How Long To Cook Game Hens

skip to recipe

The Best Roasted Cornish Game Hens Recipe - delicious tender juicy cornish game hens packed with flavor.

Perfect for a holiday dinner, keto and low carb diet friendly, and easy enough for even beginner cooks!

picture of a cornish game hen on a baking sheet with herbs

Here at Sweet C's, we have lots of types of readers - those who like to get straight to the recipe, and those who would like more information, including tips and tricks to feeling more comfortable in the kitchen.

We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.

Easy Baked Cornish Hens
How To Cook Cornish Game Hens
- How Many Cornish Game Hens to Serve
Tips To Perfect Cornish Game Hens & FAQs
- FAQ's
What to Serve With Cornish Game Hens
The Best Roasted Cornish Game Hens Recipe
Sweet C's Favorites

picture of two cornish game hens on a baking sheet with herbs

Easy Baked Cornish Hens

Cornish Game Hens (or Cornish Chickens) make excellent holiday dinner food - they are gorgeous as a main course when served individually.

If you love tender, juicy chicken - but feel like the large whole roaster chickens don't have a ton of flavor, you're not wrong. Smaller chickens tend to have much more flavor - and are easier to cook!

These Cornish game hens are the easiest, most delicious dinner and are perfect for a dinner party or even just Sunday supper!

This recipe is designed to be easily adaptable - please feel free to use your favorite herb or seasonings to bring this delicious baked cornish game hen recipe your own!

Even though they have a very fancy name, Cornish Game Hens, as labeled by the USDA, are really just small chickens. The USDA currently has a pretty sparse definition of the Cornish game hen - which includes chicken between one and two pounds in weight, and slaughtered at fewer than five weeks of age can be labeled as a Cornish game hen.

A Cornish game hen must weigh between 1 and 2 pounds, with the standard at about 1 ¼ pounds. Cornish hens have to be slaughtered before five weeks of age and they can be either male or female birds.

Since Cornish game hans are smaller than chickens, they actually are easier to cook - you can get crispy, crunchy perfect skin and juicy, tender, not-dried out meat.

Cornish game hens are the perfect easy main course for any elegant dinner!

How To Cook Cornish Game Hens

Cornish game hens are easy to prepare with a couple of simple tips that will help you keep them perfect, every time!

How To Cook Frozen Cornish Game Hens

To cook cornish game hens from frozen, let fully defrost before cooking for the best results. I let my cornish game hens defrost in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.

Be sure to thoroughly pat dry hens before roasting in the oven to ensure skin can crisp and become golden brown.

How Many Cornish Game Hens to Serve

One of the trickiest parts of serving Cornish Game Hens for a holiday dinner is planning out just how many to cook for a crowd!

Luckily, it can be easy to figure out with a little bit of planning!

While one Cornish hen per person might make the most sense for your dinner party, you might want to go for a little less, and serve it pre-carved to guests.

How Many Cornish Game Hens To Serve For Bigger Portions. If you want to serve a meal with some meat left as leftovers, it is important to be sure you cook a slightly bigger portion per person.

Since cornish game hens are quite small, they really only give 1 - 1 ½ servings per bird, making them a dish you really need to plan ahead to be sure you have the proper amount before roasting.

For larger portions dinners, plan for one cornish game hen per person for dinner.

This hen can be sliced and portioned and then served to dinner guests on a platter, or presented whole on a plate so the guest can carve their own hen.

How Many Cornish Game Hens to Serve For Four. For a standard portion, plan for three cornish game hens for four people - which would ideally be carved ahead of time and served on the table like you would present a turkey or whole roasted chicken.

Tips To Perfect Cornish Game Hens & FAQs

To store and reheat a roasted cornish game hen - without losing the flavor or tender, juicy texture - follow my steps to ensure perfect storing, freezing, and reheating suggestions below.

How To Store Baked Cornish Game Hens. After you've roasted your cornish game hen, serve and carve immediately. To store cooked leftovers, place in an airtight container or plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator up to four days.

To Freeze Roasted Cornish Game Hens. To freeze roasted cornish game hen, gather up any leftovers and trim fully from hen. Place in airtight freezer bag and store for up tp four months in a freezer.

How To Reheat Baked Cornish Game Hens. To reheat frozen baked Cornish game hens, let thaw int he refrigerator naturally overnight. Place thawed frozen Cornish hens, or refrigerated hens, in a foil pouch with 1tbsp chicken stock.

FAQ's

How many Cornish game hens per person?

Plan on one game hen per person for hungry adults if it is a main course.

How big is a Cornish game hen?

Game hens run from 1-2 pounds, but most hens will weigh about 1 ¼ pound.

How can I get crispier skin on Cornish game hens?

Slather cooked game hen in a little butter and prop under the broiler for 2-5 minutes to crisp skin before serving.

How long do Cornish game hens last?

Cornish game hens can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days.

What to Serve With Cornish Game Hens

If you're looking for a great dish to serve alongside your baked cornish game hens, look no further for easy, delicious sides - many low carb and incredibly easy!

The Best Keto Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Recipe
The Best Easy Air Fryer French Fries Recipe
Easy Sautéed Squash and Zucchini Recipe
The Best Easy Rice Pilaf
The Best Easy Buttery Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe
The Best Easy Baked Scalloped Corn Recipe
Easy Cranberry Fluff Salad
The Best Easy Mac and Cheese Recipe

Brown Butter Bacon Baked Brussels Sprouts Recipe
The Best Yeast Rolls Recipe
The Best Easy Air Fryer French Fries Recipe
Garlic Butter Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
Easy Baked Tomato Pie Recipe
Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Easy Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe
The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe

You can find our complete side dish recipe archives here.

The Best Roasted Cornish Game Hens Recipe

If you love this delicious roasted cornish game hens recipe as much as I do, please give it a five star review (just click the stars in the recipe below!) and help me share on facebook and pinterest!

CONNECT WITH SWEET C'S!
Be sure to follow me on social media, so you never miss a post!
Facebook |Twitter |Youtube | Pinterest | Instagram
Only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table? Sign up for my 30 minute dinner plans direct to your inbox!
Find and shop my favorite products in my Amazon storefront here!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

The Best Roasted Cornish Game Hens Recipe - delicious tender juicy cornish game hens packed with flavor. Perfect for a holiday dinner, keto and low carb diet friendly, and easy enough for even beginner cooks!

Ingredients

4 Cornish game hens
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, quartered, to stuff in hens
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, to stuff in hens
1 tbsp Italian Herb Seasoning Blend
1 tbsp butter, softened
16 cloves garlic

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F.
Rub chickens with 1 tablespoon of butter.
Lightly season chickens with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Place 1 lemon wedge, 4 garlic cloves, and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen.
Arrange chickens in a large, heavy roasting pan or on a foil lined baking sheet.
Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear - and chicken's internal temperature is 170 degrees.
Remove hens from oven when they reach 170 degrees with an instant read digital thermometer.
Tent hens with aluminum foil as hens carryover cook, do not carve for at least 10 minutes.
Serve individual chickens on diners plates, and encourage them to carve tableside for a fun dinner!

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1 cornish hen
Amount Per Serving Calories 218 Total Fat 15g Saturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 8g Cholesterol 92mg Sodium 236mg Carbohydrates 6g Fiber 1g Sugar 1g Protein 15g

Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.

Sweet C's Favorites

If you loved this easy cornish game hen recipe, please visit some of our other viral recipes!

Many are low carb, all are easy, fast, and full of flavor!

The Best Ribeye Roast Recipe

The Best Ribeye Roast Recipe - easy and delicious boneless ribeye roast with a crunchy crust and tons of juicy ribeye flavor with almost no work - this recipe is perfect for even beginner cooks!

The Best Easy Air Fryer French Fries Recipe

The Best Easy Air Fryer French Fries Recipe - delicious, crispy and crunchy french fries that taste just like your favorite restaurant - but a healthier french fry you can feel good about serving your family.

The Best Baked Garlic Pork Tenderloin

This is the Best Baked Garlic Pork Tenderloin recipe ever... incredibly easy, delicious, and bursting with Italian garlic butter flavors the whole family loves! An easy pork tenderloin dinner in under an hour - great for meal prep and makes amazing leftovers for a healthy, low carb keto or paleo diet eating plan, too!

One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet

One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet– this easy, delicious, veggie packed beef taco skillet meal is quick and great for a budget- as well as a low carb diet! Easy cheesy beef taco skillet dinner that is perfect for burrito bowls, salads, skillet tacos, and more with tons of hidden vegetables that kids will eat!

The Best Easy Broiled Lobster Tails Recipe

This 10 Minute Perfect Broiled Lobster Tails Recipe is the quickest, tastiest, and easiest way to cook lobster tails- get perfect oven broiled lobster tails every time! The best of the recipes to lobster tail in the oven for a restaurant style lobster tail dinner in under 10 minutes.

One Pot Hamburger Cabbage Soup

Hearty and extremely delicious, this one pot hamburger cabbage soup is easy to make and always a huge hit! Simple ingredients for a family favorite soup everyone loves!

Easy Baked Pork Chops Recipe

Easy Baked Pork Chops Recipe - the best easy baked pork chops ever in under 20 minutes with simple ingredients! Your family will beg for these pork chops all the time!

The Best Baked Garlic Pork Chops Recipe Ever

The Best Baked Garlic Pork Chops Recipe Ever is the best oven baked pork chop recipe ever - perfect rich, tender, juicy garlic baked pork chops that are incredibly easy and restaurant quality. With tons of tips for juicy baked pork chops, how to bake pork without drying it out, and how long to bake pork chops for perfectly tender pork!

Baked Ranch Chicken Thighs

Easy, crunchy, delicious Baked Ranch Chicken Thighs are a super simple one pot baked chicken thigh recipe everyone loves - bursting with ranch flavor in only five ingredients! Low carb, mess free, a deliciously crunchy crust, in a huge family favorite that is sure to make anyone a fan of chicken thighs in under 40 minutes!