Air Fryer Cornish Hens

These Air Fryer Cornish Hens are made with a lemon butter garlic marinade that is out of this world! The air fryer is perfect for making chicken because the skin comes out perfectly crisp and it’s so juicy on the inside! The clean up is very easy so it’s perfect for busy week night meals! If you enjoyed this recipe, check out these Air Fryer Buttermilk Biscuits and Air Fryer Easter Bunny Donuts!

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Ingredients

• Cornish Game Hens
• Lemon Juice
• Butter
• Garlic Cloves
• Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Granulated Garlic
• Paprika Powder
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• Fresh Rosemary

How to Make Air Fryer Cornish Hens

1. First, make sure the Cornish hens are completely defrosted. Pat them completely dry with a paper towel and place them in a bowl.
2. Next, prepare the lemon butter garlic marinade. Chop and mince the garlic cloves. In a small bowl, add lemon juice, softened butter, minced garlic cloves, fresh rosemary leaves, salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and paprika powder. Mix well to combine and make sure the butter is soft enough to incorporate into the other ingredients easily. Stuff the cavities with the juiced lemon and rosemary if desired.
3. Season both Cornish hens generously with the marinade. Make sure to gently separate the skin from the breast so you can get in under the skin to season the breasts well with those chunks of butter and garlic cloves.
4. Preheat your air fryer by setting it to 360 degrees F for 3 minutes.
5. Next, spray your air fryer with cooking spray. Add the Cornish hens to the air fryer breast side down and cook at 360 degrees F for 25 minutes.
6. Flip the Cornish hens over and cook at 360 degrees F for an additional 7-10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the Cornish hens reach 165 degrees F. Use a kitchen thermometer to measure the temperature.
7. Finally, remove the Cornish hens from the air fryer and serve with veggies, mashed potatoes or anything you’d like!

What Are Cornish Game Hens?

A Cornish Game Hen is just a really small chicken to put it simply. They’re younger than 5 weeks of age and usually weigh about 1-2 pounds. Since they are so young, they have a distinct flavor and juiciness to them that you won’t find in a regular sized chicken.

Tips & Variations For Making Air Fryer Cornish Hens

• Since Cornish hens are so small compared to regular sized chickens, it is so important to keep an eye on them while they are cooking so you don’t overcook them. Overcooking chicken will result in dry meat which is not very tasty. Open the air fryer to check on it on occasion.
• The best way to know whether the Cornish hens are done is to use a thermometer. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F and you’ll know for sure it’s ready. Insert the thermometer into the inner thigh area of the chicken without touching the bones for best results.
• You may serve Cornish hens with all kinds of vegetables, roasted potatoes or even rice. The possibilities are endless.
• You do not have to marinate the chicken for hours but you can if you’d like. If I have time, I will usually let it sit in the refrigerator for about 1 hour after seasoning it so it can absorb all those yummy flavors. However, it’s not always necessary. If you’re short on time, it’s fine to cook it right after seasoning. It will still hold all those delicious flavors.

Air Fryer Cornish Hens

These Air Fryer Cornish Hens make the perfect week night meal! They're easy to make and cook very quickly since they are so small. Season them with a homemade lemon butter garlic marinade that is out of this world! The skin is crispy and the meat is so juicy! You've never had chicken like this before!

5 from 1 vote

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Keyword: cornish hens, air fryer cornish hens, air fryer cornish game hens, cornish game hens

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 961kcal

Equipment

• air fryer

Ingredients

• 2 cornish game hens
• 1/3 cup lemon juice 1 whole medium lemon
• 3 tbsp butter softened
• 8 garlic cloves chopped and minced
• 1 tbsp salt or to taste
• 2 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
• 2 tsp paprika powder or to taste
• 3 tsp granulated garlic or to taste
• 3 rosemary sprigs leaves removed

Instructions

• First, make sure the Cornish hens are completely defrosted. Pat them completely dry with a paper towel and place them in a bowl.
• Next, prepare the lemon butter garlic marinade. Chop and mince the garlic cloves. In a small bowl, add lemon juice, softened butter, minced garlic cloves, fresh rosemary leaves, salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and paprika powder. Mix well to combine and make sure the butter is soft enough to incorporate into the other ingredients easily. Stuff the cavities with the juiced lemon and rosemary if desired.
• Season both Cornish hens generously with the marinade. Make sure to gently separate the skin from the breast so you can get in under the skin to season the breasts well with those chunks of butter and garlic cloves.
• Preheat your air fryer by setting it to 360 degrees F for 3 minutes.
• Next, spray your air fryer with cooking spray. Add the Cornish hens to the air fryer breast side down and cook at 360 degrees F for 25 minutes.
• Flip the Cornish hens over and cook at 360 degrees F for an additional 7-10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the Cornish hens reach 165 degrees F. Use a kitchen thermometer to measure the temperature.
• Finally, remove the Cornish hens from the air fryer and serve with veggies, mashed potatoes or anything you’d like!

Nutrition

Calories: 961kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 80g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 457mg | Sodium: 3792mg | Potassium: 1263mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 538IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 4mg