Buttermilk-Brined Cornish Hen Roast

Buttermilk-Brined Cornish Hen Roast

3.82 from 11 votes

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.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 30

Marinade 12

Total Time 13 40

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

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

Equipment

mixing bowl(s)
cast iron pan
thermometer
basting brush
kitchen twine

Method

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.