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Homemade Cornish Hen Recipe Baked with herb butter and golden roasted skin served in pan juices.

baked Cornish hen recipe

This foolproof baked Cornish hen recipe delivers juicy, crispy-skinned birds in under an hour. Perfect for special occasions or weeknight dinners, it uses simple ingredients, high heat, and a meat thermometer for stress-free success.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Rest Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 (1 hen per person)
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Comfort Food, Holiday
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Cornish hens - 1–2 lbs each
  • 4 tablespoon Butter - Softened
  • Salt - To taste
  • Black pepper - To taste
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika - For color
  • 4 sprigs Fresh thyme or rosemary - Or 2 teaspoon dried herbs
  • 1 Lemon - Sliced optional
  • 1 teaspoon Onion powder - Optional for extra flavor
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil - Optional for brushing outside
  • 2 cloves Fresh garlic - Optional for cavity stuffing

Equipment

  • 1 Roasting pan (Or 9x13 baking dish)
  • 1 Meat thermometer (Essential for doneness accuracy)
  • 1 Kitchen shears (Optional, for spatchcocking)
  • 1 roll Paper towels (For drying hens)

Method
 

  1. Set your oven to 425°F to start preheating
    Cornish hen recipe baked with fresh lemons, garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and spices ready for cooking.
  2. Use paper towels to pat the hens completely dry
    Fresh raw Cornish hens prepared for baking, placed on foil before seasoning.
  3. Take out any giblets from inside each hen
    Whole baked Cornish hen recipe topped with salt, herbs, and lemon zest for flavor.
  4. Let hens sit at room temperature for 30 minutes
    Golden baked Cornish hen recipe with crispy skin, seasoned with fresh thyme and rosemary.
  5. Rub softened butter under the skin of each hen
    Homemade Cornish Hen Recipe Baked with herb butter and golden roasted skin served in pan juices.

Nutrition

Serving: 500gCalories: 720kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 65gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 260mgSodium: 680mgPotassium: 580mgVitamin A: 900IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 3mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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