Cornish game hen on a white plate with peas and broccoli

Cornish Game Hens

Cornish game hens are a delicious and showy meal for the holidays or any time. We have made them for our Thanksgiving and Christmas Celebrations and even for guests on New Years Dinner. This is a really simple and delicious recipe that we just know that you will love. It is perfect if you want a really special meal and you don’t have a big crowd. This would be perfect for singles, new couples, empty nesters, or people with a small family that a turkey is just too much for them and they would not use all the leftovers. This is a great meal for a special date night too. It looks fancy and like you have put a lot of work into it but it really does not take that much time.

We used cranberry sauce in it and that will infuse into the meat as it cooks. If you don’t like cranberry sauce you can use a marmalade or just the butter and herbs. The butter will go into the meat and the herbs will make the meat taste wonderful. 

So, get out your fancy dishes and roast some of these beauties up. It really does make a very special meal.

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Cornish Game Hens on a white plate with peas and broccoli by rosevinecottagegirls.com

 

What Is The Difference Between A Chicken And A Cornish Game Hen?

A Cornish game hen also called Cornish Rock, is a large English breed of hen that is raised as a meat bird. It is served young and weighing usually under two pounds.
 

How Many Servings Is A Cornish Game Hen?

A Cornish game hen will serve 2 adults in our home but it will make one very generous serving if you would like. 
 

How Do You Split A Cornish Game Hen?

Sit the Hen in front of you. Find the center of the breast and using a serrated knife cut down the middle of the breast and through the back of the hen cutting it in half.
 

What Does Cornish Game Hens Taste Like?

They like chicken, with a bit of a more delicate flavor. They are delicious. 
 

Is a Cornish Hen Healthier Than A Chicken?

They are younger chicken and contain less fat than a full-grown chicken.
 
Farmhouse Kitchen Cooking
 

Cornish Game Hens

 

What You Need To Make Cornish Game Hens:

 

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 cups of cooked long-grain or wild rice
  • 4 Cornish Game Hens
  • Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil and Garlic
  • 2-3 Tbsp Soft Butter
  • 1 Tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning
  • Cranberry Sauce (see our recipe below if desired)
 

Directions:

 

Wash hens inside and out, remove giblets.

Part skin from the meat in back and front, season with garlic, salt, paprika, sage, poultry seasoning, and pepper if desired.

Mix some of your herbs into the butter and slide the butter inside the skin. 

Spoon inside of bird cranberry sauce (you can find our recipe here), follow with rice, then sauce then rice again until filled.

Season outside of bird and cook covered for 1 hour 19 minutes in a greased pan at 380 F.

You can spoon more cranberry sauce over the top if you would like.

Serve with a couple of vegetables and some cold cranberry sauce.

 

Print Recipe Here:

Mrs. Cottage's Cornish Game Hens

Cornish game hen on a white plate with peas and broccoli
Cook Time 1 hour 19 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 19 minutes

Ingredients

  • Leftover cooked long-grain rice
  • Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil and Garlic
  • Butter
  • Himalayan Pink Salt
  • Pepper
  • Paprika
  • Sage
  • Poultry Seasoning
  • Cranberry Sauce

Instructions

4 Cornish Game Hens

Wash hens inside and out, remove giblets.

Part skin from the meat in back and front, season with garlic, salt, paprika, sage, poultry seasoning, and pepper if desired.

Slide butter inside the skin.

Spoon inside of bird cranberry sauce (you can find our recipe here), follow with rice, then sauce then rice again until filled.

Season outside of bird and cook for 1 hour 19 minutes in a greased pan at 380 F.

You can spoon more cranberry sauce over the top if you would like.

Serve with a couple of vegetables and some cold cranberry sauce if you like.

 

Don’t miss our other Holiday Recipes:

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