Best Herbed Cornish Hens Recipes

HERBED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Place the hens on a wire rack in a large roasting pan. In a bowl, combine lemon juice, butter, paprika and 1 teaspoon each of thyme, seasoned salt and garlic powder. Pour half over the hens; set the remaining mixture aside for basting. Combine salt, pepper and remaining thyme, seasoned salt and garlic powder; sprinkle over hens. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30 minutes. Baste with reserved lemon juice mixture. Bake 30 minutes longer, basting occasionally, or until the meat is tender and juices run clear.

HERBED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°. Rub cavities of hens with salt and pepper. Place hens, breast sides up, on rack in shallow roasting pan.
• Mix remaining ingredients; brush hens with part of mixture. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone. Roast uncovered about 1 hour, brushing with butter mixture 5 or 6 times, until juice of hens is clear when thickest pieces are cut to bone (at least 165°F). Discard any remaining butter mixture.
• To serve, cut each hen in half with scissors, cutting along backbone from tail to neck and down center of breast.

GRILLED HERBED CORNISH GAME HENS

Steps:

• Heat a gas grill to high. Using sharp kitchen scissors or poultry shears, remove the backbone of each hen by cutting on either side of it through the ribs. Turn the hens skin side up on the cutting board and press on the breastbone to flatten. Rinse each hen and pat dry. Spread the hens out flat on a large shallow baking sheet and sprinkle them on both sides with salt and pepper. Bend the wingtips under the breasts to protect them from burning.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil into a small bowl and add the garlic, a generous amount of pepper, and all but 1 teaspoons each of the thyme and rosemary. Brush the hens liberally on both sides with the seasoned oil then add more pepper.
• Grill the hens skin side down, uncovered, until the skin develops nice grill marks (rotate the birds a quarter turn after first 3 minutes to create a crosshatch pattern). Turn the hens and sear them on the second side, again uncovered, about 4 minutes.
• Sprinkle the skin side with the reserved herbs and salt, close the lid, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the hens are tender throughout and the skin is crisp and very golden; an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh should read 180°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Put the hens on a large serving platter.
• Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the lemon juice. Serve the hens drizzled with the lemon oil.

HONEY HERBED CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Brush pan with oil Preheat oven to 400 Wisk all ingredients. Put hens skin down, use 1/2 mix and bake for 30 minutes flip hens use remaining 1/2 mix and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes