Cornish Game Hen Recipe with Orange and Rosemary (2024)

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4.53

1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

49 Comments

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By: Rachel GurkPosted: 03/23/2016Updated: 02/20/2024

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This Cornish game hen recipe is perfect for Easter or any other occasion! The bright flavors of the orange, sherry, and rosemary will have everyone wanting more.

Cornish Game Hen Recipe with Orange and Rosemary (1)

Raise your hand if you eat ham every single Easter. I bet a lot of you are raising your hands. As much as I love ham (especially this five ingredient slow cooker maple dijon ham), I think there comes a time for mixing it up a little.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Approachable: If you’re intimidated by the thought of preparing a Cornish hen, don’t be! It’s really simple. If you can cook chicken, you can cook Cornish game hen.
Impressive and flavorful: Blow your family and friends away with this beautiful Cornish game hen recipe. They’ll be impressed, but more importantly, their taste buds will be satisfied with the bright citrus of the orange and the savory pine notes of the rosemary.

Cornish Game Hen Recipe with Orange and Rosemary (2)

How to Make this Cornish Game Hen

This recipe looks super impressive but in reality is quite easy to make. Those are my favorite kind of recipes. As always, scroll down for the complete and printable recipe card.

First, remove the giblets. If you like giblets, you could make giblet gravy or a homemade stock.
Give the Cornish hens a little massage with olive oil. That helps them get crispy beautiful brown skin. Season them, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Put them into a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the hens side by side.
Start with a high temperature to get the Cornish hens going and to caramelize the onions and the oranges. Then, reduce the temperature and add the sherry, chicken broth, and mustard to the pan to keep the hens moist, and to add terrific flavor during the remainder of the cooking time.
Remember to baste every 10-15 minutes to bathe the hens in the great flavor of the broth and to keep them from drying out.
Once the hens have finished cooking (I like to use an instant read thermometer), remove them from the pan, put them on a platter, and tent them with foil to keep warm. Reduce the juices in the pan over high heat to make a nice sauce.
All that’s left to do is to enjoy!

Serving tips

Try serving Cornish hens with brown butter slow cooker mashed potatoes, zucchini rice casserole (also bakes at 350!), sauteed parsnips with white wine and thyme, or green beans with lemon and feta.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Cornish Game Hen Recipe with Orange and Rosemary

4.53 from 76 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

4 servings

Print Rate Recipe

This Cornish game hen recipe is perfect for Easter or any other special occasion! The bright flavors of the orange, sherry, and rosemary will have everyone wanting more.

Ingredients

▢ 2 Cornish hens (about 2 pounds each)
▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
▢ 1 orange, quartered
▢ 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
▢ 1 yellow onion, quartered
▢ 1/4 cup Sherry or Sherry Cooking Wine
▢ 1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
▢ 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F.
If present, remove giblets from Cornish hens.
Rub outside of Cornish hens with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season hens with salt and pepper on all sides. Place 1 orange wedge and 1 sprig of rosemary in cavity of each hen. Arrange in a roasting pan, and arrange remaining orange wedges and quartered onions around hens. Roast at 450°F for 25 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together Sherry Wine, chicken broth, mustard, and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and pour over hens.
Continue roasting about 45 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180°F. Baste with juices from pan every 10 minutes.
Transfer hens, oranges, and onions to a platter, pouring liquid from cavities into the roasting pan. Cover Cornish hens loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices to a medium saucepan (you can also do this right in the roasting pan) and place over high heat. Boil until liquids reduce to a sauce, 5-7 minutes.
To serve, cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce over hens and serve.

Notes

If you’d rather not use sherry, substitute with additional chicken broth.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.5cornish game hen, Calories: 623kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 51g, Fat: 44g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review

Joyce says
January 13, 2023 at 4:22 pm
Rachel, I’m wondering if I could use orange juice instead of the sherry?
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  January 17, 2023 at 9:34 pm
  That should work fine!
  Reply
JennyDinVa says
See Also
Simple Fish Recipe - Fish à la Meunière • All that's Jas
January 22, 2022 at 5:50 pm

Superbly excellent! I made this today, followed your directions to a T except for a tiny difference. I had no cooking sherry or reg sherry, but I did have cream sherry (It’s not a cream, it’s a sipper).
I tell you, the kitchen smelled divine, but the taste — ohmylord, it was heavenly, moist as can be, and so tender it was almost falling off the bone. The sauce was outstanding!
I ate 1/2 of a hen and have wrapped up all the rest for the next few days’ dinners, including the sauce.
Whew, I can’t thank you enough for such a wonderful 5-star recipe!
Reply
- JennyDinVa says
  January 22, 2022 at 5:55 pm
  (I am fighting SUCH an urge to polish off all the rest of it. Geezy peezy, that was so damn great. Not good, GREAT) I will not go back to the kitchen, I will not go back to the kitchen……
  Reply
  - Rachel Gurk says
    January 23, 2022 at 9:38 pm
    Both of your comments brought a smile to my face! I’m happy you enjoyed it so much!
    Reply
Mary Johnson says
September 3, 2021 at 7:56 pm

Best recipe I’ve tried for game hens! Delicious!
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  September 5, 2021 at 9:38 am
  So glad you liked them! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot!
  Reply
Dnguido says
February 21, 2021 at 11:41 am
Can I make this with hens that are split already??
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  February 27, 2021 at 11:39 am
  Probably, but I haven’t tried it that way! Cook time may be slightly shorter. Let me know if you give it a try.
  Reply
Maria says
November 24, 2020 at 12:53 am
Looking forward to making this recipe for thanksgiving but we do not have Sherry. Would another cooking wine or vinegar work?
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  November 24, 2020 at 6:50 am
  I would just use white wine! I hope you have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
  Reply
Jacqui says
October 11, 2020 at 12:33 am
Absolutely fantastic! Made it last Thanksgiving exactly as is with the exception of the cooking sherry as we don’t have that particular brand where i live, was superb! And easy! Everyone loved it! Made it a couple times since just cuz and am making it for thanksgiving again tomorrow! Can’t wait! Thank you for sharing it! Be safe :)
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  October 11, 2020 at 8:35 am
  So glad you like this recipe so much! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
  Reply
Michael says
April 9, 2020 at 4:12 am
Hello Rachel,
I was looking for a fresh idea for Cornish hen I found your recipe with the orange rosemary and sherry. I’ve been a chef for over 40 years and Holland House cooking wines been around a lot longer than I have and I just got to tell you it’s a sin to use this filled with salt terrible taste I don’t know how you can recommend this. A chefs rule to cooked by if you can’t drink it don’t cook with it let me see you take a drink of this disgusting Holland House.
By the way the recipe was fantastic while using a really good sherry that is drinkable I thank you for that but please do not recommend this Holland House oh my goodness.
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  April 9, 2020 at 2:04 pm
  Thanks for your opinion. There’s definitely more than one way to make this recipe!
  Reply
The Gurkanator says
November 28, 2019 at 4:32 pm
GURK! Oh man! Sorry that’s your name. You don’t wanna get gurk’d if you live near south Jersey (or maybe you do). :D
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  December 1, 2019 at 2:47 pm
  Ha….okay? You must know something I don’t know. :)
  Reply
Susan Hohmann says
November 13, 2019 at 6:12 pm
I have made this recipe 3 times in 6 weeks, my husband loves it. It truly is delicious.
I use Fino Sherry, not the cooking sherry, because I have that sherry in my pantry.. it is company worthy. It is not a stressful recipe, served with Ina’s wild rice salad and on other occasions served it with Birds eye steamed white rice with mixed vegetables for a weeknight dinner.
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  November 14, 2019 at 10:12 pm
  Wow, I love that! I’m so glad you like this recipe, thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
  Reply
Michael Juergensen says
April 22, 2019 at 6:01 pm
Made this dish for Easter dinner – big hit. Reminded me of France – the aroma and taste were wonderful. Served this with a wild rice dish and some corn. Great way to make Cornish hens!
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  April 23, 2019 at 1:03 pm
  I’m so happy to hear that you liked this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
  Reply

Older Comments

Cornish Game Hen Recipe with Orange and Rosemary (2024)

FAQs

Should Cornish hens be cooked covered or uncovered? ›

Roast, uncovered, basting frequently with butter for 1 hour (if hen weighs over 1lb 2oz, roast 1 hour and 15 minutes) or until internal temperature on instant read thermometer reaches 180°F when inserted into inner thigh.

How do you get the gamey taste out of Cornish hens? ›

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution. 2. Vinegar solution - 1 cup per quart of cold water.

Keep Reading ›

What temperature is Cornish hen cooked at? ›

An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

Read The Full Story ›

How long does it take to raise Cornish game hens? ›

Slaughter cornish game hens raised for meat at 5 weeks.

After 5 weeks, Cornish game hens typically reach the ideal weight for slaughter, which is 2 ¹⁄₂ lb (1.1 kg). If you plan on selling game hens, research your local market and calculate the lifetime cost of feed per bird.

Find Out More ›

Do you have to clean out the inside of a Cornish hen? ›

Do not rinse the skin or cavity of the bird, as doing so may spread bacteria in the sink and on the countertop. Once defrosted, remove bird from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove giblet bag from cavity and reserve for making sauces, etc.

How many Cornish hens can I cook at once? ›

Lay a wire rack in the bottom of a big roasting pan and place 6 Cornish game hens on it. If you don't have a wire rack that fits the pan, bunch up a few pieces of aluminum foil and place these on the bottom of the pan. You can easily cut this recipe in half or a third if you only want to make 2 or 3 hens.

Show Me More ›

What is the difference between a Cornish hen and a Cornish game hen? ›

A Cornish Game Hen is a Cornish cross bird that is processed around 4-5 weeks old that results in a bird that is 2 pounds or less. This classification is set by the USDA. At this small size, the skin of the bird is thinner, the meat is more tender and this allows for better absorption of marinades, spices, and sauces.

Get More Info Here ›

Why is my Cornish hen tough? ›

One of the primary contributors to tough chicken meat is the age of the bird at the time of slaughter, Knight said. “As the [bird] gets older the muscle fibers become tough,” he said. “So a 2-year-old hen or 3-year-old farm rooster is going to be tough.”

Read The Full Story ›

Why are Cornish hens so expensive? ›

The Cornish game hen still commands a higher price per pound than regular broiler or fryer chickens, partly due no doubt to its decades-old reputation as an exotic new fowl. It is not exotic or new.

View Details ›

How to keep Cornish hens from drying out? ›

You can also keep some of the pan drippings and reheat the chicken in a skillet with the drippings to prevent it from drying out.

Read On ›

What is the purpose of a rack in a roasting pan when preparing Cornish hens? ›

Roasting Cornish hens on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet also helps elevate the birds so that the thighs cook as quickly as the breasts. Cornish hens are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and their juices run clear.