Cornish Hens
Updated Dec 12, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These flavorful little birds roast up quickly, look impressive on the table, and deliver big flavor with very little fuss. This recipe gets you Cornish hens that are juicy on the inside, golden on the outside, and ready to make holiday meals feel extra special.
If you’ve ever walked past those tiny, perfect Cornish game hens at the grocery store and thought, “Who exactly is cooking these? And should it be me?” – the answer is yes, it should absolutely be you.
Cornish hens are one of the most surprisingly easy, completely satisfying special occasion dinners you can make. They roast faster than a whole chicken, look fancy without even trying, and only need simple seasonings (lemon, shallots, rosemary, and butter) and a short time in a hot oven until the meat is tender and the skin perfectly crisp. Whether you’re hosting a holiday dinner or just feeling festive, this is your guide to cooking perfect Cornish game hens at home every single time.
Why You’ll Love These Cornish Game Hens
- They look fancy, but they’re ridiculously easy. Beginner-level skill, restaurant-level results.
- Easy to serve, no carving required (unless you want to cut them in half).
- Fast roasting time, much quicker than a whole chicken. Impressiveness-to-effort ratio: extremely high! People will say, “Wait…you just made this?”
For many people, it wouldn’t be Christmas (or name another holiday!) without Cornish hens on the menu. Whether carved into halves or presented and served whole, they are a nice way to offer diners both dark and white meat in one meal.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy.
Serve these roasted Cornish game hens with festive sides like Wild Rice Salad, Scalloped Potatoes, Maple Roasted Butternut Squash, or Herbed Mashed Potatoes.
What's In This Post?
What Is a Cornish Hen?
Cornish hens are a type of small chicken with a mild flavor. They are younger and more tender than a larger chicken, usually about 4 or 5 weeks old. You might find them labeled poussins or Rock Cornish Game Hens, though technically, they are not game birds as they aren’t wild.
They are leaner than chicken, with a lower fat content and, therefore, fewer calories comparatively. One Cornish hen is perfect for one person.
The Best Way to Cook a Cornish Game Hen
Cornish game hens can be cooked in any way that chicken or other poultry is cooked. They can be baked, roasted, grilled, or even cooked in an appliance like a slow cooker, instant pot, or air fryer. They can also be stuffed before baking or roasting. My favorite way to cook a whole Cornish game hen is just like how to roast a whole chicken.
How to Thaw Frozen Cornish Game Hens
Cornish game hens are often available frozen, though you can also find them in the fresh meat department, especially around the holidays. To defrost a frozen game hen, keep it in its original packaging. Transfer it to the fridge on a plate or a tray of some sort, in case it leaks as it thaws.
A 1 1/2 pound Cornish hen should take about 24 hours to defrost. You can speed up the process by placing the frozen hen (still in its packaging or placed in a tightly sealed zipper-top bag) into a bowl of cold water and allowing it to defrost at room temperature. This should take about 2 to 3 hours.
FAQs
Unstuffed Cornish game hens usually take about 30 to 50 minutes to bake in the oven, depending on the size of the birds, the temperature of the oven, and whether or not they are stuffed. An unstuffed hen cooked at 400 degrees will take about 40 minutes in the oven on average.
If you are cooking a large amount of hens, you will probably need to add a bit more time.
My favorite temperature for cooking Cornish game hens is about 400 degrees. However, if your oven is set at a slightly higher or lower temperature for another dish, you can absolutely cook the hens at a different temp.
Anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees works, just adjust the cooking time up or down as needed. Bake the hens for about 50 minutes at 325 degrees. Or reduce the cooking time to about 30 minutes at 450 degrees.
Like chicken, Cornish game hens are cooked through when the internal temperature reaches 165°F, and the juices run clear when a knife is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. You will want to take them from the oven when the internal temperature hits 160 degrees. The temperature will continue to climb a bit as they sit.
Make sure to take them out when the internal temperature reaches 160°F or 165°F max.
Pat your hens completely dry with a clean dish towel or paper towels before roasting or baking. If the skin is wet, it will steam and won’t crisp up properly.
How to Cook Cornish Hens
- Prep the oven and hens: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pat the hens dry with paper towels.
- Stuff the hens: In a medium bowl, squeeze out the lemon juice. Place one juiced lemon rind and two shallot halves into each bird’s cavity.
- Season the birds: Mix the butter and rosemary into the lemon juice along with salt and pepper. Smear the butter mix over the hens, working it under the skin and into the cavities.
- Roast: Move the hens to a roasting pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the internal temp reads 160 F in the thickest part of the thigh.
- Rest and serve: Once out of the oven, let the birds rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve whole or cut in half.
How to Reheat Cornish Game Hens
To reheat Cornish game hens, place them in a baking pan and pour in 1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine if you prefer. Heat in a preheated 325-degree oven for about 20 minutes until warmed throughout.
What to Serve With Cornish Game Hens
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Roasted Cornish Game Hens
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish game hens or poussins (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 lemon (halved)
- 2 shallots (halved and peeled)
- 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Pat the hens thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Squeeze the lemon juice from the cut lemon into a medium bowl. Place one squeezed lemon rind and two halves of shallot into the cavity of each of the birds.
- Add the softened butter and rosemary to the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and use a fork to blend well. Smear the butter mixture over the hens, working it carefully under the skin and into the cavities of the birds.
- Place the birds in a roasting pan large enough to fit the birds without touching. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until the internal temperature reads 160 F in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove the birds from the oven, let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve. You can serve the birds whole or cut them in half for smaller portions.
Thank you, excellent results.
Thank you very informative, I have a question, can you cook the hens in a toaster oven.
if you have one of those countertop ovens that is large enough to hold the hens with plenty of room to spare, yes, but I think a regular toaster would probably burn them before they were cooked through.