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    Air Fryer Cornish Hen Recipe | Takes Just 5 Minutes To Prep

    Nov 10, 2022 The Diet Chef

    Jump to Recipe

    This air fryer cornish hen is basically like a homemade mini rotisserie chicken. And it's so easy to make. In fact, it's so easy that this cornish game hen recipe requires just a couple of minutes to prep work and then the air fryer takes care of the rest! Oh, and the results are to die for. The skin turns out super flavorful and incredibly crispy, and the meat is just so, so juicy.

    A cornish hen that is in a white casserole dish.

    Table of Contents

    • The Best Air Fryer Cornish Hen
      • Ingredients
        • What is a Cornish hen?
      • How to Make Air Fryer Cornish Hens
        • Step 1: Prep Work
        • Step 2: Season the Cornish Hen
        • Step 3: Air Frying The Cornish Hen
        • Step 4: Serving
        • How To Store Cornish Hen
        • How to Reheat cornish hen
      • Wrapping It All Up
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Air Fryer Cornish Hen Recipe | Takes Just 5 Minutes To Prep
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Nutrition
      • Did you make this recipe?

    The Best Air Fryer Cornish Hen

    Let me tell ya, this air fryer cornish game hen recipe is a crowd pleaser!

    Every time we make this recipe for dinner it's a hit with the whole fam - kids included.

    And what's great about it is that it takes just a couple of minutes to prep, and then the air fryer does all the hard work - aka the cooking. 

    Also, while it's cooking, you can make some equally quick and delicious sides. My favorite ones to serve alongside this air fryer cornish hen are these keto cheddar bay biscuits, cauliflower mashed potatoes, and roasted kohlrabi.

    A cornish hen in a white casserole dish on a counter.

    Ingredients

    Besides the cornish hen itself, the rest of the ingredients in this dish are pretty simple. The seasonings are staples, and the herbs are ones that you can pick up at any grocery store - if you don't have them already.

    Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make cornish game hens:

    • 1 Cornish Hen, small, clean, skin-on
    • 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
    • 1 tbsp. White Vinegar
    • 2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
    • 2 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
    • 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
    • Salt and Pepper

    That's literally all there is to it.

    Just a handful of simple ingredients to make a dish that is so delicious! 

    By the way, if you're looking for some equally delicious dishes made with simple ingredients, give this bottom round roast, pan seared salmon, and blackened chicken a try next!

    A hand holding a casserole dish with a cornish hen in it. Surrounding it it a bowl of oil, a bowl of cilantro, and a bowl of parsley.

    What is a Cornish hen?

    Now, the thing you might be asking yourself right now is what is a cornish hen?

    A cornish hen is basically like mini rotisserie chickens. It's a breed of chicken that is bred for many years in the same environment. They're also always female, and pretty much almost always smaller than a chicken.

    With that said, the cornish hens that are available in grocery stores are called commercial cornish hens. These are a cross between Plymouth Rock chickens and Cornish chickens. And these can actually either be male or female.

    No matter which kind of cornish game hen you end up with though they'll all have the same taste - which is very reminiscent of chicken.

    A hand holding an air fryer basket with a cornish hen in it.

    How to Make Air Fryer Cornish Hens

    As I said before, this is a super quick and easy recipe to make. The air fryer takes care of the hard part - the cooking - and leaves you with a ton of time to make the sides to go along with the dish!  

    So, get out all of the ingredients, and let's get into how to cook cornish hens!

    Step 1: Prep Work

    First things first you'll want to preheat the air fryer to 335°F (170ºC).

    Next, add the olive oil, white vinegar, fresh parsley, cilantro, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a bowl and give it a mix until everything combines. 

    A cooked cornish hen in an air fryer basket.

    Step 2: Season the Cornish Hen

    Now to give the cornish game hens its incredible flavor, pour the mixture you just prepared over the cornish hen. You can also use a brush, and brush this mixture on the cornish hen, so it's not as messy and goes on more evenly.

    A cornish hen in a casserole dish with a pitcher of cooking juices next to it.

    Step 3: Air Frying The Cornish Hen

    Now all that’s left to do is air fry!

    So, to do that, line the air fryer basket with a sheet of parchment paper. Then, pop the rotisserie cornish hen in the air fryer and cook for 30 minutes at 335°F (170ºC).

    Oh, and make sure to check it after 20 minutes and if it's browning too much, cover the top with tin foil and continue air frying.

    Anyway, you'll know cornish game hens are done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

    A hand pouring juices on top of a cornish hen in a white casserole dish.

    Step 4: Serving

    Once the air fryer cornish hen is roasted to perfection, you can take it out and transfer it to a plate. 

    Then, pour the cooking juices into a bowl, and serve it alongside the air fried cornish hen and any sides you want. Enjoy!

    A cornish hen in a white casserole dish.

    How To Store Cornish Hen

    This recipe for cornish game hen will make quite a few servings depending on the size of your cornish hen.

    So, if you have leftover cornish hens, just store the tender meat in the fridge in an airtight container. Stored like this, the cooked cornish game hen will stay good for up to 4 days. 

    How to Reheat cornish hen

    If you want to reheat leftover air fried cornish hens, you can put them back in the air fryer at 335°F for about 5 minutes or until warm. 

    Another great option is to put the meat in the toaster oven for a few minutes. It gives the roasted chicken a crispy texture and goes great in things like this keto chicken noodle soup.

    A white casserole dish with a cornish hen in it.

    Wrapping It All Up

    Well, that is how to cook a cornish hen in the air fryer!

    This air fryer recipe is the perfect thing to make for a small Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, or just a weeknight family meal.

    The juicy meat is just incredibly tasty, goes well with practically any side, and everyone will love it!

    If you gave this recipe a try, leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts.

    Oh, and as always, for more delicious recipes, check out our Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok pages! 

    Air Fryer Recipes

    If you liked how quick and easy it was to make a cornish hen in the air fryer, I have a ton of other air fryer recipes on the blog that I think you'll like too!

    Give one of these a try next:

    • Air fryer brussel sprouts
    • Air fryer chicken breast
    • Air fryer pork chops
    • Air fryer turkey tenderloin
    • Air fryer chicken wings
    • Air fryer bacon wrapped asparagus
    • Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
    Print

    Air Fryer Cornish Hen Recipe | Takes Just 5 Minutes To Prep

    A cooked cornish hen in an air fryer basket.
    Print Recipe

    This air fryer cornish hen is basically like a homemade mini rotisserie chicken. And it's so easy to make. In fact, it's so easy that this cornish game hen recipe requires just a couple of minutes to prep work and then the air fryer takes care of the rest! Oh, and the results are to die for. The skin turns out super flavorful and incredibly crispy, and the meat is just so, so juicy.

    • Author: The Diet Chef
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 2 servings 1x
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Air Fryer
    • Cuisine: Keto Low Carb

    Ingredients

    Scale

    1 Cornish Hen, small, skin-on

    2 tbsp. Olive Oil

    1 tbsp. White Vinegar

    2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped

    2 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped

    1 tsp. Garlic Powder

    Salt and Pepper

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the air fryer to 335°F (170ºC).
    2. Mix olive oil, white vinegar, fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
    3. Pour the mixture over the cornish hen.
    4. Cover the air fryer basket with parchment paper and place the hen in it.
    5. Cook at 335°F (170ºC) for 30 minutes (check at the 20 minutes mark, if it's getting too brown, top with foil and continue cooking). The internal temp should be 165°F.
    6. Serve with cooking juices.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 serving
    • Calories: 165
    • Fat: 12
    • Carbohydrates: 0
    • Protein: 14

    Keywords: air fryer cornish hen, air fryer cornish hens, air fried cornish hens, air fryer hens, cornish hens recipe, cornish hen, cornish hens in air fryer, air fryer cornish hens recpies

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me on Instagram @thejoeduff — I can't wait to see what you've made!

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Hey there! I'm Joe Duff - The Diet Chef, and I've been creating low carb keto recipes for over 15 years. Initally, I started making these recipes to help myself lose weight - I lost over 75 pounds doing so - but now I make recipes for the entire low carb keto community!
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