How to Roast Cornish Hens: Simple Cornish Hen Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Dec 21, 2024 • 2 min read
Cornish hens are ideal for serving just one or two people with all the fanfare of a whole roast chicken.
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What Is a Cornish Hen?
A Cornish hen, also known as a Cornish game hen or Rock Cornish game hen is any young chicken (under five weeks old) weighing two pounds or less. Despite the name "hen," the chickens can be male or female. Cornish hens are named after the Cornish chicken, a breed developed in nineteenth-century England as the Indian Game chicken, but the USDA does not require chickens labeled as Cornish hens to be of any particular breed.
Cornish Hen vs. Chicken: What’s the Difference?
A Cornish hen is a chicken—just a very young, small chicken. Most of the chickens farmers raise for meat are called broilers or fryers. They are less than 10 weeks old and typically weigh four to five pounds. The biggest difference between a Cornish hen and a broiler chicken is that the Cornish hen is half the age of the typical supermarket chicken.
When it comes to cooking Cornish hens, prepare them using any whole chicken recipe. Just keep in mind that Cornish hens will have a shorter cook time than larger chickens.
What to Serve With Cornish Hen
Cornish hens are typically more expensive than other types of chickens, so they're often served for special occasions like dinner parties or Christmas dinner. Try Cornish hens with festive side dishes such as roasted carrots with farro salad, mashed potatoes, or roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Marinated Roast Cornish Hen Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
1 hr 45 mincook time
30 minIngredients
- 1
Make the marinade. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic cloves, paprika, wine, and lemon juice.
- 2
Place the chickens on a small rimmed baking sheet or shallow roasting pan breast side up. Remove giblets and pat chickens dry with paper towels. Gently stick your finger in between the breast skin and meat to create a little pocket, being careful not to break the skin. Spoon marinade into each pocket and stick an herb sprig in each pocket as well. Drizzle remaining marinade over the chickens. Marinate at room temperature at least 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
- 3
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Half an hour before you plan to cook, bring the chickens to room temperature. Using butcher's twine, tie the chicken legs together at the ankles. Cover the wing tips with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Roast chickens until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees and the juices run clear, about 25–30 minutes.
- 4
Rest chickens at room temperature, lightly tented with aluminum foil, about 10 minutes. Serve with lemon.
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