Description
This Best Roasted Cornish Hen Ever recipe is the ultimate small-bird roast for special dinners, featuring golden crispy skin, tender juicy meat, and flavor-packed herbs and garlic. Perfect for holidays or weeknight meals, it’s easy, elegant, and guaranteed to impress.
Ingredients
2 Cornish hens (whole)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
1 lemon (halved)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 sprigs rosemary (whole, for stuffing)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the Cornish hens dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
2. In a bowl, mix melted butter, olive oil, garlic, chopped rosemary, and thyme.
3. Rub the butter-herb mixture all over the hens, including inside the cavity.
4. Season each hen with salt and pepper.
5. Stuff each cavity with half a lemon and a rosemary sprig.
6. Tie the legs together using kitchen twine for even cooking.
7. Place the hens on a rack in a roasting pan, breast-side up.
8. Roast for 50-60 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh.
9. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving or serving.
Notes
Make sure hens are dry before seasoning to ensure crispy skin.
Trussing the legs helps the birds cook evenly and present beautifully.
Letting the hens rest after roasting is key to juicy, flavorful meat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 hen
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 560
- Fat: 45
- Saturated Fat: 18
- Unsaturated Fat: 25
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 47
- Cholesterol: 210