Best 8 Orange Pecan Cornish Hens Recipes

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Feast your eyes on a culinary delight that marries the sweet and savory flavors of orange and pecan, all wrapped around the tender and juicy meat of cornish hens. This tantalizing dish promises an explosion of taste in every bite, leaving you craving for more.

The star of the show, the cornish hen, is roasted to perfection, achieving a crispy golden-brown skin that encases the succulent and tender meat. The harmonious blend of orange and pecan adds a delightful touch of sweetness and nutty crunch, creating a symphony of flavors that dance on your palate.

But that's not all! This recipe also features a flavorful stuffing made from a combination of oranges, pecans, and aromatic herbs, enhancing the overall taste experience. This stuffing not only adds moisture to the hens but also infuses them with a delightful citrusy and nutty aroma.

To accompany the main course, the recipe includes two delectable side dishes: roasted carrots and a refreshing citrus salad. The carrots, glazed with honey and sprinkled with thyme, offer a slightly sweet and caramelized flavor, while the citrus salad, bursting with the tanginess of oranges and grapefruit, provides a vibrant and refreshing contrast.

So, if you're looking for a dish that combines taste, texture, and visual appeal, look no further than the orange-pecan cornish hens. With its perfect balance of flavors and the accompaniment of roasted carrots and citrus salad, this dish is sure to be a hit at your next gathering or special occasion.

Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!

HONEY ORANGE CORNISH HENS



Honey Orange Cornish Hens image

An easy dish that looks like you've spent all day cooking and has a fabulous taste. Your family or friends will rave about it, and we don't need to tell them how easy it was to make. It has only 5 ingredients.

Provided by Carol Semenuk

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Chicken     Cornish Hen Recipes

Time 1h

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 5

1 Cornish game hens, halved lengthwise
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  • Place game hen halves with skin sides up into a 9x13-inch roasting pan.
  • Roast hens in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
  • Stir orange juice, honey, soy sauce, and vinegar together in a small bowl; brush mixture over hens.
  • Roast hens for 5 more minutes and baste again with orange juice mixture. Roast until skin is browned and meat is no longer pink inside, about 10 more minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 192.7 calories, Carbohydrate 10.9 g, Cholesterol 75.3 mg, Fat 10.5 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 13.4 g, SaturatedFat 2.9 g, Sodium 488.3 mg, Sugar 10.1 g

CONTEST-WINNING ORANGE-GLAZED CORNISH HENS



Contest-Winning Orange-Glazed Cornish Hens image

This is a wonderfully elegant entree to serve at a cozy dinner party for four. Your guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen preparing the tender golden brown hens and perfecting the full-flavored basting sauce. -Laurie Bartley, Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 1h25m

Yield 4 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 10

4 Cornish game hens (20 to 24 ounces each)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Madeira wine, sherry or chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to at 350°. Tie legs of each hen together; turn wing tips under backs. Place on a greased rack in a roasting pan. Brush with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour., Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 15 minutes. Spoon over hens. Bake until a thermometer reads 170°, about 15 minutes longer.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 682 calories, Fat 40g fat (15g saturated fat), Cholesterol 235mg cholesterol, Sodium 819mg sodium, Carbohydrate 36g carbohydrate (35g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 35g protein.

GLAZED CORNISH HENS WITH PECAN-RICE STUFFING



Glazed Cornish Hens with Pecan-Rice Stuffing image

Cornish hens bake up with a lovely golden brown shine when they are basted with my sweet and tangy glaze. The traditional rice stuffing has some added interest with crunchy pecans and sweet golden raisins.-Agnes Ward, Stratford, Ontario

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 2h25m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 16

8 Cornish game hens (20 to 24 ounces each)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
PECAN RICE:
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup golden raisins

Steps:

  • Tuck wings under hens; tie drumsticks together. Rub skin with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place hens breast side up in a shallow roasting pan., Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour. Meanwhile, place apple juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat. Stir in honey and mustard. Set aside 1/2 cup for serving., Brush hens with apple mixture. Bake, basting occasionally with pan drippings, until a thermometer reads 180°, 25-35 minutes longer. Cover hens loosely with foil if they brown too quickly., For pecan rice, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add rice, cumin and curry; cook and stir until rice is lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until rice is tender, 15-20 minutes. Stir in pecans, onions and raisins., Cover hens; let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with rice and reserved sauce.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1075 calories, Fat 68g fat (20g saturated fat), Cholesterol 371mg cholesterol, Sodium 905mg sodium, Carbohydrate 48g carbohydrate (16g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 65g protein.

ORANGE GLAZED LOVE (CORNISH) HEN



Orange Glazed Love (Cornish) Hen image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     main-dish

Time 2h25m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup onion, small diced
2 tablespoons ginger, grated
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon, zested, juiced
1 orange, zested, juiced
2 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Cornish hens, split, backbones removed

Steps:

  • Put all the sauce ingredients into a saucepan. Over medium heat bring it to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 1/2 hour. At the same time mix the marinade together, and rub it all the over hens. Marinate for at least 1 hour. Roast hens in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes, and then brush with sauce. Finish the hens on a preheated grill for another 7 minutes, turning and brushing with more sauce to glaze.

ORANGE GLAZED CORNISH HEN



Orange Glazed Cornish Hen image

Marinate the hens for at least an hour. While they're marinating in the refrigerator, start making the sauce.

Provided by JDP4445

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Chicken     Cornish Hen Recipes

Time 2h15m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Cornish game hens
2 cups orange juice
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup honey
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup finely diced onion
2 teaspoons ground ginger
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

  • Mix olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, lemon zest and juice, orange zest and juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper together in a large resealable bag. Add hens, seal bag, and coat hens with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, flipping the bag 1 or 2 times to redistribute marinade.
  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
  • Mix orange juice, soy sauce, honey, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, onion, ginger, and black pepper together in a bowl.
  • Remove hens from marinade and transfer to a roasting pan, discarding leftover marinade.
  • Roast hens in the preheated oven for 50 minutes. Brush hens with orange glaze and roast for 5 more minutes. Flip hens, brush with more glaze, and roast until meat is no longer pink in the center, about 5 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1234.6 calories, Carbohydrate 129.2 g, Cholesterol 302 mg, Fat 56.4 g, Fiber 6.7 g, Protein 59.6 g, SaturatedFat 13.7 g, Sodium 5663 mg, Sugar 100.3 g

ROCK CORNISH GAME HEN WITH CRANBERRY-PECAN STUFFING --



Rock Cornish Game Hen With Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing -- image

This game hen will make you feel like you are celebrating a holiday, but it is a bird to enjoy any time of the year.

Provided by emmalee1942

Categories     Poultry

Time 1h30m

Yield 1-2 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 large rock cornish game hen, thawed
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup dried cranberries
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate

Steps:

  • 1. Remove giblets from the defrosted hen. Rinse in cold water and pat dry before stuffing.
  • 2. Brown the bread crumbs in butter, add the nuts, salt and pepper. Stir in the dried cranberries.
  • 3. Fill the game hen cavity, loosely, with the crumb mixture.
  • 4. Combine the honey, orange juice concentrate, butter and paprika, stir well.
  • 5. Place the stuffed hen in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with the honey butter.
  • 6. While roasting the hen, baste several more times to achieve a nice brown coating.
  • 7. Roast 350 degrees, about 1 hour, or until the drumstick feels loose.
  • 8. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 2026.1, Fat 136.5, SaturatedFat 53, Cholesterol 489.2, Sodium 1367.1, Carbohydrate 128, Fiber 10.4, Sugar 50.2, Protein 76.5

CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ORANGE SAUCE



Cornish Game Hens With Orange Sauce image

Cornish games with orange sauce is an elegant, but easy recipe. It is perfect for dinner parties as it allows the cook ample time to enjoy guests while preparing. Served with buttered broccoli or asparagus and sautéed onions/red pepper it is visually appealing as well.

Provided by JOHN TYLER

Categories     Poultry

Time 1h25m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 6

4 Cornish hens, thawed, rinsed and patted dry
4 oranges
salt
pepper
parsley
cornstarch

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 500°F.
  • Prepare hens by rubbing mixture of salt and pepper into skin liberally.
  • Place on cookie sheet, breast side up.
  • Roast for 15 minutes at 500°F.
  • Remove from oven and turn breast down; pour 1 1/2 cups water over hens.
  • Turn oven down to 425°F and continue to cook for 1/2 hour.
  • Meanwhile, use a zester to obtain orange peel without cutting into pith of fruit.
  • Slice oranges in half and squeeze juice.
  • Place juice in saucepan with zest and heat thoroughly (do not boil).
  • Remove hens from oven and turn breast-side up and continue cooking for additional 1/2 hour (total cooking time is 1 hour 15 minutes).
  • Blend cornstarch with orange juice/zest mixture and heat to thicken, stirring constantly.
  • To serve: Place hen on plate and pour sauce over. Sprinkle with additional orange zest and parsley.

PECAN-STUFFED CORNISH HENS



Pecan-Stuffed Cornish Hens image

Provided by Pierre Franey

Categories     dinner, main course

Time 1h15m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

8 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1/2 cup whole pecan meats
1 tablespoon Cognac
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
Salt to taste if desired
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Cornish hens, about 1 1/2 pounds each
2 tablespoons corn, peanut or vegetable oil
4 Idaho potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and dropped into cold water
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  • Put 6 tablespoons of the butter in a mixing bowl. Put the pecan meats into the container of an electric blender or spice mill and grind until fine. Do not grind too much, or you will make a paste. Add the pecans to the 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the Cognac, mustard, salt and pepper, and blend well with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
  • Insert the fingers underneath the skin of the breast and thighs of each hen. Make a fairly deep cavity to hold the stuffing. Spoon an equal portion of the pecan mixture beneath the skin of each hen, distributing the mixture evenly throughout the cavity. It is best if you truss the hens with string.
  • Sprinkle the hens with salt and pepper. Arrange the hens breast-side-up on a baking dish. Brush each with a tablespoon of oil. Place the hens in the oven, and bake 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, drain the potatoes, and cut them into very thin slices. There should be about 5 cups. Put the slices in a colander and run them under very hot tap water. Pat dry, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Scatter the potato slices and the necks of the hens around the birds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and continue baking 10 minutes, basting occasionally. Stir the potatoes so that they bake evenly. Turn the hens breast-side-down, and continue baking 20 minutes. Turn the hens breast-side-up and continue baking 10 minutes.
  • Untruss the hens, and cut them in half lengthwise. Serve the potatoes sprinkled with parsley. Broccoli with tomatoes is a good accompaniment.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 818, UnsaturatedFat 32 grams, Carbohydrate 24 grams, Fat 60 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 43 grams, SaturatedFat 24 grams, Sodium 1343 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 1 gram

Tips:

  • Choose the right Cornish hens: Look for hens that are plump and have moist skin. Avoid hens that are thin or have dry skin.
  • Prepare the hens properly: Rinse the hens inside and out and pat them dry. Remove any excess fat or giblets. Season the hens with salt and pepper, inside and out.
  • Stuff the hens with flavorful ingredients: Stuff the hens with a mixture of cooked rice, chopped vegetables, herbs, and spices. This will add flavor and moisture to the hens.
  • Roast the hens at a high temperature: Roast the hens at 425°F (220°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
  • Let the hens rest before serving: Let the hens rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the hens, making them more tender and flavorful.

Conclusion:

Orange Pecan Cornish Hens are a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a special occasion dinner. The hens are roasted in a flavorful orange and pecan sauce, which gives them a crispy skin and a moist and tender interior. Serve the hens with roasted vegetables or mashed potatoes for a complete meal.

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