Prep Time: 40 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr 20 mins | Total Time: 2 hrs | Servings: 4
If you are looking for an amazing alternative to turkey, then you have to try these elegant and incredibly delicious hens stuffed with wild rice, cranberry, and apple stuffing!
Ingredients
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Stuffing:
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 c. coarsely chopped pecans
1/4 c. chopped celery
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 c. peeled, diced Fuji apples (1/4-inch dice, about 1/2 large apple)
1-1/2 c. cooked rice (long grain and wild, or “Royal/Wild Blend”)
3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c. sweetened dried cranberries
splash apple cider
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Glaze:
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 c. apple cider
pinch ground cinnamon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Hens:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 cornish hens (1.25 to 1.5 lbs each)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make Cornish Hens with Apple-Cranberry Rice Stuffing
Stuffing:
Step 1: In a skillet, melt the butter until the foaming subsides. Then, add the onions along with the celery. Cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the pecans followed sage, thyme, and 1/4 tsp each kosher salt, and pepper. Continue to cook for additional 3 minutes until the pecans are aromatic.
Step 2: With a little splash of apple cider, deglaze the pan and scrape the brown bits from the bottom.
Step 3: Take the skillet off the heat, then stir in the cooked rice, apples, cranberries, and parsley. To taste, season with more salt and pepper. Set aside.
Glaze:
Step 4: In a pot, mix the apple cider with maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, then decrease the heat to keep a steady bubble. Let the mixture simmer for approximately 15 minutes until the syrup has reduced to about 1/3 to 1/2 cup.
Step 5: Add the Dijon mustard and cinnamon. Mix well until smooth and set aside.
Stuff and Roast the Hens:
Step 6: Thirty minutes before roasting, take the hens from the fridge. Remove the giblets, then rinse the hens and pat dry using a paper towel.
Step 7: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 425 degrees F. Position the oven rack to the lower third place in the oven.
Step 8: Inside a foil-lined roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet, put a roasting rack and grease using a cooking spray.
Step 9: With salt and pepper, lightly season the cavities of the hens. Spoon around half a cup of the stuffing in the cavities, then tie the legs of the hens closed using kitchen twine, tucking the wings under. In the pan, arrange the hens, leaving enough space between the hens so the air has room to go around.
Step 10: With the melted butter, brush the tops and sides of the hen and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven and roast the hens for about 20 minutes. Then, adjust the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Roast the hens for another 40 to 50 minutes.
Step 11: Lightly brush the hens with the glaze every ten minutes in the last thirty minutes of roasting. You can tent the hens with foil if they begin to brown too quickly.
Step 12: The hens are done when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reached 180 degrees F, and their juices run clear. Allow the hens to rest for about 10 minutes, then serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 1181KCAL | Carbohydrates: 31G | Protein: 79G | Fat: 80G | Saturated Fat: 25G | Cholesterol: 484MG | Sodium: 299MG | Potassium: 1202MG | Fiber: 2G | Sugar: 20G | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 9.3MG | Calcium: 77MG | Iron: 4.2MG
Ingredients
- Stuffing:
- 1/4 c. chopped onion
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 c. coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/4 c. chopped celery
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 c. peeled, diced Fuji apples (1/4-inch dice, about 1/2 large apple)
- 1-1/2 c. cooked rice (long grain and wild, or "Royal/Wild Blend")
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 c. sweetened dried cranberries
- splash apple cider
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Glaze:
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 c. apple cider
- pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Hens:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cornish hens (1.25 to 1.5 lbs each)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Stuffing:
Step 1: In a skillet, melt the butter until the foaming subsides. Then, add the onions along with the celery. Cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the pecans followed sage, thyme, and 1/4 tsp each kosher salt, and pepper. Continue to cook for additional 3 minutes until the pecans are aromatic.
Step 2: With a little splash of apple cider, deglaze the pan and scrape the brown bits from the bottom.
Step 3: Take the skillet off the heat, then stir in the cooked rice, apples, cranberries, and parsley. To taste, season with more salt and pepper. Set aside.
Glaze:
Step 4: In a pot, mix the apple cider with maple syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, then decrease the heat to keep a steady bubble. Let the mixture simmer for approximately 15 minutes until the syrup has reduced to about 1/3 to 1/2 cup.
Step 5: Add the Dijon mustard and cinnamon. Mix well until smooth and set aside.
Stuff and Roast the Hens:
Step 6: Thirty minutes before roasting, take the hens from the fridge. Remove the giblets, then rinse the hens and pat dry using a paper towel.
Step 7: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 425 degrees F. Position the oven rack to the lower third place in the oven.
Step 8: Inside a foil-lined roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet, put a roasting rack and grease using a cooking spray.
Step 9: With salt and pepper, lightly season the cavities of the hens. Spoon around half a cup of the stuffing in the cavities, then tie the legs of the hens closed using kitchen twine, tucking the wings under. In the pan, arrange the hens, leaving enough space between the hens so the air has room to go around.
Step 10: With the melted butter, brush the tops and sides of the hen and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven and roast the hens for about 20 minutes. Then, adjust the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Roast the hens for another 40 to 50 minutes.
Step 11: Lightly brush the hens with the glaze every ten minutes in the last thirty minutes of roasting. You can tent the hens with foil if they begin to brown too quickly.
Step 12: The hens are done when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reached 180 degrees F, and their juices run clear. Allow the hens to rest for about 10 minutes, then serve. Enjoy!