Cornish Hen Air Fryer Recipe

Air Fryer Cornish Hen is a gourmet meal that requires only a few ingredients and cooks in 45 minutes. This Cornish game hen recipe results in super crispy skin on the outside and juicy tender poultry on the inside.

Cornish Game hens make a beautiful dinner plate presentation.

What are Cornish Game Hens?

Cornish game hens are a smaller breed of poultry that usually weigh 1 to 2 pounds. They taste like chicken and the smaller size makes one perfect to serve 2 people.

Because they are under two pounds, they cook much more quickly then a whole roasted chicken. It is easy to divide one in half with a cleaver after cooking making it a perfect size to serve on a dinner plate.

Even though they are called game hens, they are not game birds and do not have a gamey taste.

While I do occasionally see fresh Cornish hens, most grocery stores sell frozen ones. Make sure to defrost overnite in the refrigerator before cooking.

How long to cook Cornish hens

I love this air fryer method of cooking a Cornish hen. They cook in about 45 minutes and the skin gets a deep golden brown while the inside stays juicy.

I brush the outside of the hens with a bit of olive oil and some seasoning. I can fit 2 Cornish hens inside my air fryer which is just perfect to serve 4 people.

It is a good idea to check your poultry at the end of cooking with a digital thermometer. The internal temperature of the hens should be at 165 degrees. If you do not have a thermometer, they are cooked when the wing slightly gives from the body of the hen when pulled, the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear.

Seasoning for your Air Fryer Cornish hens

I always keep an all purpose chicken seasoning in my pantry and use it for all poultry. My favorites are this rotisserie chicken seasoning or Montreal chicken seasoning. Both of these seasonings include salt so there is no extra salt needed.

If you wanted to, you could use your favorite seasoning, make your own or just season the Cornish hen with salt, pepper and garlic powder. I use one to two tablespoons of seasoning for two hens depending on the size of them.

While the typical size is two pounds or under, they can vary a bit so use just enough seasoning to lightly coat your birds. You can always add some extra salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Cook Cornish Hens so they turn golden brown.

Side dishes to serve with this Cornish hen recipe

This recipe can easily be served with some roasted or steamed vegetables to make dinner super simple. But if you'd like some more recipe ideas, here you go:

Roasted Cranberry Glazed Brussels Sprouts
Butternut Squash and Mushroom Risotto
Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Zest
Mini Parmesan Truffle Hasselback Potatoes
Spinach Salad with Grapes, Blue Cheese and Almonds
Easy Crockpot Cornbread Dressing via Restless Chipotle

Leftover Air Fryer Cornish Hen

I can't say that I always have leftovers as I have a hungry teenage boy living in my house who loves cornish hen cooked in the air fryer. But he is about to go away to college and sometimes I cook dinner for just my husband and I. But I still cook 2 hens as I like to make an extra. It can be reheated in the air fryer or oven but I also like using the leftovers just as I would use leftover roasted chicken. It is perfect to make Buffalo Chicken Flatbread or Chicken, Mango and Avocado Salad.

Air Fryer Cooking Tips

Preheat your air fryer if necessary. Read your manual instructions as some air fryers need to be preheated while others do not.
It is a good idea to coat the grates of your air fryer racks or basket with some sort of oil or cooking spray. It will insure that food does not stick. Spray oils are best as some commercial cooking sprays can ruin the finish on racks and baskets.
Don't overcrowd. In order for food to cook evenly, it should be slightly spread out.
A good instant thermometer helps insure that meat, poultry and fish are cooked throughly.
For better browning, rotate the basket or racks halfway through cooking.

More Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes with Seasoned Sour Cream
Air Fryer Chicken Legs
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Air Fried Tofu via Souffle Bombay

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Air Fryer Cornish Hens

Cooking Cornish hens in the air fryer creates crispy skin and juicy, tender poultry.

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course: Dinner Entree, Easy Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer, poultry

Servings: 4

Calories: 484 kcal

Cost: $10

2 Cornish Hens (see note on size)
1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoon poultry or chicken seasoning
extra salt and pepper to taste

Grease the air fryer racks or baskets with the oil. Remove any giblets from the Cornish hens and rinse the inside of them. Pat the Cornish hens dry with paper towels. Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees if necessary.
Rub the cornish hens with olive oil and sprinkle seasoning all over and lightly rub to coat. Place the hens breast side down on the cooking rack.
Cook the Cornish hens for 30 minutes then flip and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees and skin is crispy. (see note)
Rest the hens for 10 minutes before cutting in half. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

An instant read thermometer is the best way to check the temperature of your poultry. Put it in the thickest part of the hen which is typically the thigh area. If you do not have a thermometer, check doneness by pulling the leg. There should be some give and if you cut a small slit in the chicken, the meat should no longer be pink with clear juices running out.

Most Cornish Hens are between 1 and 2 pounds so nutritional information will vary dependent on the size of your Cornish hens.

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