Key Ingredients and Substitutions

The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.

• Wild rice blend: We use H‑E‑B Long Grain Brown & Wild Rice Blend, which cooks in 30 to 40 minutes, but any brown and wild rice blend will take about the same amount of time. A bag of 100% wild rice takes much longer to soften, so follow the package directions if you’re using that.
• Cornish game hens: Look for hens around 1½ pounds. Most stores sell them frozen in packs of two, so move them to the fridge the night before and let them thaw there, not on the counter.
• Dried cranberries: They add sweet-tart bites that balance the savory rice and sage. Dried cherries or chopped dried apricots are good swaps.
• Walnuts: They add a bit of crunch to the stuffing. Pecans or almonds work in their place, and sunflower seeds keep it nut-free.

How to Make Stuffed Cornish Game Hens

Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.

Pro-tip: Start preheating the oven to 425℉ before you cook the rice. The hens should go into the oven as soon as they’re stuffed, and a cold oven leaves stuffed raw birds sitting on the counter.

Cook the rice. Rinse the rice first to wash away any dust and debris from the bag. Use a pot with a tight-fitting lid, since the grains cook as much in the steam as in the water. The rice is ready when the grains are tender with a little chew, and a few of the wild rice kernels have split open. If the water is gone and the rice is still firm, add a splash more and keep it covered for a few more minutes.

Cook the aromatics. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, then add the shallots and celery. You want the celery soft and the shallots translucent, not browned, which takes about 5 minutes. Once the seasonings go in, a minute in the butter is enough to wake them up. You’ll smell the sage when they’re ready.

Finish the stuffing. Fold in the rice, cranberries, and walnuts gently to keep the rice fluffy rather than mushy. Taste it and adjust the salt, since this is your last chance before it goes into the hens.

Stuff the hens. Pat the hens dry inside and out. Dry skin browns, and wet skin steams. Stuff the hens as soon as the stuffing is done, since warm stuffing has a better shot at reaching 165℉ around the same time the hens do. Go easy when you spoon it in. A loosely filled cavity heats through faster, and a crammed one tends to push stuffing out the end. Any stuffing that doesn’t make it into the hens can be rewarmed for serving.

Bind and butter the hens. Tying the legs closes the cavity, keeping the stuffing inside, and keeps the hens compact so they cook evenly. Tuck the wing tips under the body so they don’t scorch before the rest of the bird is done. Set the hens’ breasts side up, on a wire rack inside a baking sheet. The rack lets hot air reach the underside, so the bottoms brown instead of sitting in the drippings. Rub the softened butter over the tops of the hens. Softened butter clings to the skin, where melted butter just runs off into the pan. Season right after buttering so the salt and pepper stick.

Roast the birds. Start the hens at 425℉ for 20 minutes to brown the skin, then lower the oven to 350℉ for another 30 to 40 minutes to finish cooking the meat without drying it out. If the skin turns deep golden before the hens are done, tent them loosely with foil. When you check the temperature, keep the probe off the bone, which reads hotter than the meat around it. The stuffed hens are done when the bird and stuffing are at 165℉. If the meat gets there first, keep roasting until the stuffing catches up. You can tent the hen with tin foil to avoid it from drying out. Let the hens rest before serving. Rewarm any extra stuffing over medium heat until hot and serve with the hens.

What to Serve with Stuffed Cornish Game Hens

These hens make a pretty complete meal on their own, but a holiday table always has room for a few sides.

• Cranberry Sauce: A spoonful of orange cranberry sauce on the side provides a tart contrast to the roasted hens.
• Green Beans: Our Southern green bean casserole is the classic choice, or go lighter with roasted green beans and a squeeze of lemon.
• Salad: Kale-cranberry-walnut salad adds a fresh, crunchy element to the plate.
• Sweet Potatoes: Our whipped sweet potatoes with brown butter are a sweet side to complement the savory hens.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can chop the shallots, celery, and walnuts up to a day ahead and keep them in the fridge. Hold off on making the stuffing and filling the hens until you’re ready to roast. A stuffed raw bird left in the fridge overnight is a food safety risk, so both steps are done right before the hens go into the oven.

How to Store: Within 2 hours of roasting, scoop the stuffing out of the hens and store it separately from the meat. Refrigerate both in airtight containers for up to 3 days.

How to Freeze: Wrap each cooked hen in plastic wrap, then put them in a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat: Set the hens in a baking dish with a splash of broth or water, cover loosely with foil, and heat in a 350℉ oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until they reach 165℉. Brush them with a little melted butter or oil halfway through to keep the skin from drying out. Rewarm the stuffing in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Pick hens close in weight. Two hens of different sizes finish at different times, and the smaller one ends up waiting on the bigger one.
• Skip rinsing the hens. The USDA advises against washing raw poultry, since rinsing spreads bacteria around the sink without making the bird any cleaner.