Air Fryer Cornish Hens are the perfect way to cook Cornish Game Hens. These little chickens are super easy to cook and they come out tender and juicy with a beautiful crispy skin.
Cornish game hens, (sometimes call Rock Cornish game hens), are simply very small chickens. The little birds are raised on farms and in spite of the name, are not a game bird, so they don't have a gamey taste. They taste the same as regular chicken.
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Why Air Fry Cornish Hens?
- This easy recipe is a great option when you want roast chicken but don't have time.
- You can air fry a whole chicken. However, these miniature chickens are a perfect option for serving just one or two people.
- Because of their smaller size, cooking a game hen is much faster than cooking a whole chicken.
- This easy air fryer recipe is so simple and easy. It's perfect dinner for a special occasion or for weeknight dinners.
- The high heat of the air fryer means the hens cook quickly, so you get perfect crispy skin and tender and juicy meat inside.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cornish Game Hen Most of the time the hens are sold frozen so you'll need to plan ahead for defrosting time. (see the "Helpful Tips" section further down in this post for thawing instructions) A two pound hen will serve two people, or one person with leftovers.
- Oil Avocado oil is my favorite for air frying. It has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point. You can also use olive oil.
- Seasonings This recipe uses rosemary, thyme and sage, along with salt and pepper. You can also use a poultry seasoning blend, a chicken spice blend, Italian seasoning, or just your favorite seasonings.
Instructions
Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a small bowl, combine oil and seasonings
- Pat the Cornish hen dry with paper towels before rubbing the seasoning mixture over the entire hen.
- Place the bird, breast side down, in the preheated air fryer basket.
- Flip breast side up after 25 minutes. Continue to cook a further 15 minutes to achieve super crispy skin.
Helpful Tips
- Your Cornish hen should be completely thawed before cooking. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, depending on the size of the bird and the temperature of your fridge. You can also thaw the bird in water. Submerge the frozen hen, still in its packaging, in a bowl or sink filled with cold water. Change the water every half hour until completely thawed.
- Never thaw poultry at room temperature, which can allow dangerous bacteria to grow.
- Don't thaw the hen in the microwave. The bird won't thaw evenly and could start to cook before completely thawing.
- Start off cooking the hen breast side down to ensure that the breast meat doesn't dry out.
- Allow the cooked hen to rest for 10 minutes before slicing or splitting. The resting period is important so that the juices are redistributed throughout the meat.
- Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°. Use a meat thermometer to check.
- The cooking time for this air fryer Cornish hen recipe is for an approximately 2 pound hen. If you have a larger or smaller bird, the cook time will need to be adjusted.
- If you have a larger air fryer, or smaller birds, you can cook two hens at once. My air fryer is 6 quarts and has room for one 2 pound bird or 2 smaller ones.
- If you prefer to use fresh herbs for this air fryer Cornish hen recipe, put them in a blender, or mash them with a mortar and pestle before combining them with oil. This keeps the herbs on the food rather than blowing around in the air fryer.
- Store leftover Cornish hens in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, remove the meat from the bones and store it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. For safe freezing guidelines, see Can You Refreeze Chicken?
How to Serve
If you have a 2 pound hen, you can split it with a sharp knife (after resting) for two servings. Smaller birds can be served as a whole Cornish hen.
What to Serve With Cornish Hens
Any side dishes you would serve with chicken will work equally well with Cornish hens. Try a salad, like my Classic Potato Salad, or Mediterranean Buckwheat Salad.
You can find some side dish inspiration if you want to air fry your vegetables, too. Check out 21 Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes.
Classic pairings are vegetables like Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots, or Sautéed Green Beans. Check out Side Dishes, for lots more ideas.
Recipe
Air Fryer Cornish Hen
Cornish Hens in the air fryer come out with beautiful crispy skin, tender meat and delicious flavor.
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Servings: 2
Calories: 514kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Cornish Hen 2 pounds
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine oil, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning mixture over the entire Cornish hen.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and preheat to 400°
- Place the bird breast side down and cook for 25 minutes
- Flip the bird over and cook for 15 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer inserted internal temperature inserted into the inner thigh reads 165°
- Remove from the air fryer and allow to rest 10 minutes before splitting or slicing.
Notes
- Your Cornish hen should be completely thawed before cooking. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, depending on the size of the bird and the temperature of your fridge. You can also thaw the bird in water. Submerge the frozen hen, still in its the packaging, in a bowl or sink filled with cold water. Change the water every half hour until completely thawed.
- Never thaw poultry at room temperature, which can allow dangerous bacteria to grow.
- Don't thaw the hen in the microwave. The bird won't thaw evenly and cook start cooking before completely thawing.
- Start off cooking the hen breast side down to ensure that the breast meat doesn't dry out.
- Allow the cooked hen to rest for 10 minutes before slicing or splitting. The resting period is important so that the juices are redistributed throughout the meat.
- Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°. Use a meat thermometer to check.
- The cooking time for this air fryer Cornish hen recipe is for an approximately 2 pound hen. If you have a larger or smaller bird, the cook time will need to be adjusted.
- If you have a larger air fryer, or smaller birds, you can cook two hens at once. My air fryer is 6 quarts and has room for one 2 pound bird or 2 smaller ones.
- If you prefer to use fresh herbs for this air fryer Cornish hen recipe, put them in a blender, or mash them with a mortar and pestle before combining them with oil. This keeps the herbs on the food rather than blowing around in the air fryer.
- Store leftover Cornish hens in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, remove the meat from the bones and store it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. For safe freezing guidelines, see Can You Refreeze Chicken?
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 719mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 268IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg
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Veronika
I live by myself so this was perfect for me! Sometimes I struggle with finishing an entire roast chicken in time so a small one is much better. The spices made it super flavorful and it came out crispy but still juicy.
Colleen
Hi Veronika! Cornish hens are the perfect size for one person. I'm so happy that the recipe turned out great for you! Thanks for your feedback.
Marta
I've never made cornish hens in the air fryer, but this turned out so full of flavor and juicy, it was a hit with my entire family!
Colleen
I'm so happy that your family loved it, Marta! Thanks for letting me know!
Jerika
Yum! This looks delish!:) What I love about these Air Fryer Cornish Hens are easy to cook plus it has crispy skin and juicy on the inside. Perfect!:)
Colleen
Hi Jerika, I'm so glad you loved the recipe!
Rob
This chicken was delicious and so fast to make during a busy week. Love how crispy the skin got.
Colleen
Hi Rob! I'm glad the Cornish hen turned out delicious for you! The crispy skin is the best part for me. 😋
Lilly
This was my first time making cornish hen in the air fryer and it turned out perfect thanks to your recipe! I paired it with potatoes and it was delicious
Colleen
Hi Lilly, that's great to hear that your Cornish hens turned out perfectly! Thanks for commenting!
nancy
i love how the hen totally fits inside the AF !so easy!
Colleen
Hi Nancy! The air fryer is the perfect way to cook Cornish hens!
Vanessa
So much fun! My boys thought these cornish hens were great and loved each having their own "chicken" to dig into.
Colleen
So glad your boys loved the Cornish hens, Vanessa!
Bernice
What a great idea! I can only just barely fit a very small chicken in my air fryer. Cooking two Cornish hens solves that issue!
Colleen
Right, Bernice? The air fryer is the best way I've ever cooked Cornish hens.
Andrea
Trying this now. Thanks for the recipe! I didn't realize how many things I can use my air fryer for. I never would have thought to put a whole cornish hen in it!
Colleen
You love it, Andrea, and it's so easy! Enjoy!
Kristina
I prefer cornish hens to whole chickens because of their quicker cooking, but never tried them in my air fryer. It was simple and they turned out great- perfectly seasoned and tender. Next time I'll use even more rosemary and thyme, as these are my 2 favorite herbs and pair so well with cornish hens.
Colleen
Hi Kristina! I'm so glad to hear that your air fryer hens turned out perfectly! Thanks for your comment.
Tavo
The recipe was super easy to make and came out deliciously. I had never made a cornish hen in an air-fryer, and it came our delicious!
Colleen
Hi Tavo! The air fryer does such an amazing job of cooking Cornish hens, and I'm so happy to hear that yours turned out delicious. Thanks for your feedback!
Freya
The air fryer is truly a modern miracle, these Cornish hens were so moist but the skin was crisp!
Colleen
Hi Freya, I agree! The air fryer does miraculous things, doesn't it? I'm happy the hens turned out great for you!
Tara
I love how easily these Cornish hens come together in the air fryer! They look incredible with that crispy, golden skin.
Colleen
They really are delicious, Tara, especially that crispy skin.
Caitlin
Made this last night and it was so delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Colleen
You're welcome, Caitlin, It's great to hear that the Cornish hen turned out great for you!
Nancy
My sister loves Cornish hens and request we make this for her birthday. She said the recipe was amazing.
Colleen
Hi Nancy, I'm so glad to hear this! Happy Birthday to your sister!
Silvia
You are correct, the air fryer is the best for coking cornish hens, the perfect size. This is a very easy recipe to prepare and it tastes so delicious!
Colleen
Hi Silvia! I'm happy to hear that you found the recipe easy and delicious. Thanks for your comment.