These Roasted Cornish Hens are glazed in a sweet bourbon glaze that coats every bite. An elegant but easy recipe to make for Sunday dinners and holiday meals!
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish Hens (typically about 2 – 2 1/2 pounds each)
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt, fresh black pepper
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning, divided
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder, divided
For The Glaze:
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Place the Cornish hens on a baking sheet that’s been lined with aluminum foil. Tie or truss the Cornish hens by wrapping a pieces of kitchen twine around the breast to tuck in the wings and another piece around the legs to tuck them in close the the body of the chicken. Refer to the photos in the post for a visual of how the hen looks when it’s trussed. Season the hens generously with salt and black pepper and then divide the poultry seasoning and garlic powder between the two birds. Rub just a little bit of olive oil onto each bird and then place into the oven.
- Roast the Cornish hens for 15 minutes, then remove them from the oven and reduce the heat to 400 degrees.
- While the chickens are in the oven, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes until the glaze haas thickened.
- After the hens have roasted for 15 minutes, glaze them generously with the bourbon glaze and then place them back into the oven for another 10 minutes until the temperature on the thighs reach 165 degrees.
- Remove the Cornish hens from the oven, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve the chicken whole or cut down the center in half and serve.
Recipe Notes
This recipe can be doubled or triple if needed for a larger crowd!
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
