Roasted Cornish Hen (with Mixed Vegetables)

Easy Roasted Cornish Hen, the perfect one-pot meal for any weeknight or holiday dinner! This recipe made the Cornish hen tasty and juicy! It's the most flavorful, comforting, and crowd-pleasing dish that everyone will love!

Today, I want to share a good recipe for Cornish Hen. In this Roasted Cornish Hen recipe, you will learn how to cook game hens in the oven in the easiest way. As a bonus, I will include step-by-step instructions for cooking cornish hens in an instant pot or air fryer. So, please keep reading!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe:
• What is a Cornish Game Hen
• How Does Cornish Game Hen Taste?
• Cornish Game Hen Nutrition
• How Long To Cook Cornish Hens
• Roasted Cornish Hen Ingredients:
• How to Thaw Cornish Hen:
• How to Make this Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe in the Oven:
• Storing the Leftover Cornish Hens
• 📖 Recipe
• To Roast Cornish Hen in an Air Fryer: 
• To Cook Cornish Hen in an Instant Pot:
• 💬 Comments

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Why You'll Love This Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe:

• Simple seasoning. The game hens are perfectly seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices that you can find in your pantry.
• Crispy skin and tender meat. They have a nice crispy skin on the outside and juicy-tender meat on the inside. Additionally, the meat juices cook the veggies to perfection.
• No basting is required! This roasted cornish game hen with the mixed vegetable recipe is unbelievably simple to make. You just need to prep the hens, put them in the oven, and rotate the pan once, then most of your time would be sitting back and relaxing and thinking about how good these oven-baked hens are going to taste. No basting is required!

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What is a Cornish Game Hen

Cornish hen, also known as Cornish game hen or Rock Cornish game hen is a specific breed of chicken.

The original Cornish Hen originated in the Cornwall area of England. However, the Cornish Game Hen sold in the USA was actually bred in Connecticut, back in the 1950s.

The USA's version of the Cornish Hen is a cross between the Cornish and White Plymouth Tock chicken breeds.

This type of broiler chicken is much smaller and younger than the regular chicken. A Cornish Game Hen must weigh no more than two pounds and has to be slaughtered before five weeks of age.

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How Does Cornish Game Hen Taste?

Many people think the Cornish game hen tastes just like chicken.

Others find that it has a more subtle and lighter taste. I agree with the latter and also find that the cornish game hen has a very tender and soft texture.

With the size being smaller it gives you the ability to replace a larger chicken if you want to cook a meal for just 1-2 people (and still have that beautiful full bird presentation.

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Cornish Game Hen Nutrition

Compared to other standard chicken options the cornish hen will often be leaner and have less fat and calories.

It's comprised almost entirely of white meat and has the nutritional benefit of being rich in niacin.

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How Long To Cook Cornish Hens

Cornish Hens are as versatile as regular chicken. Both have the same flavor profile and can be used interchangeably in any recipe.

Because of its small size, the game hen cooks faster than a standard chicken.

In this recipe, you only need to cook the Cornish Hen along with mixed vegetables for about 50 minutes at 450°F.

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Roasted Cornish Hen Ingredients:

To make this delicious Roasted Cornish Hen recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

• Cornish Hen
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Italian seasoning
• Paprika powder
• Kosher salt
• Black Pepper
• Olive oil
• Lemon
• Rosemary
• A whole head of garlic

For Roasted Vegetables, you can use the combination of:

• Small potatoes
• Yellow onion
• Carrots

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How to Thaw Cornish Hen:

Most Cornish hens are sold frozen but they thaw quickly.

To thaw cornish hens, simply put them in a big bowl to prevent leakage and store them in the refrigerator at a safe and constant temperature (40 °F or below) for about 24 to 36 hours before you want to eat them.

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How to Make this Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe in the Oven:

Step 1. Season the Cornish Hen

• First, you need to pat the cornish hen dry (including the cavity) with paper towels to remove any excess moisture and prevent soggy skin!

• After that, rub seasoning mixture over both sides of the hen.

• Next, season the cavity with salt and pepper then stuff with a lemon wedge, head of garlic halved, and rosemary sprigs in the cavity of the hen.

Step 2. Prepare the Vegetables

• Peel and chop the carrots into 2-inch lengths.
• Wash and scrub the small potatoes then cut in half.
• Peel and chop the yellow onion into large chunks.

• Put the chopped vegetables in a large roasting pan, then pour the oil over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour about ½ cup of dry white wine into the vegetable mixture.

Step 3. Roast the Cornish Hens and Vegetables in the Oven

• Place the seasoned cornish hen breast-side up on top of the vegetable mixture in a large roasting pan. Do not let the hens touch the wine.
• Brush the cornish hen on both sides with olive oil.
• Truss the hen to ensure that everything cooks evenly. You can use kitchen twine to tie the legs together and tuck the wings to prevent burning (or cover the tip of the wings with foil).
• Bake in the oven, uncovered, for about 50-60 minutes at 450°F. Rotating the pan halfway through.

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Storing the Leftover Cornish Hens

You can store the leftover cornish hens in an airtight container. Properly stored, it will last 1-3 days in the fridge or 1-3 months in the freezer.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe! If you try it, don’t forget to rate it and leave a review on the recipe card/comment box below.

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Check Out These Delicious Side Dish Recipes:

• Baked Mac and cheese
• Roasted Yellow Squash with Parmesan Cheese
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Roasted Baby Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

📖 Recipe