This straightforward cornish hen recipe roasts the petite poultry with heat and welcoming herbs and spices, providing you with crispy and juicy outcomes each time. It’s a formidable dish that may make any event memorable.
A entire roasted hen is usually my go-to for particular occasions or dinner events, however generally, I’ll swap issues up with this roasted cornish hen recipe as a substitute.
Rubbed with fragrant herbs and flavorful spices, this recipe transforms the common-or-garden cornish recreation hen right into a dish that brings rustic appeal to any desk. Paired with mashed potatoes and your favourite roasted greens, it’s good for cozy household dinners, particular dinner events, and stylish vacation feasts!
Desk of Contents
What’s a cornish recreation hen?
A cornish recreation hen is a cross between the Cornish and White Plymouth Rock hen breeds, so sure, these hens are certainly chickens. Nonetheless, they sometimes weigh not more than two kilos, making them smaller than the common roast hen you’ll discover within the grocery retailer.
Due to their small dimension, cornish hens are notably good for dinners the place you need everybody to have their very own roast hen! Listed here are just a few extra the explanation why I really like this cornish recreation hen recipe:
- Simple to make. Identical to traditional roasted hen recipes, you don’t have to be a grasp chef to make cornish hens at residence.
- Tender and flavorful. Whereas these birds are recognized for his or her succulence, roasting them with fragrant herbs and spices makes each chew much more scrumptious.
- Gorgeous crowd-pleaser. I’ll serve particular person roasted hens once I need my household or company to take pleasure in a classy, connoisseur contact to informal and stylish dinners.
Quick on time? My air fryer cornish hen recipe shaves about 20 minutes off of the cooking time however has the identical great-tasting outcomes!
Components wanted
Except for the hen, this recipe makes use of easy spices and elements to ship huge flavors. Right here is all the things you’ll want:
- Cornish hen. I made this recipe with one 1 ½ pound cornish hen, which was sufficient to serve 1 to 2 folks. If you happen to’re serving it as half of a bigger meal with appetizers and sides, one cornish hen must be sufficient for 3 to 4 folks or you may double or triple the quantity of hens. Lastly, this recipe works with frozen cornish hens however you’ll must thaw them within the fridge earlier than cooking.
- Recent herbs. Roasting the hen on a mattress of recent rosemary sprigs and recent thyme sprigs infuses it with fragrant and herbaceous flavors.
- Lemon slices. The lemon slices impart tangy, citrusy undertones.
- Olive oil. Only a drizzle to assist the pores and skin develop into golden and crispy.
- Dried herbs and spices. I used Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder, purple pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
Learn how to roast a cornish hen
Step 1 – Season. Stir the dry rub seasonings collectively in a small bowl, then sprinkle the combination all around the cornish hen.
Step 2 – Assemble. Place the rosemary, thyme, and lemon slices on the underside of a roasting pan. Place the cornish hen on high and drizzle with olive oil.
Step 3 – Roast. Roast the hen within the oven till it’s golden brown and cooked by means of.
Step 4 – Relaxation, then serve. Set the hen apart to relaxation earlier than carving and serving. Get pleasure from!
How do you carve cornish recreation hen?
After letting the hen relaxation, place it on a chopping board and use a pointy knife to chop by means of the joint connecting the thighs and drumsticks to the physique. Separate the breast meat by slicing down the middle alongside the breastbone and gently pulling it away. Lastly, slice the breast meat into particular person servings, and also you’re able to take pleasure in your fantastically carved hen!
Recipe suggestions and variations
- Carry to room temperature. I extremely suggest letting the hen sit on the kitchen counter for about half-hour earlier than cooking. Room temperature meat all the time cooks extra evenly than chilly meat.
- Checking for doneness. I like to make use of a meat thermometer to examine that the hen is cooked by means of. To take action, stick the thermometer into the hen because it cooks. You’ll understand it’s finished when its inner temperature is between 160ºF and 165°F.
- Let it relaxation. I understand how tempting it’s to dig proper in, however letting the cornish hen relaxation for about 20 minutes after roasting helps its pure juices soak again into the meat.
- Swap the seasonings. You may swap the seasonings within the recipe for a poultry seasoning mix or your favourite hen dry rub as a substitute.
- Think about marinating. For a flavorful twist, strive marinating the cornish hen for 1 to 4 hours in my 4-ingredient hen marinade, hen drumstick marinade, or hen thigh marinade.
Storage directions
To retailer: Let the leftover cornish hen cool to room temperature, then switch it to an hermetic container. Retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
To freeze: Let leftovers cool, then freeze in a freezer-safe bag for as much as 3 months. Let it thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating.
To reheat: Reheat the cornish hen in a baking dish within the oven at 350ºF till the pores and skin is crispy once more and the meat is heated by means of.
Steadily requested questions
I discovered that roasting cornish hen for 1 hour in a 425ºF oven was the candy spot for golden, crispy, and juicy outcomes. Nonetheless, the precise cooking time could differ relying on the scale of the hen, so you should definitely use a meat thermometer to make sure the meat reaches a secure inner temperature.
The flavour of those fancy little chickens is similar to common hen however tastes richer, tender, and barely gamey.
Extra hen recipes to strive
Stop your display screen from going darkish
Preheat oven to 210C/425F.
Make the dry rub; mix the dry rub elements in a small bowl.
Pat dry the Cornish hen and generously season with the ready spice rub.
Add rosemary, thyme, and lemon slices right into a roasting pan. Add the Cornish hen to the roasting dish and drizzle it with olive oil.
Roast the Cornish hen for 1 hour or till the thickest half reaches 165F.
Take away the Cornish hen from the oven and let it relaxation for 20 minutes earlier than serving.
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 20gFats: 21gSodium: 363mgPotassium: 336mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 448IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 3g
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