Enjoy a meal of comfort with this Lemon Pepper Cornish Hens roasted to perception in the oven. I served this juicy Cornish hen with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. It was super delicious.
When the season changes over to fall I automatically feel like Cornish hens have to be on my menu. My recipe for Garlic Lemon Pepper Oven Cornish Hens is truly top-tier!
Lemon pepper Cornish hens are so tender and savory, they are the perfect comfort food main dish to serve during the holidays and the fourth quarter. But let’s not stop there, they can be eaten year-round and still be a hit.
I enjoyed these Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs and these Buffalo lemon pepper chicken wings so much that I just wanted anything lemony pepper hence I chose lemon pepper to flavor the cornish hen I prepared today.
What you will love about this Lemon Peper Cornish Game Hens
- The flesh is soft and juicy
- It’s inexpensive and easy to make in the oven.
- Bursting with lemon pepper and garlic flavors.
Ingredients list
- 2 Cornish hens
- 1/2 teaspoon adobo all-purpose Adobo seasoning
- 1 + 1/2 tsp Lemon pepper seasoning (I used the McCormick brand )
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large lemon (cut into half)
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Fresh Parsley, chopped (optional garnish )
How to make Lemon Pepper Cornish Hens
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Cut Cornish hens into halves
4. In a small bowl mix olive oil and squeeze half of the lemon juice into the olive oil – mix well
5. For the breast side of the Cornish hens, rub with Lemon olive oil mixture
7. Cut the other half of the lemon into slices and arrange them around the Cornish hens
8. Arrange the rosemary sprigs and chopped garlic around the Cornish hens
9. Bake for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (baste every 10 -15 minutes)
10. Serve and enjoy!
How to store leftover Cornish Game hens.
You can store your leftover cornish hen in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Wrap it with a cling film or put it in a zip bag and it can stay in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat your leftover chicken, you can use a microwave on high for 2 minutes or a preheated oven for 1 to 15 minutes
Glam Kitchen PRO Tips
- Cut the bird into halves for easier serving portions before cooking it.
- Try to put the seasoning directly on the flesh, under the skin using your hands where possible so that the flavors can penetrate the bird.
- Baste your birds every 15 minutes or so during the cooking time.
- Using fresh rosemary takes it to another level, however, if you only have dried thyme feel free to use about 1/2 teaspoon of it and just add it with the seasoning
- Make sure you baste your birds while they cook, basting poultry keeps it nice and juicy
FAQ
Lemon pepper cornish hens
What to do with the leftover cornish hen?
The majority of the time there is always the breast portion of the cornish hen that’s left over, you can easily shred the chicken and use it for your tacos and quesadillas fillings.
Are cornish hens baby chickens?
Cornish hens are slaughtered at an early stage when they are about a pound or two, if they are given more time they can grow into fully grown birds.
Do you cover cornish hen when baking?
You don’t have to cover your cornish hen when baking, it will help the skin to be crispy and golden brown.
What temperature should the cornish hen be when cooked?
The USDA and FSIS recommend that a cooked chicken should be at 165 F internal temperature on the thickest portion to be safe to consume.
How do you keep the cornish hen from drying out?
You will need to keep basting the birds throughout the cooking process, ideally at 20-minute intervals.
Is one cornish hen enough for one person?
Due to their small size, they are often served as whole chicken to meat lovers but it’s also very common to be cut in half.
Should cornish hens be rinsed before cooking?
Raw chicken carries sickness-causing bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter hence it is always safe to rinse it before cooking it. I rinse my cornish hen with cold water with a squeeze of fresh lemon
Lemon pepper Cornish Hens
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish hens
- ½ teaspoon Adobo all-purpose Adobo seasoning
- 1+½ teaspoon Lemon pepper seasoning (I used the McCormick brand )
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- 4 Cloves garlic , chopped
- 1 Large lemon (cut into half)
- 4 Sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- Fresh Parsley, chopped (optional garnish )
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Cut Cornish hens into halves
- Season the bottom with 1/4 tsp adobo all purpose , 3/4 tsp lemon pepper seasoning, 1/4 tsp garlic powder , and 1/4 tsp paprika -then flip Cornish hens to the breast side
- In a small bowl mix olive oil and squeeze half of the lemon juice into the olive oil – mix well
- For the breast side of the Cornish hens , rub with Lemon olive oil mixture
- Season with 1/4 tsp adobo all purpose , 3/4 tsp lemon pepper seasoning , 1/4 tsp garlic powder , and 1/4 tsp paprika
- Cut the other half of the lemon into slices and arrange around the Cornish hens
- Arrange the rosemary sprigs and chopped garlic around the Cornish hens
- Bake for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (baste every 10 -15 minutes)
- Serve and enjoy!