If you haven't tried a cornish game hen, this easy Air Fryer Cornish Game Hens recipe is just what you need to cook these hens like a pro. This recipe cooks two-game hens in just 30 minutes in your air fryer.
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I am still using my air fryer. I love how quickly it cooks meat without drying them out. I decided to try my favorite cooking herbs in this new game hens recipe to see how much flavor can infuse into the meat using an air fryer.
Stuffed with orange, garlic, and fresh herbs. This recipe for roasted Cornish game hens recipe will quickly become a family favorite. If you love game hens, you will also want to try this oven-roasted Bacon-Wrapped Cornish Game Hens recipe.
If you love using fresh herbs in cooking as much as I do, you will love these recipes that use fresh herbs. Any of these fresh herbs will taste amazing in this air-fried cornish hen recipe.
I am happy to report that the air fryer did a great job with cooking the whole hens. Fitting two whole hens in the air fryer was very easy! If you love cornish hens, give these Slow Cooker Cornish Hens or Roasted Cornish Hens recipes a try too!
If you are trying to decide on what air fryer to get, I have a great list of the best air fryers for gluten free. I include a great pros and cons list for each model.
Why this recipe is great:
There are so many things to love about this easy air fryer cornish hens recipe, but one of my favorites is how quickly you can cook a whole game hen! The air fryer can cook a small thawed (not frozen) hen in about 20 minutes!
Game hens are low-cost and have the same delicious roasted flavor as a roasted chicken.
What you need to make this recipe:
- Cornish game hens - Usually these can be found in the frozen meats section, often in a twin pack. Place in the refrigerator a couple of days before cooking to thaw.
- Oranges - You can use regular oranges, or use mandarin oranges as I did.
- Butter - Use a vegan butter if you would like these game hens to be dairy-free.
I had a smaller 3.4-quart Corsori Air Fryer, but they no longer make the one I own. I am recommending the larger version of the air fryer I have. It frequently goes on sale so keep an eye out for sales!
- 1. The size is great for a family of 4.
- 2. Clean-up is really easy.
- 3. It cooks food really well.
- 1. The baskets are dishwasher safe, but tough to fit in our specific dishwasher model.
Recipe step by step directions
Step 1: Add your melted butter, garlic, and seasonings in a bowl and mix it well.
Step 2: Insert half of a mandarin orange into the cavity of each hen and then rub the butter herb mixture both under the skin of the breast area and on top of the skin.
Step 3: Spray oil on the rack of the air fryer. Add both Cornish game hens into the air fryer basket and put it into your air fryer. It is okay if the hens are touching...air fryers are not huge so don't worry if they slightly touch each other.
Step 4: Set your air fryer to the recommended poultry setting. For my air fryer, I cooked my hens for 20 minutes at 375º F.
It is important to check the temperature internally with a meat thermometer. You want them to have an internal temperature of 165º F. If your hens are not done, cook an additional 10 minutes.
I will say I am NOT happy with the Cozyna brand of air fryer I currently have. It makes an odd smell when I use it and a small piece has broken off the handle. It is no longer available on Amazon so I wonder if they had too many issues.
If you love using your air fryer, did you know you can also roast a turkey breast in the air fryer? It is soooo good!
Oven Directions:
You can easily bake Cornish game hen in the oven. Stuff the herbs under the skin as you would if you were cooking them in the air fryer, but place them in a baking dish, breast up. Cover with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking, then remove the foil so the skin can get crispy!
Bake at 350º F for 45-60 minutes then use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. You want them to be at 165 degrees F before eating so if they are not at that temperature, you will need to bake them longer.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
These game hens do taste a lot like chicken because they are so similar. You will find Cornish hens to have less fat and more white meat due to their small size.
This probably depends on how hungry you are. One hen can feed two people who are not very hungry, or one very hungry teenage boy :-).
For this air fryer recipe, I cooked the game hens breast up so that the seasonings I put under the skin can marinate the meat as it cooks, adding a ton of flavor!
Yes, you can cook frozen game hens in the air fryer. You will need to extend the cooking time by 20-30 minutes. Note in cooking frozen hens in the air fryer, you won't be able to get the seasoning under the skin. If you want the flavor to really cook into the game hens, you will need to thaw them.
If you do decide to cook them before thawing, you will need to increase the cooking time significantly and check the internal temperature.
For this recipe, I used fresh thyme and flat-leaf parsley. You can also use fresh basil, tarragon (though not with the basil), rosemary, or any others you like with citrus. I like to grow fresh herbs in my kitchen window and use as needed for recipes.
Serve with:
If you are looking for more, here are my best gluten free air fryer recipes!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Cornish Game Hens
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish game hens
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the melted butter and seasonings to a bowl and mix well.
- Cut a small orange or mandarin orange in half and put it into the cavity of each Cornish game hen.
- Gently pull up the skin on the breast of each hen.
- Spread the butter herb mixture under the skin, then rub the remaining butter all over the outside of each hen.
- Oil the bottom of the basket of your air fryer. See note.
- Add the two hens.
- Cook at 375º F for 20 minutes.
- Open the air fryer and use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- If the temperature is 165º F, your hens are done. If they are not hot enough internally, cook for an additional 10 minutes and recheck the temperature.
- When the hens are finished, remove from the air fryer
Notes
- I used a spray coconut oil for the basket of my air fryer and you can a different oil, but make sure it is made for high heat.
- You can use regular oranges or mandarin oranges as I did.
- Use vegan butter if you would like this recipe to be dairy-free.
- The roasted game hens will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
If you do decide to cook them before thawing, you will need to increase the cooking time significantly and check the internal temperature.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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CeeCee
What size is your air fryer? I’ve been looking but can’t decide on which brand/size to buy!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi CeeCee, I made this in the 3.4 quarts Corsori Air Fryer. I like that one very much but recently bought the Ninja Foodie Air Fryer because it has two separate compartments. I like this because I can cook meat and veggies separately. In the Corsori you can fit the two hens easily. In the Ninja Foodie you would probably need to cook one in each compartment. I hope this helps.
sam
Thank you.
Sandi Gaertner
You are welcome Sam :-).
Janice Kaili
I received an Air Fryer and now hunting for recipes !!
So, THANK YOU..........
Sandi Gaertner
You are very welcome Janice.
Laura
I really need to get an air fryer. Loving all these fabulous recipes you've developed using it!
Sandi Gaertner
It really is a huge timesaver for us.