This Roasted Cornish Hen recipe will be a stunning festive centerpiece on your Thanksgiving or Christmas table this year. It's shimmering with an apricot glaze and bursting with wild rice stuffing that's loaded with dried apricots and craisins. The glaze produces an orange hue and glistens against the skin of these hens. Garnishing the tray with fresh sage, dried apricots, and fresh cranberries will add a touch of holiday cheer for your guests during the festive season. This dish is sure to be a "show stopper."
Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe
You might be saying to yourself, "What's so exciting about Cornish hens? They're just little chickens." True, but so much more! They have a "fancy air" as they find their way to elegant dinner parties or ritzy restaurants. These beauties are the perfect recommendation for your upcoming holiday dinners in the next several weeks. It will automatically bring a “wow” effect to your table. Another stuffed holiday recipe that I think you would love is this Fruit Stuffed Pork Loin Roast or you could consider this beautiful Stuffed Pork Crown Roast. Any one of these recipes will add sophistication to your menu.
What is a Cornish Game Hen?
Cornish Game Hens are petite poultry gems but they reach maturity at a younger age resulting in succulent flesh brimming with a subtle sweetness and refined taste. The breed has a muscular body with larger breasts yielding a higher proportion of juicy breast meat. Cornish hens range anywhere from one to two pounds whereas a regular chicken weighs approximately four pounds and is ideal for personal gourmet experiences.
Ingredients for Stuffed Cornish Hens
Wild Rice Stuffing
- Butter. For Sautéeing the vegetables.
- Automatics. Onions and Garlic are sautéed to produce a wonderful base of flavor for the rice and dried fruit.
- Celery. These are sautéed with aromatics and provide a slight crunch to the stuffing.
- Salt and Pepper.
- Cooked Wild Rice. An ancient grain treasure that is satisfyingly chewy with a hint of nutty flavor. It boasts double the protein content of regular rice, contains plenty of nutrients, and is rich in antioxidants which makes it a truly healthy choice.
- Dried Fruit. Apricots and craisin are what I chose for this stuffing. But you can substitute nearly any other dried fruit variety to suit your taste.
- Slivered Almonds. An added crunch is highlighted by the almonds in this recipe.
Cornish Hens
- Cornish Hens. These miniature chickens are the best for individual servings.
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Black Pepper
- Fresh Herbs. Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. You can use any fresh herbs that you would like.
- Wild Rice Stuffing. This stuffing not only goes into the cavity of the cornish hens but the recipe makes plenty for a side dish as well.
- Apricot Preserves. You can use peach preserves if you prefer. I have a great peach preserves recipe that works wonderfully with the cornish hens.
- Triple Sec. I added the triple sec because I wanted the extra orange flavor but a white wine works just as well.
How to Cook Cornish Hens
- Make the Wild Rice Stuffing. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and sauté the chopped onions and celery in the butter for eight to ten minutes or until the veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper while cooking. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute. Add the cooked wild rice, dried apricots, and craisins.
- Remove the giblets from inside the Cornish hens and rinse the hens both inside and out. Dry them with a paper towel and generously salt and pepper the insides of the hens. Shake out any excess seasonings.
- Fill the cavity of the bird with wild rice stuffing. Use a heaping Β½ cup of wild rice to fill.
- Prepare the hens for roasting. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. Rub olive oil on all sides of the Cornish hens and generously salt and pepper the outside of the birds.
- Lay the hens breast side up in a shallow roasting pan and tuck under the wings. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
- Roast the Cornish Hens. Preheat the oven to 400°F and cook uncovered for about 80 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in the thigh. If they start to burn while cooking, tent foil over them but remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Baste with apricot preserves mixed with triple sec. Baste the birds before they go in the oven and continue basting every 20 minutes while they are roasting.
- Tent and rest. Remove the hens from the oven and tent with more foil and let them sit for 10 minutes.
- Cook the extra wild rice stuffing. There is more than enough leftover wild rice stuffing for a side dish. Transfer the extra stuffing to a casserole dish and throw it in the oven for the last 15-20 minutes while cooking the cornish hens to ensure the stuffing is nice and warm.
Tips for How to Cook Cornish Hens with Wild Rice Stuffing
- You can find Cornish hens in the freezer section of your grocer's meat department.
- Roast the birds uncovered and baste them often, every 20 minutes. If they begin to burn, cover them with foil but remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of roasting.
- Roast the hens on a wire rack inside a shallow baking sheet to elevate the birds. This will help prevent the thighs from cooking as quickly as the breasts.
- Let the Cornish hens rest for 10-15 minutes once you pull them out of the oven to ensure juicier meat. If you cut into them too soon, all the juices will run out and the meat will be much drier.
- Do not overcook. Use an instant-read digital thermometer to determine when the hens are done cooking. It should register 160°F in the thickest part of the thigh. The temperature will continue to rise about five degrees after you pull it from the oven. Cornish Hens are fully cooked at an internal temperature of 165°F.
What to serve with Roasted Cornish Hens
- Wild Rice Stuffing. The number one side dish for serving with these Cornish hens is found right here in the recipe. The wild rice stuffing adds both texture and depth of flavor to this dish and is the perfect combination that enhances the overall flavor of this featured entree.
- Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto. A super easy, make-ahead side dish to go alongside these little birds.
- Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Dates. A sophisticated side dish for your holiday table.
- Oven Roasted Green Beans. These are roasted to perfect tenderness. Feta cheese, kalamata olives, and sundried tomatoes enhance beans with flavors and texture.
- Roasted Candied Carrots. The carrots are bathed in a syrup made from fresh orange juice, pure maple syrup, and bacon grease all the while roasting to a supple tenderness.
- Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables. Vegetables and Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs are brimming with vibrant colors and flavors.
How to Serve These Cornish Hens
You have a couple of options when serving these adorable little birds. You can place the Cornish Hens on individual plates which are then displayed at each guest's place setting. Or you can display them on a serving tray and garnish them with fresh sage, dried apricots, and fresh cranberries as a festive centerpiece for your Holiday table.
Can you cook cornish hens ahead of time?
You can make the wild rice stuffing a day ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You will NOT want to stuff the hens until ready to roast though.
If you're tired of the traditional ham or turkey for the Holidays, give these gorgeous Stuffed Cornish Hens a try. You can make as many as you need for either a small gathering or a large one. I think you just might find these to be your new go-to holiday entree.
This dish was originally posted back in 2018. Since then, I have made significant refinements to the recipe and wanted to reintroduce it as a star attraction to become a cherished tradition in your holiday celebrations.
More Holiday Entrées:
Racks of Lamb with Apricot Mustard Glaze
Pork Roast Stuffed with Feta, Roasted Red Peppers and Spinach
Baked Glazed Ham with Brown Sugar and Grainy Mustard
Follow Me on Pinterest - Lingeralittle
PrintHow to Cook Cornish Hens with Wild Rice Stuffing
This dish is the perfect alternative to your Holiday turkey. Each guest has their own individual bird. The apricot glaze adds a nice dimension of flavor along with the wild rice stuffing which has dried apricots and cranberries.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 80-90 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 Cornish Hens 1x
- Category: Poultry
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Wild Rice Stuffing
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 Large Sweet Onion, chopped
- 1 cup Celery, chopped
- Kosher Salt, to taste
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- 4 large Garlic Cloves, minced
- 4 cups Cooked Wild Rice
- 8 oz Dried Apricots, chopped
- 8 oz Dried Craisins
- 4 tablespoons Slivered Almonds
Cornish Hens
- 4 thawed Cornish Hens
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons each Fresh Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, chopped
- 2 heaping cups Wild Rice Stuffing (above)
- 18 oz Apricot Preserves
- Β½ cup Triple Sec
Instructions
Wild Rice Stuffing
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan and sauté 1 large chopped onion and 1 cup of chopped celery over medium heat until they are soft, approximately 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste as the veggies cook.
- Add 4 large minced garlic cloves and cook for one more minute. Remove from the heat.
- Combine 4 cups of wild rice, 8 ounces of chopped apricots, 8 ounces of dried craisins, 4 tablespoons of slivered almonds with the sautéed veggies. Set aside.
Glazed Stuffed Cornish Hens
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Rinse 4 thawed Cornish hens inside and out and dry with paper towels.
- Generously salt and pepper the inside of the hens. Shake out any excess seasonings.
- Fill the cavity of the birds with a heaping Β½ cup of wild rice stuffing.
- Tie the legs of each bird together and tuck the wings under.
- Rub the 2 tablespoons of olive oil on all sides of the hens.
- Generously season the hens on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Combine 2 tablespoons each of fresh chopped sage, rosemary, and thyme and rub into the olive oil on all sides.
- Place the breast side up on a wire rack in a shallow pan.
- Mix together an 18-ounce jar of apricot preserves and Β½ cup of triple sec. Baste each bird.
- Roast for 80-90 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160° F in the thigh.
- While the birds are cooking, continue to baste every 20 minutes with the apricot glaze. If they start to burn, tent foil over them.
- Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking. At this time place the remaining stuffing in an ovenproof pan and place it in the oven to warm.
- Remove the birds from the oven and tent more foil over the top and let them sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with the remaining wild rice stuffing.
- ENJOY!!!
Notes
- You can find Cornish hens in the freezer section of your grocer's meat department.
- One of the things that I would recommend for the wild rice stuffing is to make sure the rice is cooked until the grain has burst open a bit and it's tender and fluffy.
- Unlike regular rice, wild rice does not absorb all the water, therefore, you will need to drain the excess liquid from the rice.
- Roast the birds uncovered and baste them often. If they begin to burn, cover them with foil but remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of roasting.
- Roast the hens on a wire rack inside a shallow baking sheet to elevate the birds so that the thighs cook as quickly as the breasts.
- Let the Cornish hens rest for 10-15 minutes once you pull them out of the oven. This ensures that you will have juicier meat. If you cut into them too soon, all the juices will run out and the meat will be much drier.
- Do not overcook. Use an instant-read digital thermometer to determine when the hens are done cooking. It should register 160°F in the thickest part of the thigh. The temperature will continue to rise about five degrees after you pull it from the oven. Cornish Hens are fully cooked at an internal temperature of 165°F.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cornish Hen w/ Β½ cup stuffing
- Calories: 1484
- Sugar: 84 g
- Sodium: 2240 mg
- Fat: 77 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 34 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 138 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 73 g
- Cholesterol: 399 mg
Keywords: Cornish Hen Recipe, Cornish Game Hens, Cornish Hens, Game Hens, How to Cook Cornish Hens
Eric says
Cornish hens are the best when cooking for small get together and everyone has their own portion. What a great idea. Love the photos also.
★★★★★
freddie power says
love the photo such beauty and placed so well...
Kristy Murray says
Thanks so much Freddie! You are always so encouraging.
Mimi says
I love everything about this meal! Apricots and dried apricots are fabulous, especially mixed with poultry and cranberries. Gorgeous photos!!!
Kristy Murray says
Thanks so much Mimi! I do love this alternative to a turkey. It has such a nice presentation to individual guests.
Carrie Tyler says
Kristy, these look so delicious and perfect for smaller Thanksgiving dinners this year! While we are making a turkey this week, I am saving this for Christmas!!! Thanks so much π
★★★★★
Kristy Murray says
Thanks Carrie. I do think Cornish Hens are great for this year's holiday get-togethers. And these have a festive feel about them. Hope you enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Jacquie says
This was DELICIOUS! It wasn't a special occasion but felt like it! Great recipe, thanks!
★★★★★
Kristy Murray says
Thank you so much for your kind comment Jacquie. They are really simple but do feel special. Glad you enjoyed.
Valentina says
Kristy, this is such a gorgeous dish. What an incredible centerpiece this would make on a holiday table. I'm in awe of your composition and photos. Beautiful. π ~Valentina
Kristy Murray says
Sharon, thanks so much for sharing my Cornish Hen recipe on your blog. Such great recipes on your "23 Easy Dinner Party Recipes" post. They all look so yummy.