Olga's Flavor Factory

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Ebook
  • Olga's Tips
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Ebook
  • Olga's Tips
  • olgasflavorfactory@gmail.com
  • //instagram.com/olgasflavorfactory
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Ebook
  • Olga's Tips
  • olgasflavorfactory@gmail.com
  • //instagram.com/olgasflavorfactory
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
×
Home » Recipe Index » Main Course

Cornish Hens With Rice Stuffing

Published: Sep 17, 2012 · Modified: Dec 14, 2024 by Olga · This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe

Cornish hens with rice stuffing are a delicious and elegant meal—perfect for anniversaries, birthdays, or cozy dinners for two.

Looking to make a romantic dinner for two? Cornish hens are the perfect choice! These elegant, petite little chickens (weighing in at less than 2.5 pounds) make a charming and healthy meal that’s ideal for a date night, birthday dinner, or anniversary celebration. Their small size and tender meat make them a lovely option for serving individually, and paired with a delicious rice stuffing, they’re sure to impress.

If you’re hosting a dinner party, imagine how delightful it would be to serve these adorable hens, each perfectly plated with rice stuffing. Rice is the traditional stuffing for poultry in my Belarusian cuisine, and it’s my personal favorite. I always make a little extra to serve on the side, too—because who doesn’t love extra rice?

Ingredients

  • cornish hens
  • long grain white rice
  • carrots
  • onions

The complete list of ingredients and their exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Cornish Hens With Rice Stuffing

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a cooking rack on top of it.

Cook the rice according to package instructions. Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in a skillet. Add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and tender. Add the carrot and garlic. Also season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add to the rice. Add the cheese. I used a mixture of half provolone and half parmesan. You can use any cheese that you like. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season the cornish hens with salt and pepper on the inside and the outside. Stuff the chickens with rice, about ½ -¾ cup into each cavity. Place the rest of the rice in a buttered baking dish, about 1 quart. Tuck the wings behind the back of the chicken and tie the legs together. Place the cornish hens on the  prepared cooking rack. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes. Halfway through, about 10-15 minutes after you place the cornish hens in the oven, place the rice in the oven also. After baking the chicken for 20-25 minutes, rub the chicken with a Tablespoon of softened butter.

Patting the cornish hens dry, then baking on top of a cooking rack helps to crisp up the skin. If the chicken is wet, it will steam before it will start to crisp up. Also, when it cooks on top of a cooking rack, the hot air circulates above the chicken and also from the bottom. Rubbing it with butter towards the end of baking and then increasing the temperature will crisp up the skin even more without drying out the meat on the inside.

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the skin is golden and crisp. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes.

Cornish Hens With Rice Stuffing

Olga Klyuchits
Cornish hens with rice stuffing make an elegant, healthy meal that’s perfect for a romantic dinner or dinner party. Stuffed with rice, this dish is full of flavor and sure to impress.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Entree
Cuisine American
Servings 2 cornish hens

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cornish hens
  • 1 carrot shredded
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • ¼ cup cheese finely shredded, parmesan, mozzarella, provolone
  • salt pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack on top of it.
  • Cook the rice according to package instructions.
  • Melt 1 Tablespoon of butter in a skillet. Add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and tender.
  • Add the carrot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
  • Add to the rice. Add the cheese. Mix the rice.
  • Season the Cornish hens with salt and pepper on the inside and the outside. Stuff the chickens with rice, about ½ -¾ cup into each cavity.
  • Place the rest of the rice in a buttered baking dish, about 1 quart.
  • Tuck the wings behind the back of the chicken and tie the legs together.
  • Place the Cornish hens on the cooling rack and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes.
  • Halfway through, about 10-15 minutes after you place the cornish hens in the oven, place the rice in the oven also.
  • After baking the chicken for 20-25 minutes, rub the chicken with a Tablespoon of softened butter.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the skin is golden and crisp.
  • Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

More Flavorful Made-from-Scratch Main Courses

  • Lemon Garlic Baked Cod
  • Potato, Bacon and Cheese Pastry
  • Potato and Chicken Casserole
  • Healthy Baked Chicken Meatballs

Comments

  1. Lynnette says

    November 10, 2024 at 8:10 pm

    Still the best recipe for cooking Cornish hens!!
    I added broccoli to my rice this time, amazingly delicious

    Reply
    • olgak7 says

      November 10, 2024 at 11:43 pm

      Thank you so much for the kind words, Lynnette! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe. Adding broccoli to the rice sounds like such a tasty twist—what a great way to add extra flavor and nutrition! Thanks again for sharing your update.

      Reply
  2. Olga P says

    January 03, 2014 at 10:49 pm

    Olya, unfortunately I didn't try them due to the Christmas Lent, but my family definitely enjoyed the cornish hens. 🙂
    I have a question about the cooking time. I bought the smallest Perdue cornish hens I ever met. I followed all your instructions, I increased the temp to 450F after 25min and baked them for 15 min, but when I cut them before serving, they were in rare condition. I gave them extra 10 min and after all they were ready to eat. Probably it depends on the type of the oven? I have a gas stove and oven.
    Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Olga P says

    January 01, 2014 at 1:55 pm

    Olya, thank you for your recipe. I cook cornish hens rather often. Today i'm trying your recipe.
    I usually buy Perdue cornish hens in BJ's or Costco. They are not frozen. Also you can find them in the local butcher's shop. More expensive, but better taste & quality.

    Reply
    • olgak7 says

      January 02, 2014 at 12:51 am

      I hope you enjoy the cornish hens, Olga P.
      I agree with you that they taste better from the butcher:).

      Reply
  4. Lesya says

    December 20, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    I made them once according to ur recipe and they were amazing! I'm hosting a dinner this weekend and would like to serve them with potatoes, but don't want to stuff them with rice... Is it ok not to stuff them with anything?

    Reply
    • olgak7 says

      December 22, 2012 at 8:09 pm

      Hi Lesya,
      You can totally make these hens without any stuffing. I usually made them that way anyway, and serve them with mashed potatoes or Rustic Herb Potatoes.

      Reply
  5. Alla says

    November 04, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    If I were having guests over abd serving this what else would you suggesting making to go along with this or as a side? What salad?

    Reply
    • olgak7 says

      November 05, 2012 at 12:58 am

      Alla, you can serve just about any salad/vegetable with this dinner. A garden salad with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. is a great option. You can also serve a tomato, cucumber salad with sour cream and herbs. I also like serving Green Beans or Crunchy Cabbage Cucumber Salad.

      Reply
  6. Anastasiya says

    September 21, 2012 at 12:00 am

    These are so cute! I have always wanted to make these but for some reason always thought they were too exotic and complicated! I can't wait to try this recipe 🙂 Love your site, keep up the good work 🙂

    Reply
  7. Natasha says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    What brand of cornish hens do you buy? Thank you Olga!

    Reply
    • olgak7 says

      September 17, 2012 at 11:06 pm

      I use any brand that is available. I didn't notice which brand I used this time:).

      Reply
  8. Ani K says

    September 17, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    where do you buy your cornish hens? are they frozen?

    Reply
    • olgak7 says

      September 17, 2012 at 5:32 pm

      Yes, they are frozen. They can be found in any grocery store. I bought mine at Publix.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Olga in the kitchen

Welcome!

Hello. I’m Olga, the creator and photographer of the recipes that you see here. Welcome to my online kitchen, where I share step by step recipes and kitchen tips, to make homemade cooking easier, practical, and of course, more flavorful.

More about me

Get Weekly Menu Ideas, Recipes, Kitchen Hacks:

Join thousands of others to get my best cooking and meal prep tips plus handpicked seasonal menu ideas in your email.

Olga's Flavor Factory ebooks bundle
Olga's Ebooks
Olga's Flavor Factory family 2024
Life/Family

Popular

  • Honey Garlic Glazed Meatballs
  • Limoncello Cake
  • Easy Homemade Bread Recipe
  • Ultimate Steelhead Trout Recipe (VIDEO)

Seasonal

  • Healthy Cabbage Salad
  • Fish and Vegetables En Papillote (Fish in Parchment)
  • Borscht - Борщ
  • Orange Salad

Footer

↑ back to top

The Home Cook's Handbook

A Practical Kitchen Resource Guide

Learn more
Buy now

Get Weekly Menu Ideas, Recipes, Kitchen Hacks:

Join thousands of others to get my best cooking and meal prep tips plus handpicked seasonal menu ideas in your email.

About

  • About
  • Starting A Blog
  • FAQ
  • Olga’s Tips
  • Shop

Social Links

  • Instagram
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 Olga's Flavor Factory