Roasted Cornish Hens Stuffed with Vegetables

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If it’s your first time making Roasted Cornish Hens start with this easy and quick recipe. This healthy recipe is the perfect classy dinner dish that the whole family will love. It makes for an elegant and beautiful presentation on the dinner table and is a great choice for making a tender, juicy and delicious chicken in less time.

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The secret to your perfect Christmas dinner

This Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe is what you’ve been missing this holiday season! A Cornish game hen (also known as poussin or rock Cornish hen) is a very young white broiler chicken harvested at about five weeks of age instead of eight or nine weeks old. They are smaller and more tender than bigger birds like a rotisserie chicken so they’re perfect for a small family.

Roasted and stuffed Cornish hens are easy to make and turn out so, so delicious! With a basic recipe that includes a simple array of fresh herbs and a tasty stuffing of vegetables, these small chickens give you the best results and flavor. The delicious juices from the chicken make moist, tender, and scrumptious roasted vegetables.

Adding this delicious recipe to your meal plans will only make the Christmas cooking easier. These hens make for the easiest fancy dinners which look like you’ve been cooking all day, preparing for the family.

This homemade dish is a great family meal, which goes well with wild rice, mashed potatoes, or a salad. A bonus- they’re keto, low-carb, and low-calorie diet-friendly.

This delicious meal comes together in about an hour, serving two people or a special dinner party. You don’t need any super-seasoning blends here, just some salt, pepper, and Trader Joe’s seasoning.

These tender hens are great for any time of year, special occasion, small gatherings, or even just a nice weeknight dinner. Check out how to make the perfect delicious one-pan meal of Cornish hens below, it’s so much easier than you’d expect!

Key Ingredients to Make the Roasted Cornish Game Hens

The following ingredients are for two hens, so if you are just roasting one, divide the ingredient amount in half.

cornish hens ingredients- olive oil, poultry seasoning, red pepper, onion, pepper, salt, celery, basil, garlic, lemon, and cornish hens.

Cornish Hens: The star ingredient in this recipe. They should be thawed and patted dry with paper towels on both sides.
Celery sticks: Even if you don’t like celery, you should use it here, you won’t taste the strong celery taste, but will give the hen a lot of flavor.
Red Bell Pepper: Adds a naturally mild and sweet taste to the recipe.
Yellow onion: Use yellow and not the sweet kind. Yellow onions add a unique flavor and texture to this recipe.
Oil: Olive oil is great for roasting, but you can also use oil that you like.
Garlic clove: Releases tons of great flavor and adds a nice aroma to the bird as it cooks.
Lemon: The juice from the lemon adds flavor and keeps the meat tender and juicy.
Basil: Use fresh basil, it compliments poultry well.
Salt and black pepper: Use a little bit for extra flavor and taste.
Poultry seasoning: You can use the one you prefer to complement the hen. I use the Trader Joe’s seasoning.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to make the Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a roasting pan or an oven sheet with a rack.

Step 2: Chop the veggies

On a cutting board, dice the celery sticks, red bell pepper, and onion.

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Step 3: Prep the marinade

In a small bowl, mix the fresh basil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, and poultry seasoning. Mix it well together.

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Step 4: Prepare and Oil the hens

Pat hens dry with paper towels then drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the hen and spread it all around.

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Step 5: Stuff the hens

Stuff the hens with chopped vegetable mixture.

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Step 6: Season the hens

Rub the seasoning mix on the outside of the hens.

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Step 7: Roast the hens

Place into the preheated oven for 1 hour 15 minutes.

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Step 8: Broil, finish and serve!

Broil for the last 5 minutes for the golden brown color! Serve and enjoy!

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Expert Tips

Use an instant-read thermometer to test for doneness. The internal temperature of the chicken needs to reach a minimum internal temp of 165°F (74°C).
Look for hens that are similar in size so they will take about the same time to cook.
For extra flavor and moisture, you can pour melted butter over the hens before seasoning.
To cool the hens from frozen, defrost overnight in a medium bowl and pat dry with paper towels before cooking. Drying the hen with paper towels ensures the skin becomes crispy and golden brown.
For crispy edges and skin, do not cover with aluminum foil while in the oven.
Feel free to use your favorite herbs such as thyme, fresh rosemary, or chives.
Roast the hen, breast side up because there’s more meat on that side. This also allows the breast skin to crisp up.
If you can, use kosher salt as it’s unrefined and gives the hen a slightly better taste relative to other types of salt.

How to Store Leftover Roasted Cornish Game Hen

Store leftover chicken wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. To reheat, bake the breast side up at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes in the air fryer or for 30-40 minutes in the oven.
To freeze, place in an airtight freezer bag and store for up to four months in a freezer. Thaw overnight then reheat.

Recipe FAQs

What are cornish hens?

Cornish hens are a particular breed of chicken that was developed in England, named Cornish after Cornwall. They are young, immature chickens. They are less than five weeks of age, usually weighing between 1-2 pounds compared to a regular chicken weighing around 4 pounds. This game bird makes a quick, tender, and delicious roast chicken.

How long does it take to cook cornish hens?

Cornish hens roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then broil for an additional 5 minutes to make the outside golden brown.

How to season Cornish hens

You can season hens with any of your favorite seasonings you like such as garlic powder. For this recipe, season the Cornish hens with Trader Joe’s poultry seasoning, salt, black pepper, basil, lemon juice, and garlic. All these savory seasonings and flavors combine to make a regular chicken into a delicious creation! Fill the cavity of the hens with various vegetables that add flavor.

What can l serve with this recipe?

The roasted hens go well with wild rice, roasted sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, salads, braised potatoes, or dinner rolls. Cornish hens roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then broil for an additional 5 minutes to make the outside golden brown.

How many servings of hens per person?

Overall standard serving is one game hen per person for hungry adults if it is a main course.

Chicken is a great source of protein. Enjoy these chicken recipes from the blog:

The Best One Pot Chicken and Rice Plov Recipe is an amazing and savory one-pot meal to make for your family.
This unique Georgian Chicken in Walnut Sauce with Spices is a tasty delicacy and a simple dish.
This Teriyaki Chicken Recipe is tender, flavorful, and baked to perfection. Pair it with steamed veggies and rice for an out-of-this-world meal.
Try this mouthwatering Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce recipe. It looks elegant and impressive making it up to par with the ones you’d find in high-end restaurants.

More tasty poultry recipes to try

If you tried this Roasted Cornish Hens Stuffed with Vegetables or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!