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Buttermilk-Brined Cornish Hen Roast

You'll be blown away by the succulent meat and flavorful skin of oven-roasted cornish hens. The brine will ensure that you have a perfectly cooked hen that's moist and delicious. Make this for your next date night or for an easy roast dinner.
3.82 from 11 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bake, brine, chicken, marinade
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Marinade: 12 hours
Total Time: 13 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cornish hens
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp cayenne red pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 whole lemon sliced
  • 1 bunch fresh thyme
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Instructions

Prepare the brine

  • Combine buttermilk, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, garlic, and cumin. Squeeze 1/2 lemon and stir.
  • Combine the hens and buttermilk brine. Seal and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. (overnight is recommended)

Roast the cornish hens

  • Preheat oven to 425 °F. Remove the cornish hens from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Melt butter and baste it on the hens, making sure to get every nook and cranny. Then season with salt and pepper.
  • Place 1/4 lemon and a handful of thyme in each cavity. Soak kitchen twine with water then tie the legs to secure the stuffing.
  • Roast the hens for 45 min - 1 hour, or until the skin is browned and reaches an internal temp of 165 °F. About 25 min into roasting, rotate your baking pan/container to ensure even browning.
  • Remove from oven. Let rest for 10 min then serve with fresh slices of lemon.

Notes

  • Everyone's oven is different, so pay attention to where browning occurs on your hens. In general, stronger heat is located towards the back of the oven, so the side closest to the back will brown first. If one side is more brown than the other, rotate the pan to brown the other side.
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