlic lovers might consider stuffing the birds with about 3 cloves of crushed garlic for a little extra flavour. Personally, I liked the sour cream with the roasted vegetables.

Rub the mixture evenly over the Cornish hens, working some of the butter under the skin as well. Next, stuff the cavity with lemon wedges, shallots, and rosemary or sage. Truss the legs of each Cornish hen with kitchen twine by crossing the legs one over the other, then tying tightly in a knot. Tuck the wings underneath the breasts. Roast until hens are spotty brown and cavity registers 160ºF (71ºC), 15–20 minutes more, depending on hen size. (You can also check thickest parts of breast, which should register 165ºF, and thickest part of thigh, which should register 170ºF).