Best Baked Apricot Cornish Game Hens Recipes

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Combine the salt and cayenne. Rub a third of the mixture inside hens. Brush 1 tablespoon butter over hens; sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the preserves, honey, onion, nutmeg and remaining butter. Cook and stir until preserves are melted. Brush over hens. Bake 35-40 minutes longer or until golden brown and a thermometer reads 180°. Cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

BAKED APRICOT CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Wash Cornish Hens and pat dry.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Mix together Catalina dressing, apricot preserves, dry mustard and sherry in a separate bowl.
• Coat hens with 1/2 mixture.
• Place hens in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish that has been greased or sprayed.
• Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and pour remaining sauce over hens.
• Reduce heat to 325, cover hens with foil continue to bake 45 minutes longer or until tender and golden.
• Serve with pan juices.

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a cookie sheet generously with cooking spray.
• Combine apricot preserves, Sriracha, Worcestershire, and butter in a small pot and melt over medium heat. Stir constantly to prevent from sticking.
• Clean hens and pat dry with paper towels. Coat outsides and insides with oil. Season with mango-habanero seasoning; insert sprigs of basil inside of the hens.
• Place hens on the prepared cookie sheet and cover with foil.
• Cook in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and baste with apricot glaze. Put back in the oven and cook until no longer pink in the centers, about 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

APRICOT-GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender; remove from heat. Add the bread, mushrooms and seasonings. Toss with enough chicken broth just to moisten. , Stuff hens. Tie drumsticks together. Place on a rack in a large shallow baking pan. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. , Brush with preserves. Bake, uncovered, 30-45 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear, basting every 10-15 minutes. , If using green onions, first soften them in boiling water or the microwave for a few seconds, then tie over the string used to tie the drumsticks together. Garnish platter with rosemary if desired.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH APRICOT RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• In large skillet, saute the mushrooms, pecans, and onion in 4 tbsp butter until tender. Stir in the rice, apricots, parsley, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
• Spoon about 3/4 cup rice mixture into each hen; tie legs together with kitchen string. Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Melt remaining butter; brush over hens.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees for hens and 165 degrees for stuffing. In a small saucepan, warm preserves and vinegar; spoon over hens. Bake 15 minutes longer.

APRICOT GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH APRICOT RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• For glaze: Put 1/4 cup water, apricot preserve and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl.
• Microwave on high about 20 seconds.
• Stir to blend.
• If not blending well, microwave another 10 seconds.
• Stir again till smooth.
• For rice: Sauté garlic, celery, onion, apricots in oil about 5 minutes.
• Add brown rice; sauté another 3 minutes.
• Add 2 cups chicken broth and 3-4 tablespoons of glaze sauce.
• Bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to a low simmer.
• Simmer covered 10-15 minutes.
• Add pilaf rice.
• Stir, cover and simmer 15-25 minutes or longer until liquid is absorbed.
• Allow to cool. (This could be done earlier in the day if you see fit).
• For Hens: Preheat oven to 400°F; line a 13 x 9 pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.
• Wash hens, remove giblets and pat dry.
• Sprinkle with garlic powder in and out of hens.
• Stuff with rice mixture.
• Brush with glaze mixture.
• To prevent over browning make a foil tent.
• Crease a sheet of foil crosswise through the center to form a tent leave 1-2 inches between top of hens so heat can circulate crimp on sides.
• Bake 30 minutes.
• Remove foil and brush with glaze.
• Bake uncovered until hens are tender and juices run clear, about 40-45 minutes, basting about every 10-15 minutes until glaze is used up.
• 2-4 servings depending on appetite.

APRICOT GINGER GAME HENS

Steps:

• In shallow dish, mix the soy sauce, apricot preserves, ginger, garlic, wine, and sugar. Place the hens in the dish, and coat with the marinade. Cover, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Arrange the hen halves in a baking dish. Pour remaining marinade over the hens. Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, basting frequently with the marinade, until hen juices run clear.

CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the sliced onion in the bottom of a roasting pan. Remove the giblets from the hens, and rinse them inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outsides dry. Place the hens on top of the sliced onion.
• Pack the cavities of the hens with the cornbread stuffing.
• Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the hens. Rub the hens with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast the hens for 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh.
• Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Break the cornbread into pieces and place the pieces in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture to the cornbread. Add the celery, chicken stock, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix together.
• Yield: 2 servings

GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. , In a small bowl, combine spreadable fruit and orange juice. Spoon some of the apricot mixture over the hens. Bake until golden brown and juices run clear, 30-35 minutes, basting several times with remaining apricot mixture. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH APRICOT PISTACHIO DRESSING

Steps:

• Brining the hens before roasting improves their flavor: Dissolve 2 cups of kosher salt in a clean bucket filled with 5 quarts of water. Add prepared hens and soak for 2 hours. Rinse thoroughly; pat dry.
• Adjust oven rack to upper middle position, and heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute onions until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in apricots, then spread mixture onto a large (about 18-by-12-inch) lipped cookie sheet. Lay hens over the mixture. Mix jam and vinegar, and brush all but a few tablespoons over hens.
• Bake hens, brushing 2 or 3 times with remaining jam mixture and accumulated pan juices, until hens are golden brown and juices run clear, about 45 minutes. Turn heat from bake to broil, then cook until hens are spotty brown, watching carefully so they don't burn, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer hens to a large platter with tongs, then cut in half at the breastbone to create individual servings.
• Return apricot dressing to the oven and broil to evaporate some of the excess liquid, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in pistachios and parsley. Spoon in a mound next to hens.

GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place hens, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine spreadable fruit and orange juice. Spoon some of the apricot mixture over the hens.
• Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until golden brown and juices run clear, basting several times with remaining apricot mixture.
• Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

APRICOT GLAZED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• heat oven to 375*F.
• in a medium bowl mix together all stuffing ingredients (except preserves, butter and wine).
• in a 1 qt saucepan melt 1/2 cup apricot preserves and 1/4 cup butter, stir into stuffing, add 2 to 3 tablespoons wine to moisten stuffing.
• stuff hens with stuffing, secure opening with toothpicks.
• tuck wing under hen, place hens breast side up in roasting pan, bake for 1 hour.
• meanwhile in same saucepan combine all sauce ingredients.
• cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until melted (2 to 3 minutes).
• brush hens with half of sauce and continue baking uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes or until hens are fork tender.
• if hens browning to quickly cover them loosely with aluminum foil.
• Serve with remaining sauce.

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH CURRY APRICOT GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400º.
• Rinse and dry game hen halves and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on foil lined baking sheet.
• Combine jam, chutney, and curry powder in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Once mixture comes to a boil brush two tablespoons over the game hens. Reserve the rest of the mixture for a sauce.
• Bake games in the oven for about 35 minutes or until golden.
• Add chicken broth to the remaining mixture in the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.
• When ready to serve, place games hens on a plate of rice and top with lime juice, spoon sauce around the plate. Sprinkle with green onions and crushed peanuts.

BAKED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a small bowl combine the 1/2 cup melted butter, onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, basil, oregano and parsley.
• Season hens inside and out with salt and pepper to taste, then stuff with equal amounts butter/vegetable mixture. Place stuffed birds in a 9x13 inch baking dish, breast side up. Drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Cover dish and bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover and brown at 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).