This easy Cornish hen recipe gives you tender, roasted birds with golden crispy skin. It’s fancy enough for guests but simple enough for any night!

Baked cornish hens with crispy seasoned skin, garnished with lemon wedges, onion and rosemary.

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Roasted Cornish Hens Recipe

If you’re hosting a smaller crowd for the holidays or looking for an easy and elegant way to serve a smaller gathering, oven roasted cornish hen is the perfect alternative to oven roasted turkey breast or roasted whole chicken!

Each chicken will feed about 2-3 people, and although the roasting method is generally the same, they cook much faster than a larger bird. A simple dry rub, some twine, and high heat are all you need to achieve golden, crispy skin with juicy, tender meat in just over an hour.

Ingredients Notes

Raw cornish game hens on a tray surrounded by simple ingredients including olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for roasting.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Cornish hens: Thawed completely first. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
  • Olive oil: Helps to achieve golden brown, crispy skin and evenly disperses the seasoning.
  • Seasoning: Paprika, coarse salt, garlic powder, and fresh cracked black pepper.
  • Optional: Lemon, onion and fresh rosemary all add flavor to the hens.

How to Make a Cornish Hen

Pat the hens dry to remove any excess moisture on the surface and to ensure crispy skin.

In a measuring cup, mix the oil and seasoning. You can also add some fresh rosemary and lemon zest if you’d like.

Using a paper towel to pat Cornish game hen dry.
Homemade marinade of olive oil, garlic, and spices mixed in a glass measuring cup.

Add half of the seasoning mixture to each hen and use your hands to rub it all around, making sure the entire surface and inside the cavity is well seasoned.

Use butcher’s twine to tie the drumsticks together, tuck the wings underneath, and place them in a roasting pan or a 9×13 baking dish.

Seasoned cornish game hens marinated and ready for baking.
Two seasoned cornish game hens placed in a baking pan with lemon and onion.

Roast the Cornish game hen in the preheated 425°F oven for 50-60 minutes.

Once the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast has reached 165°F, remove the hens and let them sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Pan of roasted cornish hens with golden seasoned skin, lemon and onion around the edges, garnished with fresh rosemary.

Recipe Tips

  • Make sure to get the seasoning all over and inside the Cornish hens for the most flavor.
  • Tying the legs and tucking the wings helps prevent burning any exposed, smaller parts that may cook faster than the rest.
  • Go the extra mile and use my easy turkey brine recipe to brine the hens first.
  • For a different, yet just as easy seasoning combination. Try my, dry rub for pork tenderloin.
  • Serve 1 hen per person, or cut it in half to feed 2 people.
Golden roasted cornish hens with crispy skin served in a white baking dish.

More roasted main dishes to try include: easy baked pork tenderloin, oven roasted turkey and roast beef tenderloin.

More Chicken Recipes

Close-up of baked cornish hens with crispy seasoned skin, garnished with lemon wedges and rosemary.

Cornish Hen Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4
This easy Cornish hen recipe gives you tender, roasted birds with golden crispy skin. It's fancy enough for guests but simple enough for any night!
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Video

Equipment

  • Butchers twine
  • Roasting pan with a rack

Ingredients 

  • 2 Cornish hens , thawed
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Optional: 1 onion, 1 lemon, fresh rosemary

Instructions

  • Preheat: Preheat the oven to 425°F
  • Clean the hens: Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
  • Combine spices: Add 1/4 cup oil to liquid measuring cup. Then add in 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add zest of 1 lemon and minced fresh rosemary if desired. Mix together.
  • Spice the hens: Rub 1/2 of the spice rub on each hen, coating the entire hen, including the cavity.
  • Prepare for baking: Tuck the wings behind the hen and tie the drumsticks with twine. Place the hens on the rack in a roasting pan or 9×13 dish. Add quartered onions and lemons if desired.
  • Bake: Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the thickets part of the breast reaches 165°F.
  • Rest: Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 – 10 minutes.
  • Cut and serve: Cut the hens in half to serve, or serve whole optionally garnished with rosemary.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 595kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 24g, Cholesterol: 227mg, Sodium: 1303mg, Potassium: 636mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 499IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Recipe FAQs

What are cornish game hens?

Cornish game hens are small, young chickens that are typically under 5 weeks old. They’re a crossbreed of white Plymouth Rock and Cornish chickens, and because they’re so young, they’re small in size, and the meat is extra tender.

Serving suggestions?

Serve with potatoes, rice, or your favorite holiday side dishes. Things like creamy mashed potatoes or roasted red potatoes and a side of maple roasted vegetables would be amazing.

How to store roasted cornish hens?

Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Save the carcass for bone broth!