Take-out Tuesday, Cornish Hens with Fresh Oranges and Rosemary Salt
My family loves Cornish hens, they are so easy to make,
and everyone gets their own whole little chicken to enjoy
You can roast them on the oven or cook them outside on your grill
One of my favorite ways to prepare them is
topped with fresh orange slices and Rosemary Salt
Rosemary Salt is incredibly easy to make,
fresh rosemary combined with Kosher salt and coarse sea salt
But you can also just use fresh rosemary and any coarse sea salt you have
You can stuff them with your favorite stuffing like
or you can cook them without stuffing
My mom always used Pepperidge Farm stuffing for Thanksgiving,
the one in the blue bag,
which still looks the same as it did many years ago
She would add chopped onion, celery, and pecan halves
I make the stuffing according to package directions,
using chicken broth for the liquid,
real butter, and adding the celery, onion and pecans
You can saute the vegetables first,
but they will cook through in the birds if you want to save a step
Check the insides of the hens
{some brands have a giblet package inside that you will want to remove}
rinse the hens inside and out and pat dry
Stuff the hens with the prepared stuffing
and put remaining dressing {if you have extra} in a covered casserole
to bake along with the hens or save for another meal.
Remember for safety, always stuff the birds right before cooking
and remove all the stuffing after baking to prevent contamination
Next drizzle the hens with olive oil
and sprinkle them generously with Rosemary salt
and cover them with fresh orange slices
Add a little orange juice to the pan, about 1/2 cup,
for added moisture and to baste the hens throughout the baking process
Remove the oranges after 45-60 minutes*
so the hens can brown during the last few minutes
*Cooking time will depend on the size of the birds and
your oven or grill,
use a meat thermometer to check for doneness
Save oranges to garnish the hens when serving
CORNISH HENS with Orange and Rosemary Salt
Ingredients
- 1 Cornish hen per person
- stuffing of choice {if desired}
- fresh orange slices 5 or 6 per hen
- orange juice
- rosemary salt*
Instructions
- Wash hens thoroughly inside and out and pat dry.
- Stuff hens if desired.
- Place in a foil lined baking dish, and add orange juice to the bottom of pan to the depth of 1/4 inch. This will help keep the birds moist.
- Drizzle hens with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary salt and pepper. You can also use Kosher salt and fresh rosemary. Top hens with orange slices.
- Bake at 400 for about 1 1/4 hours or until hens are cooked through, basting every 20 minutes or so. Remove orange slices about half way through cooking time so hens can brown.
Notes
Rosemary Salt is perfect for gift giving
This stuff is amazing and It smells DIVINE!
Sprinkle it on anything that suits your fancy,
it is especially good on a homemade breads and flatbread,
lamb chops, chicken, vegetables
Here is another way to cook Cornish Hens on the grill,
loaded on a spit and cooked rotisserie style
with a delicious Asian style sauce
Enjoy!
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:
Sundays on Silverado Love Your Creativity Over the Moon
Between Naps on the Porch, Celebrate Your Story,
All About Home/ Common Ground Follow the Yellow Brick Home
Tasty Tuesday Oh My Heartsie Girl Turn About Tuesday
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Haven’t made Cornish hens in forever. Thanks for the reminder and delicious recipe. One question, does the salt preserve the rosemary. No problem with spoilage ?
I really don’t know the shelf life of this rosemary salt as I use it up pretty quickly when I make it, but stored in the jars, the color might change a bit but the flavor remains for quite a while. I like to add a tag with suggestions for use if I’m giving it as a gift. You can use dried rosemary for indefinite shelf life, but fresh rosemary has much more flavor.
Agree, the fresh has that beautiful aroma.
Jenna, Cornish hens with rosemary salt and oranges sound really good and different for dinner. It has been years since I prepared Cornish hens. I think I will add to my grocery list! Happy cloudy Tuesday!
Thanks Pam, such an easy dinner!
They turned out so juicy, tender and flavourful. I am totally using that filling for my next roasted chicken. And that rosemary salt is fantastic. I have made some thyme salt before and I loved it. Going to make some with rosemary!
Thank you Angie, I just love rosemary!
The rosemary salt sounds divine! So many possibilities!
Yes! Thanks Dorothy!
Jenna, this looks wonderful! It’s been a long time since we cooked Cornish hens, but will try this recipe. Patti shared a rosemary recipe too, so I think we’ll enjoy some delicious poultry dishes soon.
Thanks!
Thank you Sarah, rosemary is such a great addition to so many things, I just love it!
Such a wonderful meal. I haven’t cooked Cornish hens in years. Thanks for the inspiration Jenna. Stuffing them and adding the oranges sounds so delicious. The rosemary salt is a great idea.
Thanks Linda, they look so elegant when served!
I haven’t made Cornish hens in ages. The rosemary salt and oranges are wonderful ideas. I might have to put these on the menu again!
Thanks Jeanie, it’s funny that everyone commenting is saying they haven’t made them in a long time…such an easy yet elegant dinner!
Sounds really good! Now that you mention it I’m not sure if I’ve ever cooked Cornish hens myself.
You should, they are so easy!
Delish! Love the combination of orange and rosemary!
so easy and so delicious!
Jenna, this looks delicious! I see Cornish hens in the market, but I have never made them. I’m going to have to try them. The combination of rosemary and oranges sounds wonderful. Wishing you a wonderful day!
I hope you try them, they really are an easy and tasty dinner, thanks Shannon!
Jenna, these look absolutely delicious! I’ve never had Cornish hens before so must try this recipe! Pinned!
I guess Cornish hens are sort of retro, they used to be all the rage years ago, but they are really good and make an elegant presentation for dinner parties, yet easy enough for week night supper~
Saved the recipe. Those look delicious and easy. As an aside, love the Pepperidge Farm dressing mix. My mother also used it and it still tastes/looks the same as it did when I was a kid and I am now quite senior LOL. Cornish hens make quite a presentation. I haven’t fixed them in quite a while. But will put them on my grocery delivery list. Thanks.
Thank you Frances, you can’t beat that Pepperidge Farm dressing mix in my book. I hope you enjoy the hens!
This recipe sounds scrumptious, Jenna. I like rosemary and use it a lot in cooking. It’s been a while since I served Cornish hens, and need to add some to my grocery list.
Thanks for adding this gem to the FWF link party.