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–+ servings

Stuffed Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Equipment

  • Medium Saucepan (2-3 Quarts)
  • Medium Skillet (8 inches)
  • Kitchen Twine
  • Cookie or Baking Sheet
  • Wire Rack
  • Instant-Read Thermometer

Ingredients  

Wild Rice Stuffing

  • ½ cup brown and wild rice blend, uncooked
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup shallots, chopped
  • ¼ cup celery, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
  • ¼ cup walnuts, chopped

Cornish Game Hens

  • 2 Cornish game hens, about 1 ½ pounds each, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

Wild Rice Stuffing

  • Preheat the oven to 425℉.
  • Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer. Combine it with the water in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
  • Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the poultry seasoning, sage, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
  • Stir in the poultry seasoning, sage, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

Cornish Game Hens

  • Pat the hens dry inside and out with paper towels.
  • Spoon about ½ cup of the warm stuffing into each cavity, packing it loosely.
  • Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body.
  • Place the hens' breasts, side up, on a wire rack set inside the baking sheet. Rub the tops with the softened butter and season with salt and pepper.
  • Roast for 20 minutes at 425℉, then reduce the oven to 350℉ and roast for another 30 to 40 minutes. Tent loosely with foil if the skin browns too quickly.
  • The hens are done when the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, the thickest part of the breast, and the center of the stuffing all read at least 165℉.
  • Let the hens rest for 20 minutes. Rewarm the remaining stuffing in the skillet over medium heat, spoon it onto a platter, and set the hens on top. Remove the twine before serving.

Notes

1. For food safety, the USDA recommends that poultry, including Cornish game hens, not be washed prior to cooking.
2. Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. The nutritional value is only for the Cornish game hens and wild rice stuffing. It does not include the nutrition for any substitutions. 
3. Be sure to check out the Key Ingredients along with the Recipe Tips and Notes sections found in the post, for more tips, options, substitutions, and variations for this recipe! You will also find step-by-step photos there.