• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Air Frying Foodie
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Air Fryer Appetizers
    • Air Fryer Breakfast
    • Air Fryer Desserts
    • Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
    • Air Fryer Side Dishes
  • Air Fryer Cookbooks

Home » Air Fryer Cornish Game Hen

Air Fryer Cornish Game Hen

This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you. You can read more about this on our Privacy Policy Page, via the About page.

Share

Share
Pin24
Tweet
Email
24Shares
Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
Buy Air Fryer eCookbooks HERE

You are going to love Air Fryer Cornish Game Hen. The tender meat is so moist and juicy. These small hens are full of flavor, and are perfect individual or fancy family dinner.

Golden small hen served on a white plate with stuffing.

If you are not familiar with Cornish game hens they are basically small chickens. They are a cross between the Cornish Hen and White Plymouth Rock breed of chicken.

Find this recipe along with over 35 others for the ULTIMATE list of Air Fryer Thanksgiving Recipes.

 They mature faster than regular chicken, and are rarely more than 2 pounds. Because they are younger than chickens, they have less fat and more white meat and less dark meat. 

Wondering what to get your friends and family for the holidays? Check out this list for the Ultimate Air Fryer Holiday Gift Guide!

Two small hens side by side on a white plate. Golden and crispy skin hens.

I think these small hens are just perfect to serve for a gourmet dinner, or even a holiday dinner. But they are also simple enough to have on your family dinner table too. If you need a bigger meal, you can make Air Fryer Whole Chicken too. 

What you need to make Game Hen

close up photo of Golden game hen with crispy skin

I make these game hens in my Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer and my Instant Vortex air fryer. Because they are so small, they should fit in even smaller air fryer baskets. Besides an air fryer, I highly recommend a meat thermometer. This will help ensure your meat is cooked to the proper internal temperature.

Ingredients needed to make this recipe are:

Cornish Hens such as Tyson Cornish Game Hens

butter

kosher salt

pepper

thyme

rosemary 

sage

The herbs I use are my favorite seasonings and make the hens have crispy skin and juicy meat. I used the same combination on my air fryer turkey breast.  Of course, you can add other ingredients, such as garlic cloves, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or any other fresh herbs you'd like. 

Cornish game hens being brushed with an herbed butter before cooking.

How to make Air Fryer Cornish Game Hen

Using a paper towel, lightly pat the hens dry. In a small mixing bowl, add the herbs, salt, and pepper, to the melted butter, making an herb butter rub.

Brush a light coating over both of the entire hens, covering with the butter mixture. Place each hen in the air fryer basket, or air fryer tray, breast side down. I line my basket with parchment paper. It's not necessary, but makes for easier clean up.

Side by side photos of small hens in the air fryer basket, showing before and after cooking. Before photo has herbed butter coating and after photo shows hens golden and crispy.

Click Here to Get the Top Ten Air Fryer Questions Answered

Air fry the hens at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, and then flip to the other side, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the size. The hens will be done cooking when they have reached internal temperatures of 165 degrees F.

FAQ's:

How do you know when a Cornish hen is ready?

Although the outside of the hen may be turning a beautiful golden color, it needs to have an internal temperature of 165 degrees. If you have slightly bigger hens, you may need to add additional cook time.  A digital thermometer is a really useful tool when making air fryer recipes. 

How can I get the skin crispy?

The butter herb mixture helps to do that! This perfect dinner has a fantastic flavor from the herbs too. 

What can I serve with Cornish hens?

I love sweet potatoes, baby potatoes, cranberry sauce, just to name a few. But because this recipe is so versatile, you can serve any of your favorite side dishes.  

How many people does a Cornish hen feed?

A small hen can feed 1-2 people. It's a little tricky to determine serving size because they are only 1-2 pounds. My husband can eat the ENTIRE chicken, if it's small enough. 

CLICK HERE to grab the BEGINNERS BOOK of recipes for the Air Fryer!!

Crispy golden Cornish game hen served on a white plate with stuffing on the plate.

MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES: 

  • Garlic Steak Bites
  • Ribeye Steak
  • Lobster Tails
  • Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • BBQ Chicken Pizza Rolls
Golden cornish game hen served on a white plate with stuffing as a side.

Air Fryer Cornish Game Hen

Becky
Air Fryer Cornish Game Hen meat is so moist and juicy. These small hens are full of flavor, and are perfect individual or fun family dinner.
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share by Text
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 501 kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Cornish Game Hens
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp thyme
  • ½ tsp rosemary
  • ½ tsp sage

Instructions
 

  • Using a paper towel, lightly pat each hen dry.
  • In a small bowl, add the salt, pepper, and herbs, to the melted butter, making an herb butter rub.
  • Brush a light coating over both of the entire hens, covering with the butter mixture.
  • Place each hen in the air fryer basket, breast side down.
  • Air fry the hens at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, and then flip to the other side, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
  • The hens will be done cooking when they have reached internal temperatures of 165 degrees F.

Notes

Each should should serve two people, depending on the size.
Weight Watcher's 5-7 points (4 ounces of hen with herbed butter)
KETO C/1  P/39  F/37

Nutrition

Calories: 501kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 39gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 242mgSodium: 429mgPotassium: 537mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 431IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg

*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.

©AirFryingFoodie 2021

Share this recipe! Follow @AirFryingFoodie on Pinterest.

Share

Share
Pin24
Tweet
Email
24Shares
« Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Air Fryer Nutella French Toast Roll Ups »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LT

    November 24, 2021 at 2:56 pm

    This came out very good and moist. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      November 25, 2021 at 9:29 pm

      Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  2. Sandy Gorczynski

    December 18, 2021 at 8:10 am

    5 stars
    I have a square af. Also it comes with a rotisserie. How long would I need to cook it?

    Reply
    • Jen West

      December 18, 2021 at 11:19 am

      You will need to adjust the cook time according to the wattage of your air fryer. This recipe was made with a Cosori 5.8 and that is at 1700 watts, so you may need to adjust your cook time by adding or taking away a little time. Either way, it should be close to the same time within a couple of minutes I would guess.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

About Us

Welcome to Air Frying Foodie, where our recipes have been featured in the New York Times, MSN, MOM.com, Parade, and more. Here we share all of our favorite Air Fryer recipes from breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Find out more about Jen and Becky in the ABOUT section in the menu. Read More about the Air Frying Foodies here...

Air Fryer Cookbooks

Air Fryer Cook Times Magnet

Air Fryer Magnets in 8x10 and 5x7 size

100+ Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners

Collage of photo with words stating over 100 beginner air fryer recipes.

You Might Also Like:

Close up photo of golden rolls in the air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Rolls

Syrup being poured on a stack of Air Fryer French Toast.

Air Fryer French Toast

Overhead shot of golden brown frozen popcorn shrimp fully cooked in the air fryer and served on a white plate with dipping sauce and lemon wedges.

Frozen Popcorn Shrimp in Air Fryer

Air Fryer With questions

The Top 10 Air Fryer Questions and Answers

Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Wings on a white serving dish ready to serve.

Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

Recent Posts

  • Air Fryer Taco Bombs
  • Benefits of Air Frying
  • Air Fryer Fried Green Tomatoes

Privacy Policy

Find out more about our Privacy Policy by clicking here. 

TOP 3 Air Frying Secrets!

FREE Cooking Guide when you sign up for the newsletter.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Copyright © 2022 · AIR FRYING FOODIE