Stuffed Cornish Hens with Wild Rice and Herb Butter Recipe
These Stuffed Cornish Game Hens feature tender Cornish game hens filled with a flavorful wild rice stuffing and coated with a fragrant triple-herb butter. Roasted to a perfect golden brown, this impressive dish is ideal for dinner parties or holiday gatherings, offering each guest their own beautifully cooked individual hen with a rich herb gravy.
- Prep Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cornish Hens
- ¾ cup Morton kosher salt (or ½ cup table salt)
- 4 Cornish game hens, about 1½ pounds each, trimmed of extra fat and giblets removed
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour (or white/all-purpose flour)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
Wild Rice Stuffing
- ¾ cup wild rice blend (a mix of red, black, brown, and wild rice)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped shallots
- ¼ cup minced carrot
- ¼ cup minced celery
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- ¼ cup dried tart cherries
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Brining the Hens: Dissolve ¾ cup kosher salt in 3 quarts cold water in a large pot or bucket. Submerge the Cornish hens completely, cover, and refrigerate for 2–3 hours to properly brine and enhance flavor and moisture.
- Prepare Herb Butter: In a small bowl, mash together 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon fresh sage, 1 tablespoon thyme, 2 teaspoons rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Set aside the herb butter for basting later.
- Cook Wild Rice: Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in ¾ cup wild rice blend, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is fluffy and cooked through, about 40 minutes.
- Sauté Vegetables for Stuffing: In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add ½ cup chopped shallots, ¼ cup minced carrot, and ¼ cup minced celery. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook until softened and lightly browned, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped sage and cook 1 more minute.
- Combine Stuffing Ingredients: Add the cooked wild rice, ¼ cup dried tart cherries, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar to the sautéed vegetables. Reduce heat to low and warm through. Remove from heat and set aside or refrigerate until ready to stuff the hens.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Setup: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Place a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet (at least 19 x 13 inches) to allow air circulation and even roasting.
- Stuff and Arrange Hens: Reheat the wild rice stuffing until steaming. Spoon about ½ cup of hot stuffing into each hen’s cavity. Tie each hen’s legs together securely with kitchen twine. Place hens breast side down, wings facing out, spaced evenly on the wire rack.
- First Roast: Roast hens at 400ºF for approximately 25 minutes until backs are golden brown.
- Butter and Flip Hens: Remove baking sheet and spread 1 teaspoon of herb butter over the back of each hen. Turn hens breast side up, wings facing out, and spread 2 teaspoons of herb butter over the breasts and legs.
- Second Roast with Water: Add 1 cup water to the baking sheet for moisture. Return to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the stuffed cavity reaches about 150ºF (65ºC), roughly 20–30 minutes.
- Final Butter and High-Temp Roast: Remove sheet again, spread 1 teaspoon herb butter over breasts and legs. Add another ½ cup water to the baking sheet and increase oven temperature to 450ºF (232ºC). Roast until skin is spotty brown and cavity temperature reaches 160ºF (71ºC), about 15–20 minutes more. Check breast and thigh temps (breast 165ºF, thigh 170ºF) for doneness.
- Rest Hens: Remove hens from oven, spread remaining herb butter over each, and let rest for 10 minutes for juices to redistribute.
- Make Gravy: Pour drippings into a liquid measuring cup and skim off 3 tablespoons fat. Add the fat to a small saucepan over medium heat. Discard remaining fat. Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining drippings, ¼ cup white wine, and 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth. Bring to boil, then simmer and cook until thickened, 5–8 minutes. Strain through fine mesh and serve with the hens.
Notes
- Wild Rice Blend: A mix of red, black, brown, and wild rice imparts a nutty flavor and chewy texture.
- Buying Tips: Choose hens of similar weight (approximately 1½ pounds) for even cooking; typically found frozen in grocery stores.
- Trimming: Remove any loose skin or excess fat from the birds before brining.
- Brining: Use 3 quarts water and ¾ cup kosher salt; brine time is 2–3 hours for moist, flavorful meat.
- Substitution: If Morton kosher salt is unavailable, adjust salt quantity according to salt type using a kosher salt guide.
- Food Safety: Always stuff with hot stuffing to minimize risk of bacterial growth.
- Preparation Efficiency: Make wild rice stuffing during the brining stage to save overall cooking time; reheat before stuffing hens.
- Cooking by Temperature: Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure perfect doneness, making the meat moist and juicy.
- Browning: Pat hens dry thoroughly before roasting for golden, crispy skin.
- Alternative Sauce: For a jus instead of gravy, skim fat from drippings, add wine, and simmer until flavor blends, about 2–3 minutes; drizzle over hens.
- Storage: Leftover cooked hens last up to 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.
- Reheating: Warm leftovers in a skillet with broth and butter over medium-low heat, partially covered, or microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.
