Apple Glaze Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe (2024)

Published: Nov 16, 2017 · Modified: Nov 21, 2023 by Denise Browning

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Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser for this roasted cornish hen post. All opinions are mine alone. #SeasonYourHolidays #CollectiveBias

An easy Apple Glaze Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe served with Toasted Herb Dressing that is much quicker to prepare than turkey. A must for your holiday table!

Thanksgiving is coming up just one week from now. If you are not ready, don't worry!

Our easy and delish Cornish Hen Recipe will help you to celebrate the holiday in style, demanding much less time in the kitchen than a traditional roast turkey with our best turkey brine.

You don't even have to worry about what to do with leftovers. 😉 Now how cool is that?!

This is a recipe made with simple ingredients such as cornish hens, apple jelly, flavor enhancing Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, Kikkoman® Panko Bread Crumbs, vegetable oil, seasonings, lemon, honey, and mustard.

All of the ingredients are conveniently available at your nearestWalmart.Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, a key ingredient for your Holiday recipes, can be found in the Asian foods aisle; while Kikkoman® Panko Bread Crumbs will be found in the breading/baking section (not the Asian aisle).

Table of Contents

1 HOW TO MAKE APPLE GLAZE ROASTED CORNISH HEN RECIPE
2 HOW TO MAKE TOASTED HERB DRESSING
3 ABOUT KIKKOMAN PRODUCTS
4 Apple Glaze Cornish Hen with Toasted Herb Dressing

HOW TO MAKE APPLE GLAZE ROASTED CORNISH HEN RECIPE

To prepare our Roasted Cornish Hen, all we have to do is rub half of a lemon all around the outside of the hen and then brush with a mixture of oil, salt, and pepper.

Tie the legs with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the hen. Next, roast at 375°F for about one hour or until a thermometer registers 165°F.

The hen should be brushed with an apple glaze made with apple jelly, Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, mustard, and honey about 25 to 30 minutes before taking out of the oven.

See? Easy peasy! Anyone can prepare this fabulous Thanksgiving meal without needing any advanced cooking skills. For more unique and creative Thanksgiving and everyday recipes like ours, visit theKikkoman® website.

HOW TO MAKE TOASTED HERB DRESSING

But that's not all! We're gonna accompany our Apple Glaze Cornish Hen with a fabulous yet simple-to-prepare Toasted Herb Dressing. T

his is something that requires no baking, in contrast to traditional dressing or stuffing. For our dressing, we will simply sweat chopped onion and garlic in vegetable oil, add Kikkoman® Panko Bread Crumbs, and let cook for around a couple of minutes.

Then, season with salt and pepper, add butter, fresh thyme, and if desired, cooked corn kernels and carrots. And voila!

Right before serving, place bird on a serving platter accompanied by the dressing.

ABOUT KIKKOMAN PRODUCTS

Kikkoman® wants to help make your holiday more affordable. To get in on the savings, click on Kikkoman® Soy Sauce andKikkoman® Bread Crumbs in order to be able to redeem the deals.

Planning for the holidays is a must, but slaving away in the kitchen is a choice. A simple, affordable, and elegant Thanksgiving meal like our Apple Glaze Cornish Hen with Toasted Herb Dressing brings the warmth of the holiday without all the fuss.

If you are cooking for one or two, have a small family, or simply don't want to spend several hours in the kitchen preparing a whole turkey and all that comes with it, make our delicious dish. You won't regret it!

Most of all, enjoy... both the meal and the time with family!

With much thankfulness from my family to yours,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

TO PIN & ENJOY!

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5 from 4 votes

Apple Glaze Cornish Hen with Toasted Herb Dressing

An easy Apple Glaze Cornish Hen served with Toasted Herb Dressing that is much quicker to prepare than turkey. A must for your holiday table!

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:American

Keywords:cornish hen, cornish hen recipe, dinner recipes, herb dressing, roasted cornish hen

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 cornish hens

Calories845 kcal

Ingredients

For the apple glaze cornish hen:

2 (1 to 1 ¼ pound) cornish hens, thawed
½ lemon, cut into two
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 springs fresh thyme
⅓ cup apple jelly
2 Tablespoons Kikkoman® Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons honey

For the toasted herb dressing:

¼ white or yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups Kikkoman® Panko Bread Crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

To prepare the apple glaze cornish hen:

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Pat dry each hen. Rub each with a quarter of a lemon all around the outside and then brush with a mixture of oil, salt, and pepper. Place quartered lemon and one sprig of thyme into the cavity of each hen, tie the legs with kitchen twine, and then tuck the wing tips under each hen.
Next, transfer the hens to the rack of a large roasting pan and add just a bit of water or chicken broth to the bottom of the pan to prevent drippings to burn. Roast them in the oven middle rack for about 60 minutes or until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone) registers 165°F. However, 25 to 30 minutes before taking them out of the oven, brush with the apple glaze two to three times times. To make this, mix apple jelly, Kikkoman® Soy Sauce, mustard, and honey in a bowl and brush each hen all over.

To prepare the toasted herb dressing:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and sweat chopped onion for about 3-4 minutes. Then, cook garlic for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Do not let brown! Add butter and let melt. Add Kikkoman® Panko Bread Crumbs and let cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, season with salt and pepper to taste (I prefer mine slightly spicy) , add fresh thyme leaves, and if desired, cooked corn kernels, peas, and carrots. Serve with Apple Glaze Cornish Hen and enjoy! NOTE: Herb dressing will be buttery and crunchy. If you prefer a softer texture, stir in just a few tablespoons of chicken broth so the dressing will be moist but not mush.

Recipe Notes

I added cooked frozen carrots, peas, and corn to my herb dressing making it slightly sweet -- which pairs well with the apple glaze from the cornish hen.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or freeze roasted cornish hens for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Comment and rate the recipe. Also follow us on Pinterest at @easyanddelish for more delish recipes.

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About Denise Browning

I'm Denise Browning, a chef with almost 2 decades of experience, a nutrition researcher, and cookbook author. Here you’ll find easy healthy meals with some occasional splurges. More About Me.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

[emailprotected] says
November 20, 2017 at 9:11 pm

Hello Denise,
Its been a long time I visited your blog. The apple glaze cornish hen looks amazing.....perfect for Thanksgiving.
Reply
deb|EastofEdenCooking says
November 16, 2017 at 5:10 pm

We'll be out and about visiting on Thanksgiving. When we return home without leftovers this fabulous recipe for Cornish game hens is just a quick recipe I need to remind me of turkey day, but without all the big fuss!
Reply
- Denise Browning says
  November 16, 2017 at 10:04 pm
  
  So true Deb. Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving!
  Reply
Amber Edwards says
November 16, 2017 at 1:34 pm

I had no idea that Cornish hens were so easy to cook! I think I need to try your recipe soon, it sounds amazingly delicious! -client
Reply
- Denise Browning says
  November 16, 2017 at 1:42 pm
  
  Thank you so much, Amber! I am so glad that the client enjoyed the recipe. It was a real hit at my household. Happy Thanksgiving!
  Reply