This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Tender, juicy and one of the best cornish hen recipes ever. Baked cornish hen in oven with marinade of garlic, honey and spices. This cornish game hen is so good!
Cornish Hen Recipe
What is a cornish hen?
In the United States, cornish game hen (USDA approved name) is also called rock cornish hen. It’s a type of small chicken, produced from a cross between the Cornish and White Plymouth Rock chicken breeds.
They are small, young and immature hens, with an average weight of less than 2 lbs each. The meat is tender, juicy, and much better than turkey and even chicken.
This crispy roasted and baked cornish hen is perfect for holidays. It’s also great for dinner tonight!
Cornish Game Hen
They are widely available in the frozen food section or poultry section of food stores and supermarkets.
They are vacuum-packed in a small plastic wrapped package. They are also labeled as Rock Cornish Game Hen.
They are sold without giblets, so cooking cornish hens are quick and easy.
Cornish Hen Ingredients
My baked recipe calls for the following marinade ingredients:
- Garlic
- Butter or extra virgin olive oil
- Honey
- Sambal oelek
- Salt
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Cook Cornish Hen
The easiest way to cook is to bake it in the oven.
First, thaw the hen to room temperature. Make sure you pat dry the entire hen with paper towels, including inside the cavity.
Next, marinate it with garlic, butter (or extra virgin olive oil), honey and sambal oelek. If you don’t have sambal oelek, you can use any dry spices such as chili powder or smoked paprika.
You can also use any hot sauce such as Tabasco, Louisiana hot sauce, Sriracha or anything you have on hand.
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). How long to cook cornish hens? For this recipe, it takes 60 minutes to cook it in the oven.
This recipe yields crispy skin, with juicy, moist, tender and flavorful meat. It’s the best!
Frequently Asked Questions
These hens are younger than chickens, so they have less calories as well as less fat. This also makes them more lean.
Yes, you can.
You can air-fry it in an air fryer and have crispy skin.
This recipe has 557 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
This recipe is best served as the main dish. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Cornish Hen ((The Best Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 cornish hen
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 toothpicks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , or unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 tablespoon sambal oelek
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Rinse and pat dry the Cornish hen with paper towels, making sure the cavity is dry. Place the garlic inside the cavity and close it with 3 toothpicks.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil (or butter), honey, sambal oelek, and salt. Stir to mix well. Brush the mixture evenly over the skin.
- Place the Cornish hen on a roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the skin becomes crispy and nicely browned. You can cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Turn the hen over and bake the other side for another 30 minutes. You can brush the juices that seep out onto the skin. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi there ladies, before seeing your recipe I found one where after patting the bird dry, insert 1/4 lemon and 1/4 onion in the cavity, dot with butter, salt and pepper and pour in around half a cup of ginger ale (I didn’t have white wine), and cook for an hour on 180. I then boiled down the liquid and poured a spoon or two on top. It was so juicy and tender. Next time I’ll try your recipe.
My recipe is a lot easier.
Hi
Is the butter softened or melted in this recipe.
Melted.
I have made this in the past several times. It is delicious and so easy to make. I use the sambal oelek and trust me you won’t be disappointed. This is a great recipe and I just might have to make again very soon. Thank you Rasa!
Hi Deborah, it’s awesome. Thanks so much for trying my recipe. Please try more recipes on my site: https://www.666630.xyz/recipe-index-gallery/
Cornish hen!!!!
Hello, the intro to this recipe said to bake in 375 degrees F but your recipe said 350 degrees. And baking at the lower temperature on the lower rack does not roast the hen at all. After the 1st half hour, the hen is still white. Half way on the other half, I checked your website and noticed the different temperature and so I turned it up and this time, it did roast the hen and on a middle rack. Then I returned to the 1st half to bake at the higher temperature for 15 minutes more to get color on both sides.