Stuffed Cornish Hens

These Cornish Game Hens with Sausage and Apple Stuffing are sure to impress, and make a great holiday meal. They’re perfect for smaller crowds that don’t require a big ham or turkey, and have an added fun factor because everyone gets their own.

What Are Cornish Game Hens?

Cornish game hens are small, young chickens that are usually around 1 to 2 pounds each. Despite the fancy name, they’re not wild game birds, just a hybrid breed of domestic chicken, typically a cross between Cornish and White Plymouth Rock chickens.

They’re known for their tender meat and mild flavor, and because of their petite size, they’re perfect for serving one per person, making them super fun and elegant for dinner parties or special meals.

I love how they roast up beautifully, golden, crispy skin on the outside, juicy on the inside, and they don’t take nearly as long as a whole chicken (or turkey for that matter) to cook.

What You’ll Need

• Cornish game hens – I look for hens that are about 1.5 pounds.
• Butter – This is used both in the stuffing and to make an herb compound to rub on the hens.
• Stuffing mix – Any of your preferred variety.
• Celery – To add a bit of crunch to the stuffing.
• Sausage – This really takes the stuffing over the top. I use breakfast sausage such as Jimmy Dean or Smithfield.
• Apple – This gives a nice contrast to the sausage.
• Chicken broth – It gives more flavor to the stuffing than plain water.
• Fresh herbs – This time I used a mix of rosemary, thyme and sage.

Stuffed Cornish Hens Recipe

First, I get the oven preheating to 400 degrees.

Now for the stuffing. I brown up the sausage and then remove it to a plate. Then, I remove most of the grease, add a little butter, and sauté the celery and apple until it begins to soften up. In goes the chicken broth, which I bring to a boil. I remove the pan from the heat and toss in the stuffing mixture along with the cooked sausage until everything is well combined.

I fill each Cornish hen cavity with stuffing and spread the remaining stuffing in the bottom of a baking dish large enough to accommodate both hens (I use 13×9 inch). Then I place the Cornish hens in the baking dish atop stuffing.

Now to boost up the flavors, I mix fresh herbs, salt and pepper into the softened butter until well mixed and spread this mixture onto the Cornish hens.

Finally, I place the hens in my preheated oven and bake to an internal temperature of 165°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Once they’re cooked, I allow them to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions

I usually serve these stuffed hens with Mashed Potatoes and a green vegetable dish, one of my favorite being Green Beans Almondine. Here are some other great choices:

• Yellow Squash Casserole
• Creamed Spinach
• Roasted Asparagus
• Succotash

Chef’s Tips and Notes

• I always make sure to pat the hens dry with paper towels before rubbing on the herb butter. It helps the skin get nice and crispy as it roasts.
• If the hens start browning too quickly in the oven, I just loosely tent them with foil about halfway through. That way they stay golden without burning.
• I like to use a digital meat thermometer to check doneness. Just stick it in the thickest part of the thigh and make sure it hits 165°F. Makes life so much easier than guessing.
• Letting the hens rest for 10 minutes after baking really helps the juices settle back in, so they stay nice and moist when you cut into them.
• Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Just make sure to remove the stuffing from the birds and store it separately.

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More Great Holiday Mains:
Greek Leg of Lamb
Standing Ribs Roast
Stuffed Pork Loin
Classic Pot Roast
Maine Lobster
Pernil

Stuffed Cornish Hens Recipe

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

These Cornish Game Hens with Sausage and Apple Stuffing are sure to impress, and make a great holiday or company meal.

Print

Ingredients

Stuffing

• ½ pound breakfast sausage
• 1 Tbsp butter
• ½ cup celery, diced
• ½ cup apple, diced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 6oz stuffing mix

Cornish Hens

• 2 Cornish game hens
• 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1.5 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a medium saucepan, brown sausage, breaking up into crumbles as it cooks. Remove sausage to a plate.
3. Remove all but about 1 Tbsp sausage grease from the pan, and add 1 Tbsp butter. Once butter is melted, add diced celery and apple and sauté over medium-high heat until they begin to soften up, about 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove saucepan from heat and gently toss in stuffing and browned sausage.
5. Fill each Cornish hen cavity with stuffing. Spread remaining stuffing in the bottom of a baking dish large enough to accommodate both hens (I use 13x9 inch). Place Cornish hens in baking dish atop stuffing.
6. Mix rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and pepper into the softened butter until well mixed. Spread this butter mixture on the Cornish hens.
7. Place in preheated oven and bake to an internal temperature of 165°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
8. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• I always make sure to pat the hens dry with paper towels before rubbing on the herb butter. It helps the skin get nice and crispy as it roasts.
• If the hens start browning too quickly in the oven, I just loosely tent them with foil about halfway through. That way they stay golden without burning.
• I like to use a digital meat thermometer to check doneness. Just stick it in the thickest part of the thigh and make sure it hits 165°F. Makes life so much easier than guessing.
• Letting the hens rest for 10 minutes after baking really helps the juices settle back in, so they stay nice and moist when you cut into them.
• Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Just make sure to remove the stuffing from the birds and store it separately.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.