These Citrus Marinated Cornish Game Hens are perfect for a special occasion. Cornish game hens are marinated with orange juice and spices, then roasted to a crisp and lovely glaze. The resulting flavor is decadently spiced with a hint of citrus flavor. This is an aromatic and impressive entree, and it’s surprisingly simple to make.
What is a Cornish game hen?
A Cornish game hen is a small, young Cornish breed chicken. Each bird must weight under two pounds to be considered a proper Cornish game hen. They are typically more tender than larger chickens, and cost more. Because of this, they are considered a kind of delicacy.
Comedian and pianist Victor Borge, affectionately known as “The Great Dane” or “The Clown Prince of Denmark,” may have played a role in bringing Cornish game hens into greater popularity. A Spokesman Review article published on April 18, 1959 claims that his farm in Southbury, Connecticut was one of the largest American producers of Cornish hens. Borge made appearances at supermarkets on behalf of his hens, which gave them something of a celebrity status. The article also includes his favorite recipe:
“Put the hen in a Dutch oven and do him in brown butter for 12 minutes. If you have a piano in the kitchen play the ‘Minuet Waltz’ 12 times. Add a little water. Put the lid on and let simmer. When you have finished playing half ‘The Dance of the Hours,’ dragging it slightly, you’re ready to eat like an epicure.”
I grew up eating Cornish game hens. My grandma made them for my mom as a child, and she passed the tradition on to me. The hens we grew up eating were pretty simple, sprinkled with garlic salt and parsley, then roasted in a hot oven. My mom served them with steamed artichokes and salty chicken-flavored rice; it was my absolute favorite meal growing up. I still make them that way, in fact, and my family loves them.
How to Cook Cornish Game Hens
Roasting is the best way to cook a Cornish game hen. When well roasted, the skin becomes crisp and the interior juicy. But do you know how long to cook a Cornish game hen? Although these chickens are small, they don’t cook very fast. It’s always best to use a meat thermometer to make sure your hens have reached a food safe temperature. When fully cooked, they should measure 170 degrees in the thickest parts of the breast and thigh. Also, make sure the juice runs clear. This will help ensure your hens are fully cooked. Of course, a great marinade recipe helps too… just like this one!
The Best Way to Make Cornish Game Hens
I like to marinate my game hens to infuse them with more flavor. But what makes a good Cornish game hen marinade? Try this citrus spice marinade, and you’ll be hooked. I marinate the hens in orange juice, brown sugar, and a mix of delicious spices (a riff on my Spice Broiled Salmon recipe). After marinating, I stuff the hens with orange slices and roast them in a hot oven until almost done. I reduce the citrus marinade on the stovetop to a thick sauce. Surprisingly, the sauce takes on a Middle Eastern barbecue-like flavor, really different and delicious. I brush the thickened sauce onto the top of the hens, then finish roasting them until the skin is dark brown and bubbly.
Yum! These are not the game hens I ate growing up. I’ll always have a soft spot for garlic salt and chicken-flavored rice, but this is my new favorite Cornish game hen recipe. I have a feeling you’ll love it, too!
What to Serve with Cornish Game Hens
When it comes to serving cornish game hens, a side dish is key. I love serving these marinated game hens with saffron rice and a citrus salad. Olive oil mashed potatoes, oven roasted root vegetables, and spicy roasted sweet potatoes are all great options, too.
Note: Since originally posting this recipe, I have clarified the cooking instructions with weight measurements and more specific steps to ensure a delicious result every time. Please use the recommended Cornish game hen weight for best results.
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Marinated Cornish Game Hens
Ingredients
- 4 Cornish game hens 22 ounces each
- 3 cups cool water
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 medium orange
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander (freshly ground coriander spice is best)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
NOTES
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl combine water, orange juice, sugar, salt and spices. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Rinse hens and trim off any excess fat or skin (do not remove all of the skin, only extra hanging pieces). Place the hens in gallon sized resealable storage bags (2 to a bag) and divide the brine evenly between the two. The spices may settle in the liquid, so give it a swirl as you're pouring it in.
- Squeeze all the air out of the bags and place in a baking dish to prevent any liquid from leaking. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- When you are ready to cook the hens, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.Place the hens in a roasting pan and reserve the marinade. Tuck an orange quarter inside of each hen, then truss with twine (simply wrap the drumstick ends together and secure with twine).
- Brush each hen with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper. I use about 1/4 tsp of each per hen. Roast the hens for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Continue cooking for 25 minutes longer, turning the roasting pan halfway through cooking to ensure even heat distribution.
- While the hens are cooking, strain the remaining marinade into a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to a bubbling simmer and cook the marinade, letting the liquid slowly reduce until the the mixture is the consistency of a barbecue sauce. It should be simmered for at least 10 minutes, and will likely take 15 minutes or more to thicken into a glaze. Most of the liquid will be cooked out during this process.
- Once the hens have been cooking for 45 minutes (20 minutes at 400 degrees, then 25 minutes at 350 degrees), remove them from the oven and brush them with a generous amount of the reduced sauce.
- Return to the oven for an additional 10-20 minutes, or until the hens reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees F in the thigh and breast. Some hens may take longer than 20 minutes to come to temperature. Use the thermometer as your guide, and only remove them when they've reached 170 degrees F. If you have leftover sauce, you can glaze the hens once more halfway through this final stage of cooking for a very nice, sticky coating. Serve hot.
PAUL GERARD says
Thank you Tori
I made this recipe for my family on my wifes birthday. She loved it! Everything worked out perfect except I could not get the sauce to thickin so used the sauce on my vegetables and the red potatoes I made too. Delicious.
Tori Avey says
Glad you enjoyed it! Waiting for the marinade to thicken does require patience, as most of the liquid needs to be cooked out before it becomes a glaze. If you want to thicken it more in future and find it doesn’t reduce fast enough, you can add a slurry of 1 tbsp cornstarch and cold water, a little at a time, stirring after each addition until the mixture thickens to your liking.
Sue H. says
I found it takes awhile for most of the liquid to evaporate. The syrup will show up when you have just a small amount of marinade left on the bottom of the pot. It’s just enough to give the birds a nice, glazy cover.
Tori Avey says
Hi Robin– yes, of course. Feel free! 🙂
Rebecca says
Delicious! Made for a perfect Thanksgiving dinner for one! Will definitely have again!
The only issue I ran into was since I only made one, I quartered the marinade amount. So, when boiling to make the sauce, there was not really enough. Next time I’ll make more marinade 🙂
Thank you for posting, I’m already excited to have it again!
Dave A says
I making only making 2 hens. Should I still roast at the directed temperatures? Also, would you serve 1 per person and do they split easily when cooked.
Thanks.
Tori Avey says
Hi Dave, they split easily. Yes, roast at the same temperatures as the recipe instructs, just keep an eye on it for doneness as it may cook slightly faster with two instead of four (be sure to check the internal temperature – it should read 170 degrees F). In our family one half per person seems to be enough, but it can depend on how many people light dark meat vs. light, or if you have some healthier appetites at the table.
Carol says
What kind of potato dish would go well with the cornish Hens. Thinking of Thanksgiving.
Tori Avey says
Hi Carol! Here are some ideas:
Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary
Smoked Paprika Roasted Potatoes
Elizabeth Shatzkin says
I want to make this for Sukkot but need something I can make ahead and freeze. Will this recipe work for that? Thanks
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Elizabeth, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. In my opinion, this recipe is not best for making ahead and freezing.
Gabby says
Have them marinating right now! Can’t wait to see how they come out, I have a small family so I’m only doing two hens
Julian. P Hunt says
Culinary student at George Brown College in Toronto – making this for a dinner party for this coming Friday for some fellow Cheffy students – will comment how it turns out.
Thomas Neeves says
How long until the marinade thickens up?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Thomas, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. I can’t give an exact time, but I’d say around 10-15 minutes or so. Just keep a close eye on it.
Tori Avey says
The hens will render their own fat as they cook, they shouldn’t need any additional liquid.
Louise Roumagoux says
This is an excellent recipe. I didn’t have fresh squeezed oj, so used frozen concentrate (a full cup because I love orange flavor), forgot the ginger powder, and added some hoisin sauce and a little honey (and just a little less brown sugar). I also found that the hens cooked faster than the recipe. We also used the reduced marinade as a sauce on the chicken (and amaranth/millet veggie pilaf we ate as a side). It was delicious! We’re already talking about using the marinade with pork and chicken. And all this yumminess with only being able to marinade the hens for about five hours. Thank you very much for a wonderful dinner. And this is the first such review I’ve ever written. ?
Gillian NW says
This recipe was perfect!
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Paul, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. The oven should be set to 400 degrees F. It may seem like a long time for such a high temp, but we’ve found that cornish game hens take a good amount of time to cook thoroughly.
Debi Pinson says
This recipe is awesome!!! I’m part of a rather large family and usually every Christmas Eve we have 60+ who gather to celebrate Jesus’ birth. However, I have, for several years now, prepared a more quaint gathering and dinner for my seven brothers and sisters and their spouses. I’m always looking for something different for them to enjoy. This year, you guessed it, I prepared these little Cornish hens with all of their goodness. You would not have believed the reaction and the look on their faces when I presented these little surprises, all decked out with their orange slices and snippets of basil (which I substituted for the coriander) on their plates! Their response was, “this was the highlight of our Christmas”!! I tried a few recipes and my husband and I chose yours as the one to prepare. Thank you for your recipe…it made my get-together a huge success!!
Tori Avey says
Very cool Debi! Glad to know it worked for a larger crowd 🙂
Steve G says
Very good recipe – making it for a second time in two weeks. I am going to increase the dry spices a little bit, plus make double the sauce. Its so great as a dipping bbq sauce in addition to a basting sauce.
Abigail C says
I am making this recipe right now and the house smells great, I am so excited to taste these little birds!
I do have a question though, my husband and I are disputing. When you say “Meanwhile, strain the remaining marinade into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.” you’re talking about the marinade that the hens sat in overnight, correct? I figured that because the cooking process is so long to make the marinade a sauce that any bacteria from sitting with the chicken will be cooked off, but my husband thinks its a hard and fast rule that you do not ever use marinade that raw meat has been in contact with.
Just want to make sure I don’t give my family food poisoning!
Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Yes, it is referring to the marinade that the chicken sat in – it is boiled and then simmered to reduce into a sauce, which should kill any bacteria. In addition, the reduced marinade is roasted in the oven after it’s boiled – so it’s cooked twice! This is a common technique used by chefs. Keep it at a boil/simmer for at least 10 full minutes to be very safe. If you prefer you can remake the marinade from scratch and reduce that into sauce, to produce the same result.
Patty says
Upon serving, do you leave the orange in the hens or remove them? And should they be on a Center rack in the oven or upper or lower rack? Thank you!
Tori Avey says
Center rack is fine. You can leave it in or remove it prior to serving, it is an aesthetic choice. I usually remove. Enjoy!
Eva Guggenheim says
I found this recipe by accident and will make it for our holiday dinner Sunday. It looks really good. My side dishes will be homemade (of course) popovers, and asparagus.
Beth Gayer says
Tori, thanks for all your great recipes. Never gone wrong with any one of yours and cant wait to try this. One question – Is coriander the same as Cilantro? Thanks, Beth
Tori Avey says
Hi Beth– ground coriander is dried ground seeds of the cilantro plant. It is a spice, whereas cilantro in its leaf form (fresh or dry) is considered an herb. Hope that helps!
Matt says
Good results, left previous comment but forgot to make it 5 stars.