I learned how to prepare this quick and simple Cornish hen recipe for four from my father. This meal is typically served with rice and steaming green beans. In the Asian food section of your neighborhood grocery store, look for oyster sauce.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr |
| Additional Time: | 15 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 30 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 large Cornish game hens
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, and pepper. Place Cornish game hens in the mixture, and marinate 10 minutes.
- Transfer hens to a medium baking dish, and cover with the marinade mixture. Cover dish with foil and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Remove cover from dish, and place 1 tablespoon butter on each hen. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Basting frequently with the marinade mixture, continue baking 30 minutes, or until exterior of the hens is lightly browned and crisp, the interior is no longer pink, and juices run clear.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 579 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 270 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 46 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Sodium | 2025 mg |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 41 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe. Great flavor, very moist. I added a little more garlic than recommended and it was sooo good. A favorite dish now.
Very good****** Quick and easy
I made this recipe and it’s easy and delicious.
Excellent. Roasted 325 for 1 hour covered. Uncovered & roasted 30 more min at 350. Made sauce with pan drippings, added chicken stock and thickened with corn starch.
This was pretty good. I made it as part of New Year’s Day dinner. Marinated the birds for about an hour, turning several times. Cooking time was a little longer than indicated, even using 18 oz birds. If I do this again I will probably put them on a rack to keep them from sitting in the marinade. May also finish them at high heat to crisp the skin.
Very good! Great recipe. I skipped the oyster sauce, but followed all other directions. Flavorful and not dry. If you have string, I would use it… as you can see the legs move apart as it cooks. The little fella looks like it wants to jump off the plate and sprint out the door. Very goid recipe.
Delicious, Easy and Nice Presentation. Would give it more stars if I could. Thanks for a great recipe. ??
It was good I added hot sauce. You have to use real butter or it doesn’t brown all pretty. I made a side of new potatoes whole fried then put it with the hens. Spinach on the side that’s where I put the garlic.
I used two average size hens (2.2lbs each) and the cooking time was not enough. After they were done I did decide that I’m not a Cornish game hen fan.
First time doing it I actually have not tasted but it looks and smells so good I can’t wait to eat it
This was awesome! I will definitely make it again!
I made this for Thanksgiving. It was very good. I too cooked it longer than suggested, no big deal. Thanks for the recipe.
Easy and great tasting. We cooked this dish as a substitute for turkey on Thanksgiving. The only thing we’d caution people about is the cook time. The dark meat was just a bit underdone. So, you might add 10-15 mins to the second half of cooking. Otherwise, great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Had to cook a little longer but came out awesome:)))
I made this for my family and they loved the flavor. We are not fans of soy sauce so used Worcestershire sauce in stead. I will make this again
The sauce was delicious with the mirin sauce I use instead of oyster sauce. I only had 2 hens so I cut them in half also to cut down cooking time, I prepped and marinated while at work about 9 hours and cooked them after didn’t take long about 90mins. Started off @350 for 30mins as recipe stated. Left them covered @375 until the last 15mins while basting frequently. I would use this recipe again !
Great recipe! Thank you!
easy and flavorful. need to cook 15 minutes longer
I followed the recipe exactly except that I cooked them for 1.5 hours at 325 for half an hour and then raised the temperature to 350 for another hour. They were perfect and everybody loved them.
Loved it, very delicious. Did substitute fish sauce for oyster sauce and it worked out fine. Added a tablespoon of sugar to juices at end of cook, deglazed the pan and used as a nice sauce for rice.
It came out great!! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe… God Bless!!!