Roasted Cornish Hen

Roasted Cornish Hen

An easy Roasted Cornish Hen recipe that’s perfect if you’re single or for date night! With flavors of rosemary and paprika, you’ll love the results!

When you’re single and cooking for one, you won’t roast a whole chicken that often.  It creates way too many leftovers (reminds me of the time I roasted a whole rabbit and duck, never again). 

You can still get that “roasted chicken” experience with a Cornish hen (and it gives you practice for roasting a chicken when you are in a relationship!). 

What’s nice about Cornish hens is that they come in a variety of sizes. You can get the tiny ones or the big and plump ones that will last 3 meals (the perfect amount of leftovers).

You can also try out my Honey Lemon Chicken, BLT Zucchini Pasta, and Almond Flour Pizza Crust.

Roasted Cornish Hen Tools

For this recipe you will need:

• Parchment paper 
• Roasting pan 
• Meat thermometer, instant-read thermometer, or try using this thermometer that you set with your goal temperature and it beeps when the meat has reached it so you don’t have to keep checking it. 
• Measuring spoons and cups 
• Baster
• 1 large knife 
• Cutting board 
• Airtight storage container for leftovers 

ROASTED CORNISH HEN RECIPE

Roasted Cornish Hen Ingredients

• 1 Cornish hen
• ½ lemon
• Salt & pepper
• Paprika
• Rosemary
• 5 garlic cloves

How to Make Roasted Cornish Hen

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Rub Cornish hen with lemon. Sprinkle generous amounts of salt & pepper all over the skin. My number one mistake when I was younger was not seasoning my meat enough with salt and pepper. Sprinkle every square inch of the Cornish hen with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle generous amounts of paprika all over the Cornish hen followed by a little bit of rosemary.
3. Place the lemon in the cavity of the Cornish hen with the cloves of garlic. Roast the Cornish hen in a roasting pan.
4. Roast in oven for 25 minutes.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Baste the meat often with the juices from the pan. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer. The Cornish hen is done when a meat thermometer shows the internal temperature has reached a safe point for poultry.
6. Let the Cornish hen rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

How Many People Can 1 Cornish Hen Feed?

It depends on how much protein you eat. For me, I can only eat half of a cornish hen. I would assume most males eat a whole one. If you are planning on making cornish hen for a dinner party plan on 1 cornish hen per person.

How do you Cook a Cornish Hen in the Oven?

Don’t worry, cooking a cornish hen is exactly the same as roasting a chicken, except it’s smaller. I always roast my cornish hen uncovered and in a roasting pan just like chicken.

How Should I Season a Cornish Hen?

Think of a Cornish hen as a mini chicken. Your favorite roasted chicken recipe will work amazingly with Cornish hens.

You can also keep your seasoning simple and use sea salt and ground pepper with butter or olive oil rubbed all over it (that’s my favorite way to season chicken).

More Weeknight Dinners

• Keto Stuffed Zucchini
• Beef Bulgogi
• Low Carb Cabbage Rolls
• Paleo Teriyaki Stackers

DISCLOSURE: Not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations is at the choice and risk of the reader. Ditch the Wheat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. I only endorse products that I believe in.