Apricot Glazed Stuffed Cornish Hens
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: 25 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
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 4 large Garlic Cloves, minced
- 4 cups Cooked Wild Rice
- 8 oz Dried Apricots, chopped
- 8 oz Dried Cranberries
- 4 tablespoons Slivered Almonds
Cornish Hens
- 4 Cornish Hens
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons each Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, chopped
- 2 cups Wild Rice Stuffing (above)
- 18 oz Apricot Preserves
- 1/2 cup Triple Sec
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large skillet, sauté onions and celery over medium heat until they are soft, approximately 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper as they cook. Add garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Combine wild rice, apricots, cranberries, almonds, and veggies in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Rinse Cornish hens inside and out and dry with paper towels. Rub the olive oil on all sides of the hens.
- Generously salt and pepper both inside and out. Rub the herbs on the hens. Fill each cavity with 1/2 cup of the wild rice stuffing.
- Tie the legs of each bird together and tuck the wings under. Place breast side up on a rack in a shallow pan.
- Mix together the apricot preserves and triple sec. Baste each bird and cook for 80-90 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165° F in the thigh.
- While the birds are cooking, continue to baste every 15-20 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 in the oven to warm.
- Remove from the oven and tent more foil over the top and let them sit for 10 minutes.
- Serve with the remaining wild rice stuffing.
Notes
- Unlike regular rice, wild rice does not absorb all the water, therefore, you will need to drain the excess liquid from the rice after it is cooked.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cornish Hen w/ 1/2 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 Hens, Stuffed Cornish Hens, Cornish Game Hen Recipes, Cooking Cornish Hens
Find it online: https://lingeralittle.com/apricot-glazed-stuffed-cornish-hens-2/