Description
This Cornish Hens with Apple-Cranberry Rice Stuffing recipe combines tender, juicy hens roasted to perfection with a flavorful stuffing of rice, apples, dried cranberries, and fresh herbs. The hens are glazed with a sweet and tangy apple cider and maple syrup mixture, enhanced by Dijon mustard and cinnamon for a beautifully aromatic finish. Perfect for a festive dinner or special occasion, the recipe balances savory and sweet flavors with a comforting, wholesome stuffing inside each bird.
Ingredients
Scale
Stuffing
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1½ cups cooked rice (long grain and wild, or Royal/Wild Blend)
- ½ cup peeled, diced Fuji apples (about ½ large apple, ¼-inch dice)
- ½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Splash of apple cider
Glaze
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
Hens
- 4 Cornish hens (1.25 to 1.5 pounds each)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Make the Stuffing: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add chopped onions and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in pecans, sage, thyme, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking about 3 minutes until pecans are fragrant. Deglaze the pan with a splash of apple cider, scraping up any browned bits. Remove from heat and mix in cooked rice, diced apples, dried cranberries, and parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Set the stuffing aside.
- Make the Glaze: In a small pot, combine apple cider and maple syrup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until the mixture reduces to about ⅓ to ½ cup and becomes syrupy, approximately 15 minutes. Whisk in Dijon mustard and a pinch of cinnamon until smooth, then set aside.
- Prepare the Hens: Remove Cornish hens from the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting to let them come to room temperature. Remove giblets and rinse hens under cold water, then pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Roasting Setup: Preheat your oven to 425°F with the oven rack in the lower third position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a roasting rack on top. Spray the rack with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Stuff and Season Hens: Lightly season the interiors of each hen cavity with salt and pepper. Loosely spoon about ½ cup of the prepared stuffing into each hen cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the hens. Arrange the hens on the roasting rack, ensuring enough space surrounds each bird for air circulation.
- Roast the Hens: Brush the tops and sides of each hen with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue roasting for an additional 40 to 50 minutes. During the final 30 minutes, brush the hens lightly with the prepared glaze every 10 minutes. If browning happens too quickly, tent the hens loosely with foil to prevent burning.
- Check for Doneness and Rest: The hens are done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 180°F and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let the hens rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow juices to redistribute.
Notes
- Cook the rice according to package directions until tender. For extra flavor, use chicken broth instead of water for cooking the rice.
- Using a roasting rack set on a rimmed baking sheet allows for better air circulation and results in more evenly browned, golden hens on all sides compared to cooking directly in a roasting pan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cornish hen with stuffing
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
