Oven roasted cornish hens stuffed with a wild rice stuffing and roasted to perfection.
Perfect for the holidays or for a special dinner.
Cornish hens
Cornish hens are a small bird very similar to chicken, but about ⅓ of the size. Most cornish hens are sold frozen and weigh less than 2 pounds each.
These little hens are perfect for when you are having a small gathering and don't need a whole turkey. Plus those cute little birds are fun to serve. Everyone gets their own.
With their small size, cornish hens can be oven roasted in just about an hour. That means getting dinner on the table happens in no time at all.
I've stuffed these cornish hens with a wild rice stuffing. There's so much flavor with the wild rice, mushrooms, cranberries and pecans. You can stuff with your favorite stuffing. The procedure will remain the same.
Make these oven roasted cornish hens for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Key ingredients
- Cornish Hens - Plan on one hen per person, unless you have very light eaters. Cornish hens are almost always sold frozen, so plan enough time for the hens to thaw.
- Butter - I use regular salted butter
- Fresh Herbs - Rosemary and thyme
- Chicken Stock - I add to the bottom of the pan to help keep everything from drying out. The stock, along with the drippings can be used to baste the hens at the end.
Step by step directions
- Rinse hens inside and out with cool water. Drain all excess water and pat hens dry with a paper towel.
- Salt and pepper inside of hens
- Add about ½ cup of stuffing to each cavity
- Cross legs over tie with cooking twine. Trim excess twine.
- Rub skin with softened butter
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fresh herbs
- Place hens in a pan lined with a baking rack. (I used this adjustable rack.) Pour a bit of chicken stock into the bottom of the pan. You want enough to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 50-65 minutes until cooked through. The temperature should reach 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh and the stuffing needs to reach 165°F.
- Halfway through baking time, remove hens, add a bit more butter to each hen and add additional broth to the pan if the pan is drying out. Rotate pan when returning to oven.
- Allow hens to rest for 10 minutes before serving
- Remove twine before serving
Recipe tips
- Don't overstuff your hens. You can usually fit about ½ cup of stuffing.
- Tying the legs together is enough to hold the stuffing in the hen. No need to truss like you would a turkey.
- Use a baking rack. Any kind will do as long as it fits in your pan. When I just do two hens, I use a smaller dish and an adjustable rack. If I do more, I use my roasting pan with a larger rack.
- Rotate pan halfway through cooking time to help ensure even browning
- Allow cornish hens to rest at least 10 minutes before serving
Frequently asked questions
Use an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone. The thermometer should read 180°F and the juices should run clear.
With a stuffed hen, the stuffing needs to reach 165°F.
I like to serve one hen per person. However, it is a very generous portion. If you prefer, you can split the hens, after baking and serve each person a half.
Serving suggestions
- Wild Rice Stuffing
- Green Beans Almondine
- Mashed Potatoes
- Cranberry Sauce
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Roasted Butternut Squash
More delicious poultry recipes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious main dish recipes!
Stuffed Cornish Hens
Equipment
- 9 x 13" Baking Dish (Or a larger roasting pan)
Ingredients
- 2 cornish hens
- salt
- pepper
- 1 cup wild rice stuffing
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Rinse hens inside and out with cool water. Drain all excess water and pat hens dry with a paper towel.2 cornish hens
- Salt and pepper inside of henssalt, pepper
- Add about ½ cup of stuffing to each cavity1 cup wild rice stuffing
- Cross legs over tie with cooking twine. Trim excess twine.
- Rub skin with softened butter¼ cup butter
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fresh herbs½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
- Place hens in a pan lined with a baking rack. Pour a bit of chicken stock into the bottom of the pan. You want enough to cover the bottom of the pan.1 cup chicken broth
- Bake in preheated 400°F oven for 50-65 minutes until cooked through. The temperature should reach 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh and the stuffing needs to reach 165°F.
- Halfway through baking time, remove hens, add a bit more butter to each hen and add additional broth to the pan if the pan is drying out. Rotate pan when returning to oven.
- Allow hens to rest for 10 minutes before serving
Notes
- Don't overstuff your hens. You can usually fit about ½ cup of stuffing.
- Tying the legs together is enough to hold the stuffing in the hen. No need to truss like you would a turkey.
- Use a baking rack. Any kind will do as long as it fits in your pan. When I just do two hens, I use a smaller dish and an adjustable rack. If I do more, I use my roasting pan with a larger rack.
- Rotate pan halfway through cooking time to help ensure even browning
- Allow cornish hens to rest at least 10 minutes before serving
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Valentina says
Awesome recipe, Kathy. I've always wanted to serve something like this for a holiday dinner -- one for every guest. I love that idea. One day! This recipe looks particularly delicious -- wild rice is a favorite of mine. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And happy holiday season. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy says
Thanks, Valentina! These cornish hens are perfect for the holidays!
David @ Spiced says
My family used to send us cornish hens every year as a gift. Confession: we always thought they were boring. Now I know how to cook 'em if we ever get them again! I love the wild rice stuffing idea!
Kathy says
They make a great little dinner!