Marinated Cornish Game Hens Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should I cover Cornish hens when baking? ›

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.

cornish hens will thaw in the refrigerator in 24-48 hours. Be sure to place it in a container to catch any drips or spills! You should use the hens 1-2 days after thawing. You can thaw cornish hens in their packaging in a sink full of cold water 4-6 hours before cooking.

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution.

Remove giblet bag from cavity and reserve for making sauces, etc. Heavily brining or marinating product is unnecessary as Cornish birds are small and meat is quite succulent.

Roast the hens in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear.

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.

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.

These Cornish hens are best roasted at high temperatures in the oven for flavor and ease. There are many ways to enhance the flavor of these by stuffing them or coating them in a dry rub seasoning. I like to serve these for small-gathering holidays or special events when I don't want to cook a whole turkey.

A lot of the best qualities of a great roast chicken are accentuated in Cornish hens. Their flavor is often described as rich and moist with a hint of sweetness. Because they're harvested so young, Cornish hens' meat is exceptionally tender. Their high skin-to-meat ratio makes them remarkably succulent too.

Choose an acidic marinade.

The buttermilk soak can serve as a marinade, but if you prefer to do a more traditional marinade, choose one that contains an acidic ingredient like vinegar, fruit juice, or wine. These acidic bases will counteract the gamey taste of the meat.

Do Cornish hens taste better than chicken? ›

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.

They're at least as scrumptious as turkeys, but they're much smaller — weighing in at 1 pound to 2 pounds — making them easier to cook. They roast up much more quickly, and you don't have to wrestle them into a roasting pan to make them fit.

One of the primary contributors to tough chicken meat is the age of the bird at the time of slaughter, Knight said. “As the [bird] gets older the muscle fibers become tough,” he said. “So a 2-year-old hen or 3-year-old farm rooster is going to be tough.”

Roasting Cornish hens on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet also helps elevate the birds so that the thighs cook as quickly as the breasts. Cornish hens are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and their juices run clear.

Roast in a 425 degrees F heated oven for 1 hour (or until the hens are cooked through and juices run clean), basting every 15 minutes with the broth. If you have a cooking thermometer, cooked Cornish hens will have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Allow the Cornish game hens to rest before serving.