When you’re not up for roasting a whole chicken, enter Cornish hens. Simply dressed and roasted in an hour, they’re an easy option for dinner any night.
Roasted Cornish Hen for Two
Chef Jamie Teigen
2
20 minutes
90 minutes
American
Entrée
If you're expecting company, double the dry rub and dressing recipe, adding 1 Cornish hen per guest. They can be roasted 2 at a time in shallow or deep roasting pans; add potatoes for a built-in side.
Ingredients
- 2 whole Cornish hen, about 1½ lbs each
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- ½ large onion, cut in quarters
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ lemon, cut in slices
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Dry Rub:
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ½ tsp pepper or to taste
- ½ tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Tools:
- 9x13-inch Baking Pan
- Glass Mixing Bowl Set
- Kitchen Shears
- Instant Read Meat Thermometer
Directions
- Combine all the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Pat the hens dry with paper towels and generously season with the dry rub both inside and out.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- In a roasting pan add the rosemary, thyme, garlic, onion, and half the lemon slices. Place the hens in the roasting pan over the herbs and onions and drizzle the olive oil over the hens.
- Transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers at 165°F.
- Remove the hens from the oven and let them rest for 20 minutes. Garnish with additional thyme, lemon slices and rosemary and serve.