Air Fryer Cornish Hen

You can cook cornish hen in the air fryer! It’s the best way to get crispy skin and juicy, tender meat every time!

Recipe Overview

If you’ve ever been intimidated by the thought of cooking cornish hens, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s super simple in the air fryer!

Cornish hens are cooked whole, so there’s not very much prep work involved. We’ll be using a simple seasoning blend on the outside and some fresh lemon wedges inside. That’s all it takes to make!

The meat is extra tender and juicy, and the skin on air fryer cornish hens is super crispy.

You can serve four people with two cornish hens, so this recipe is perfect for a family dinner or a semi-fancy dinner party.

Looking for another dinner party entre to make in the air fryer? Try our recipes for Air Fryer Lamb Chops or Air Fryer Steaks next.

What you’ll need

• Cornish Hens – My Cosori air fryer can comfortably fit two hens that are about a pound and a half each. Look for cornish hens in the freezer section of your grocery store if they don’t regularly carry them fresh. If you get frozen hens, thaw them overnight in the fridge before cooking.
• Paprika – Paprika adds warmth and a beautiful color to the meat.
• Garlic Powder – Warm, savory garlic powder is always tasty with chicken.
• Salt – I always add salt to the outside of the chicken when I cook it. You can reduce the salt if you’re watching your sodium.
• Poultry Seasoning – I bet you have some of this in the pantry, left over from the last time you roasted a turkey!
• Ground Black Pepper – Freshly ground pepper is best, but use what you have.
• Olive Oil – Oil helps the skin of the cornish hen to get crispy and browned.
• Lemon – Slice up a lemon and put the wedges inside of the birds. This adds a beautiful bright flavor.

How to thaw before air frying

You will probably find cornish hens in the freezer section of your grocery store. It’s important that they are fully thawed before cooking.

It will take around 24 hours for them to thaw completely in the refrigerator.

If you’re in a hurry, cornish hens can also be thawed in cold water. Keep them in their packaging, and place them in a large bowl of cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes or so until the hen is fully thawed.

Avoid thawing chicken on the counter at room temperature. The temperature on your counter is too warm to thaw cornish hens safely.

Directions to Make

1. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, salt, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Set aside.
2. Remove the giblets if necessary and pat the cornish hens dry. Rub olive oil all over the cornish hens.
3. Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the cornish hens and cover both the inside and outside of the cornish hens.
4. Stuff the cavity of the hens with lemon wedges.
5. Place the cornish hens, breast side down, in the air fryer basket in a single layer. If needed, cook one cornish hen at a time.
6. Air fry at 380°F/190°C for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the cornish hen is golden and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C. Remove from the air fryer and let rest for 10 minutes. Discard the lemon wedges before serving.

Don’t forget to let it rest!

When we cook meat, the juices in the muscle are pulled toward the heat source (aka, the outside of the meat). If you cut into it right away, all of those juices will just flow out.

Letting the meat rest gives it time to redistribute those juices evenly, keeping the chicken moist and amazing.

How to serve cornish hen

Small cornish hens can be served one per person, but I usually cut them in half after they’re cooked to serve half a hen to each.

Use your kitchen shears or a knife to cut along either side of the bird’s backbone, and then remove it. Once the backbone is removed, you can lay the chicken flat and cut it through to split it in half for serving.

Cornish game hen is a versatile protein that you can serve with any of your favorite side dishes.

For an easy and beautiful presentation, I like to serve this with green beans or asparagus, and air fryer roasted potatoes.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots and Creamy Mashed Potatoes are also great choices.

Tips and tricks

• Cornish hens are typically cooked two at a time since two hens will comfortably serve 4 people. This recipe can be used to make just one cornish hen in the air fryer. Simply cut all of the ingredients in half. Cooking more than two hens will require at least two rounds of air frying. 
• Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. If your machine doesn’t comfortably hold two cornish hens, cook just one at a time.
• Thaw the chicken first. Cornish hens are often sold frozen. Be sure to defrost them completely before starting this recipe. The best way is to leave them in the refrigerator overnight. 
• It’s important to stuff the cavity. Putting lemon wedges inside the bird keeps the breast from collapsing as it cooks, and adds tons of bright flavor. You can use other citrus, onion, garlic, or fresh herbs in the cornish hens too.
• You can season underneath the skin too. Gently pull the skin away from the breast with your fingers or a spoon and then sprinkle seasoning inside to add more flavor to the meat.