These Air Fryer Cornish Game Hens are cooked to perfection with crispy skin and juicy, tender meat. Fresh oranges and garlic butter cook under the skin, adding rich flavor cooked right into the meat. This recipe makes two game hens in around 40 minutes in your air fryer.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: Rubbing garlic herb butter and orange slices directly under the skin is what makes these air fryer Cornish game hens so juicy. The air fryer crisps the skin in about 40 minutes, which is faster than the oven and without any basting.
I tested this air fryer with two game hens, and it did a great job fitting in both hens so they could cook at the same time. Using the air fryer is such a time saver for getting a meal on the table.
In creating this recipe, I found that rubbing the garlic herb butter under the skin turned out to be the tastiest. Game hens are small and cook quickly, which means surface seasonings can char before they penetrate the meat. Rubbing butter directly against the meat ensures the fat and flavor have nowhere to go but in.
I have cooked game hens other ways, including Slow Cooker Cornish Hens and Roasted Cornish Hens in the oven. Serve with this easy Celery Root and Apple Slaw or these Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Cornish Game Hens – Usually found in the frozen meats section at your grocery store, often in a twin pack. Place in the refrigerator for a couple of days to thaw before cooking.
- Butter – Use salted butter. Use plant-based butter for a dairy-free option. Butter helps retain moisture, keeping the game hens juicy as they cook.
- Oranges – You can use regular oranges or mandarin oranges, as I did. Oranges add delicious flavor. Lemons also work.
- Garlic – You can use fresh or jarred minced garlic.
- Herbs – Use fresh or dried herbs. Dried jarred herbs are more convenient because most people have them on hand. I like to use fresh herbs when I have them on hand. I grow fresh herbs in my kitchen window and use them as needed for recipes
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 comprehensive list of pros and cons for each model.
How To Cook Cornish Game Hens In The Air Fryer:
Before you start, make sure your hens are fully thawed, and any giblet packages are removed from the cavity.
👀 Sandi Says: Do not cook a frozen hen in the air fryer. The seasonings will not cook into the meat, and the hens will not cook evenly.
Step 1: Add the melted butter, garlic, and seasonings to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Step 2: Use a knife to slice under the skin and then stretch the skin up from the meat. Put a sliced mandarin orange in the cavity of each hen.
Step 3: Rub the garlic herb butter mixture under the skin of each side of the hen, as well as on the outside of the skin
👀 Sandi Says: You can also cut little slits in each game hen leg and push a little herb butter under so the flavor cooks into each drumstick too.
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Step 4: Spray oil on the rack of the air fryer. For this recipe, I used my Corsori Air Fryer.
Step 5: Add both Cornish game hens to the air fryer basket and place them in the 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 6: Air fryers can vary slightly in how their settings work. In the Corsori model I own, I cooked the hens for 20 minutes at 375º F in my air fryer. If you have a poultry setting similar to the cooking temperature and time I used, you can use it.
👀 Sandi Says: Smaller 1 to 1.25 lb hens consistently finished at 20 minutes, while larger hens may need closer to 30 minutes.
Step 7: Air fryer models vary slightly in wattage, so always rely on internal temperature rather than time alone. 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 for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Store leftover Cornish hens in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the leftovers in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
The air fryer gets that nice crisp outside while the meat stays nice and juicy. My kids’ favorite game hen recipe is this Bacon-Wrapped Cornish Game Hens recipe, because of the smoky flavor of the bacon cooking into the meat.
Oven Baking Directions:
You can easily bake a Cornish game hen in the oven using these simple directions.
- 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 with the 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 60 minutes, then check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
- You want the internal temperature to be 165°F before eating. If your temperature isn’t 165ºF, you will need to bake them longer if they are not at that temperature.
Serve With These Sides:
If you want more easy recipes you can make in the air fryer, here are my best gluten free air fryer recipes!
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If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Easy Air Fryer Cornish Game Hens in 40 Minutes
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish game hens
- 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 1/2 tsp fresh
- 1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley 1 1/2 tsp fresh
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method
- Add 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt to a bowl and mix well.
- Cut 1 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 20-25 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
Nutrition
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 airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Private Notes
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This post was updated from an older January 2021 post with more recipe details.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
What size is your air fryer? I’ve been looking but can’t decide on which brand/size to buy!
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.
Thank you.
You are welcome Sam :-).
I received an Air Fryer and now hunting for recipes !!
So, THANK YOU……….
You are very welcome Janice.