How Long to Cook Cornish Hen at 400 F

Cornish hens should be cooked until they are golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 165 F. Depending on the size of the cornish hen, this usually takes around 45 to 60 minutes.

What Temperature Should Cornish Hens be Cooked to?

You should cook cornish hens until they are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 F. If you cook cornish hens at 400 F, they will become golden and cook through in about 45 to 60 minutes.

How Long Does it Take to Cook Cornish Hen at 400 F?

You should cook cornish hen for about 45 minutes to 60 minutes at 400 F. You can use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should read 165 F when fully cooked.

How Long to Cook Cornish Hen in an Air Fryer 

You should be able to cook cornish hens in an air fryer for 30 to 40 minutes at 400 F. Air fryers cook cornish hens much faster than the oven.

Should You Cover Cornish Hens While Baking?

Covering cornish hens with foil while they are baking will keep the hens moist, and prevent them from becoming dried out. However, you don’t have to do this if you choose to marinate the hens for a few hours before you bake them. If you are a beginner and trying this for the first time, you might prefer to cover the hens with foil to ensure they come out perfectly.

You can remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to help the skin become golden and crispy.

How Can You Prevent Cornish Hens from Drying Out?

Place the hens on a tray or in a baking dish and refrigerate them overnight to dry out. This will help the skin crisp up, and help keep the juices in the meat. If desired, you can remove the skin after roasting.

How Many Cornish Hens Can You Cook at Once?

Since cornish hens are quite small, you will want to cook more than one. You can really cook however many you have space for without overcrowding them, but ideally, two to three cornish hens are perfect for serving a small family.

Can You Cook Cornish Hens from Frozen?

Cooking cornish hens from frozen isn’t ideal, but if you have frozen cornish hens, you can thaw them before cooking them.

After you thaw the cornish hens, make sure that you pat them dry so that they will become golden and crispy.

What is Good to Serve With Cornish Hens?

Baked cornish hens are excellent with salads, soups, fries, and roasted vegetables. I particularly like to serve them with fresh cucumber salad or spinach and strawberry salad.

Here are some sides that go well with cornish hens:

• Cauliflower Gnocchi
• Canned Sweet Potatoes With Marshmallows
• Pioneer Woman Olive Bread
• Pioneer Woman Carrot Cake
• Pioneer Woman Beef Noodle Skillet
• Pioneer Woman Sheet Pan Quesadilla

How Long to Cook Cornish Hen at 400 F

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Cornish hens should be cooked until they are golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 165 F. Depending on the size of the cornish hen, this usually takes around 45 to 60 minutes.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoon lemon pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 Cornish game hens, about 1 ½ pounds each, rinsed and dried thoroughly
• 1 green bell pepper, diced into large pieces
• 2 stalks of celery, diced into large pieces
• 1 onion, diced into large pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Combine the salt, lemon pepper, dried basil, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. 
3. Rub the olive oil all over the hens and sprinkle them with the salt mixture. 
4. Place the hens on a baking sheet with a lot of space between them. You may need to use two baking sheets. 
5. Place some green bell pepper, celery, and onion in the cavities of the hens. 
6. Bake the hens for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F.
7. Allow the hens to rest for 10 minutes before carving or serving them.

Notes

• To make cleaning easy, line the baking sheet with foil.
• The vegetables and herbs stuffed inside the hens' cavities will flavor the meat as it cooks.
• You should not crowd the baking sheets with the hens, otherwise, their skin won't crisp up properly and they will take much longer to cook.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 730Total Fat: 52gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 337mgSodium: 2238mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 58g