This Air Fryer Cornish Hen recipe creates perfectly crispy skin on the outside and juicy meat infused with fresh herb butter. It is the perfect solution when you don't want to use your oven. Your air fryer will cook dinner in about 30 minutes.
Why this recipe is just so good....
- Cooking in your air fryer means a quick, easy to clean up dinner every time.
- You can cook them in about 30 minutes. Just add some mashed cauliflower or potatoes and a steamed or sauteed veggie. Some tasty choices for the perfect side dish would be Marinated Asparagus or Brussels Sprouts.
- This chicken dinner is naturally low carb, keto and is a lean form of protein.
- A simple meat thermometer is the key to chicken having crispy skin but not dried out meat.
- The Cornish hens are a great choice instead of a larger roaster chicken if you need smaller servings.
Ingredient Notes
- We are using two 1 pound Cornish hens and I removed the gizzards from the cavity. Also use softened unsalted butter. Don't melt it to liquid, just leave at room temperature for 30 minutes and it will soften enough to spread over the hens.
- The herbs we used were 2 or 3 sprigs each of sage, rosemary and thyme.
- If you don't have fresh herbs, combine ½ teaspoon of your favorite dried herbs for poultry such as rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley. You can also use a general, all purpose chicken seasoning to sprinkle under and over the skin of the Cornish hen.
Here are more reasons to love chicken!
Cooking Tips
- To ensure a crispy skin, make sure to blot the outside of the hen with paper towel to dry it well before adding the butter and herbs.
- If you gently lift the skin on the top of the breast, you should be able to slide your fingers in to reach towards the back and down to the thigh and leg area. Try not to tear the skin since you want it to stay on the bird to keep the breast juicy and of course, for the crispy skin.
- I used a Philips Premium Air Fryer XXL for this recipe. Two Cornish Hens fit side by side in the fryer. If yours is smaller, you may only fit one at a time. Just remember they will shrink a bit so even though mine fit tightly, they turned out great.
- For some extra added flavor, try adding sliced lemon in the cavity of the hen.
- To remove the hens from the air fryer, I use a long handled fork and lift from inside the cavity. If you use a fork to spear the chicken, you risk losing some of the juices.
FAQ
A Cornish hen is a breed of chicken. It is an immature Cornish chicken that is bred to have lots of white meat. It is considered a broiler/fryer.
According to Good Housekeeping, there are three ways to defrost chicken. "Thawing chicken in the refrigerator takes the most amount of planning ahead, as it takes at least a full day for the chicken to thaw, but it's also the safest and most recommended. To defrost using this method, simply place your frozen chicken in the refrigerator. " Make sure your refrigerator temperature is set at 40 °F or below, and keep the chicken wrapped and placed in a container, tray, or dish that will prevent the juices from leaking onto other foods.
A quicker, more hands on method is to submerge the store-wrapped chicken in a large bowl of cold water. Food safety instructions say to drain and replace the water every 30 minutes. Depending on how large your Cornish hen is, they can be defrosted in about an hour. "Chicken thawed by this method should be cooked immediately and not refrozen.
Another way to defrost is using your microwave. Take the hens out of the original packaging, place in a microwave safe bowl or plate cover loosely with paper towel or plastic wrap. Using the defrost button, start with 2-3 minutes, flipping over and continuing until fully defrosted. A 1 pound Cornish hen will take approximately 7-8 minutes. Also note that the defrost button is equivilant to 2-30 percent power.
The most important takeaway is to never refreeze any chicken that has been defrosted by the cold water or microwave method. Because these methods defrost in an uneven manner, there is more risk of bacteria.
Do you love cooking in your Air Fryer? Try these recipes next!
Air Fryer Marinated Flank Steak
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Air Fryer Cornish Hen
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Air Fryer Cornish Hen recipe creates perfectly crispy skin on the outside and juicy meat infused with fresh herb butter. It is the perfect solution when you don't want to use your oven. Your air fryer will cook dinner in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- small handful choice of herbs ( I used 3-4 sprigs each of sage, thyme and rosemary)*
- 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 2 (16 oz. each) Cornish Game Hens
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer to 375°F for 5 minutes.
- Gently pull skin away from the hens and smear butter underneath the skin and on top.
- Place some herbs under the skin. Sprinkle hens with salt and pepper. Also salt the cavity of the hen.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil.
- Place hens breast side down in the fryer.
- Cook for 15 minutes. Flip over the hens and cook for another 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh meat registers 165°F.
- Remove to platter and let rest for 5-10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.
- Slice each hen in half for four servings. Or you could slice the breast meat for those that prefer white meat. And divide the legs, thighs and wings for those that prefer dark meat.
- Serve with your favorite side dishes.
Notes
* If your Cornish hens are frozen, defrost them overnight on a plate in the refrigerator.
*Instead of fresh herbs you can use a ½ teaspoon of dried rosemary, sage, thyme. Or a general all purpose chicken or poultry seasoning.
*Use a long handled fork to lift from inside the cavity of the hens. Don't spear the meat or you risk losing some of the juices.
*Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. You can heat them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or saute in a fry pan to heat through. My favorite way to use leftover chicken is to make cold chicken sandwiches or add to a salad.
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