This easy cornish hen recipe is super simple to make and a lot faster to cook than a turkey or chicken. One Cornish hen makes a perfect meal for 2 people!
Easy Cornish Hen Recipe
This easy cornish hen recipe is super simple to make with our easy step-by-step instructions. Cornish hens are super easy to cook and a lot faster to cook than a turkey or chicken. Some people say they are more tender than chickens, but our roast chicken or roast turkey recipe is so tender, I have not personally noticed the difference in tenderness.
Cornish hens, sometimes called game hens, are a smaller variety of chicken originally from Cornwall England. They are full grown chickens, but they are a smaller breed of chicken. If you have never seen them before, they are available in the meat section of your grocery store near chickens and turkeys.
Pound for pound, Cornish hens are more expensive than chicken and turkey. Still, they are great if you don’t want leftovers or you are not able to store leftover food. A Cornish hen is a perfect serving size for two people, so it’s an easy date night meal.
Our easy cornish hen recipe calls for just 3 ingredients, but the recipe is super versatile. If you prefer to add seasonings and ingredients for additional flavor or for a bigger meal, you have a lot of options.
I usually make the basic recipe and bake with sliced potatoes, onions and carrots in the pan. This makes a delicious complete one dish meal. If you like, you can try adding additional seasonings like rosemary, oregano and thyme or things like lemon slices to give it more flavor. You can also try other vegetables like different kinds of squash. anything you might add to a roast chicken would work well with a Cornish hen recipe.
If you don’t have any seasoned salt on hand, our homemade seasoned salt recipe is here.
Easy Cornish Hen Recipe
This easy cornish hen recipe is super simple to make and a lot faster to cook than a turkey or chicken. One Cornish hen makes a perfect meal for 2 people!
Ingredients
1–2 lb. cornish hen
olive oil
seasoned salt
lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°. In a baking pan, place cornish hens breast side up. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. If desired place potatoes, onions and carrots around hen. Place in preheated oven and turn down to 400° and bake for 45-55 minutes until golden and a meat thermometer reads 165°.
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I have a new Nijia 8 in 1 Cooker possible pot
So I am going to put in the pot 1 cup of chicken broth vegateba
Of carrots potatoes onion
Then breast down hen
So I will preheat 450 still ready then 400. Right
Then cook 45 minute till 160 right
Then it should come out. Am I ok yes bake
Sounds ok
Thanks
Easy and delicious. I added garlic powder and black pepper. Potatoes, carrots and onions. I added water to the baking pan then used all the juices to make a gravy.
Oh yum Michelena – I haven’t made this in awhile and it sounds so good. A couple of times in the past I have had to spend Christmas alone so I loved getting me a Cornish hen as a treat for my Christmas dinner.
Do you cover the pan when cooking?? Dan.
yes.