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 many Cornish hens can you 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.

Do you clean out Cornish hens before cooking?

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.

What temperature should Cornish game hens be cooked to?

Roast the hens in the preheated oven for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear.

How to make Cornish on the air fryer?

Place cornish hens in the air fryer: Place the 2 cornish hens in the air fryer basket in a single layer with their breast sides facing down. Air fry the hens: Cook the game hens in the air fryer for 20 minutes. Then, flip the chicken and air fry them until the thickest part of the bird registers 165 degrees F.

What makes Cornish hens so good?

A lot of the best qualities of a great roast chicken are accentuated in Cornish hens. Their flavor is often described as rich and moist with a hint of sweetness . Because they're harvested so young, Cornish hens' meat is exceptionally tender. Their high skin-to-meat ratio makes them remarkably succulent too.

Is Cornish hen healthier than regular chicken?

Nutrition. Cornish hens' adolescence also contributes to a lower fat content. Since they are comprised of primarily white meat, Cornish hens are very lean and rich in niacin, which can help lower cholesterol and boost brain function .

Can one person eat a whole Cornish hen?

Cornish Hens are just baby chickens but they taste completely different. They present really well when serving and cook in a short period of time. I like serving them for dinner parties or for the holidays. Typically 1/2 a Cornish hen is enough for one person but someone with a good appetite could eat a whole one .

How old are Cornish hens when butchered?

The Cornish Game Hen is a Jumbo Cornish X Rock female. To get the single consumption sized bird, you would butcher them at 3.5-4 weeks of age . Otherwise, you may let them grow out to 8-10 weeks of age for a larger meat bird. I want to order Cornish Game Hens for delivery in May.

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 .

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 .

Can you microwave an entire Cornish hen to cook it thoroughly Why or why not?

Because they are so small (usually about 20 ounces) it is quite simple . Place one or two hens on a microwave safe rack set in a baking dish (About 8X12 inches in size). Cover with a piece of wax paper and cook on high about 14 minutes or until the juices run clear rotating the dish once during the cooking.

How do you cut a Cornish hen in half after cooking?

With kitchen shears or a knife, cut along either side of each hen's backbone and remove. Press the hens flat, skin-side down. Cut each in half down the middle of the breast bone .

Recipe This | Air Fryer Cornish Hens (2 Ways) (2024)

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

Air Fryer Cornish Hen. Two quick, simple, and delicious ways to cook Cornish hens in the air fryer. Both methods produce rotisserie style crispy Cornish hens that are perfect for dinner for two in the air fryer.

You will love these Cornish game hens for a quick lunch and dinner, you can add your favourite seasoning or use our suggestion and they are easy to cook at the same time as your other sides.

Recipe This | Air Fryer Cornish Hens (2 Ways) (1)

Also, before we dive into this air fryer Cornish hens recipe, I recommend you check out our free air fryer mini course. It is ideal for air fryer beginners or those that want to get more confident with their air fryer. The free course runs for 5 days with a new lesson delivered each day to your inbox.

Or browse our site as we have 450+ air fryer recipes that are easy to recreate at home and we have been showing people how to use the air fryer since 2011.

Table of Contents

Cornish Hen In Air Fryer

The hubby and I have spent the last 12 years living in Portugal and one meal that is hugely popular here in Portugal is Piri Piri Chicken.

It’s a Portuguese outdoor cafe experience where you have chicken that is cooked in a piri piri marinade on a barbecue. It is then served with a side salad, bread, and usually some fries too.

Out of all the food I have eaten in 12 years in Portugal it is the firm favourite and similar to the food you would get at Nando’s just a little bit more traditional.

You would normally order half chicken or it would be one chicken between the two of us.

The reason I mention this, is because the size of the chicken that you have at the piri piri restaurants is the same as a Cornish game hen.

Weighing in at around 800g, it is the perfect size for two.

Regardless of whether you like piri piri chicken or not, Cornish hen in the air fryer is ideal for an easy meal for two.

What Is A Cornish Hen?

If you have not heard of a Cornish hen, then here is the quick explanation:

A Cornish game hen is a cross between a Cornish and white Plymouth chicken. They are a young breed therefore have a maximum weight of 900g or 2 pounds. Compare this to the average chicken we all use in our air fryers of 1.2kg (2.6 pounds) and you have a smaller option for a smaller air fryer or a smaller portion size.

Here in Portugal all Cornish hens are between 700g and 800g and the chickens we have used today in this Cornish game hen recipe is 800g.

However, if you can’t source a classic game hen, then you can simply go with a chicken that weighs no more than 900g and then the times and temps will remain the same.

Can I Air Fry A Cornish Hen?

Yes, you can. Cornish hen is fantastic in the air fryer and is like cooking an air fryer rotisserie chicken, you are just going smaller.

Can You Cook 2 Cornish Hens In Air Fryer?

Yes, you can!

As a plan B if you don’t want to do the meal in one, you can do 2 cornish hens together.

It is a tight squeeze, and we didn’t tie up the legs and yet both Cornish hens cooked equally for us in the air fryer.

As you can see below this is what the space looks like:

Recipe This | Air Fryer Cornish Hens (2 Ways) (4)

Its just about deciding if you want an all in one dinner or would rather cook two Cornish hens together.

How To Cook Cornish Hen In Air Fryer?

Recipe This | Air Fryer Cornish Hens (2 Ways) (5)

This is how to cook an air fryer Cornish game hen:

Rub extra virgin olive oil and add seasonings to your Cornish hen.
Place in the air fryer breast side down.
Air fry.
Turn your Cornish hen to breast side up.
Air fry + serve.

The method above is how you can do it when you are cooking 2 Cornish hens in air fryer at the same time.

Recipe This | Air Fryer Cornish Hens (2 Ways) (6)

However, if you are cooking a single Cornish hen with other sides, then it is done slightly different:

Season and oil your Cornish hen.
Place into the air fryer basket breast side down.
Turn your Cornish hen and add in sides.
Air fry + serve your game hen and sides together.

Also note, you can use any seasoning you like. Add a taco seasoning, add a dry chicken rub, add piri piri, keep it simple with rosemary, the choice is yours.

How Long To Cook Cornish Hen In Air Fryer?

A regular rotisserie chicken in the air fryer will take about 60 minutes. Depending on whether it is frozen if it has stuffing or its size.

What is wonderful about the cook time of a Cornish game hen is that because they are much smaller, they are much quicker to cook.

In fact, one Cornish hen on its own will take only 30 minutes and cooking 2 Cornish hens together in the air fryer will take 40 minutes.

What To Serve With Air Fryer Cornish Hens?

I love my air fryer Cornish hens and here are a few serving suggestions that will make eating game hens in the air fryer even better:

Air Fryer Asparagus
Air Fryer Roasted Carrots
Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes
Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli

Print Recipe

Air Fryer Cornish Hens (2 Ways)

Air Fryer Cornish Hen. Two quick, simple, and delicious ways to cook Cornish hens in the air fryer. Both methods produce rotisserie style crispy Cornish hens that are perfect for dinner for two in the air fryer.

Prep Time1 minute min

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time41 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Air Fryer

Servings: 2

Calories: 968kcal

Author: RecipeThis.com

Ingredients

Kitchen Gadgets:

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Cornish Hen Ingredients:

2 Cornish Hens
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp Rosemary
1 Tsp Thyme
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Basil
Salt & Pepper

Metric – Imperial

Instructions

Mix dry rub ingredients in a bowl.
Cover your Cornish hens with extra virgin olive oil and then cover in the seasoning making sure the hen is well coated.
Air fry for 20 minutes at 180c/360f breast side down.
Turn the Cornish hen and do another 20 minutes at the same temperature with the breast side up.
Remove from the air fryer, allow to rest for 5 minutes and then serve with your favourite sides.

Notes

Seasoning. You can you use any of your favourite seasonings. We went with a classic Mediterranean seasoning.

Quantities. Note that we have a Philips Air Fryer XL (this one) and it’s the perfect size for 2 Cornish hens. If you have smaller, you might need to just cook one.

Thanks for reading our air fryer Cornish game hens recipe on Recipe This. We have many more air fryer recipes for you to check out next. Though if you love roasts, then I recommend you try our air fryer beef pot roast.

Nutrition

Nutrition InfoPlease Note: Nutrition values are our best estimate based on the software we use at Recipe This and are meant as a guide. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

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