Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing
This Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing recipe is a delicious, festive meal the whole family will love for the holidays!
Make this and your house will smell like the holidays!
First let me just say that my house smells like heaven right now. The smell of Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing baking in the oven is just so amazing. The whole house smells like the holidays. Such a warm and cozy scent. Comfort food all the way.
My mom used to make Cornish Hen as a special dinner when we had company coming over. There’s just something so fancy about it. They’re so cute and delicious. Plus, it’s not something you have every day. I thought they would be perfect for Christmas dinner and since my mom and stepdad are coming over, it’s so appropriate. Mom can’t have gluten, so I made the stuffing gluten free and it’s just as good!
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Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing is an extra special meal that your family would love for the holidays!
I used Tyson® All Natural Premium Cornish Hens for this recipe. They were easy to find at Walmart in the Meat & Poultry section.
How to Make Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing
Start by making the stuffing.
Cut bread into cubes (I used gluten free).
Then toast it a bit, so the cubes won’t be dry.
Tips on Making the Stuffing
Next I chopped up apples, onions and celery. In my test batch, I used fresh cranberries, but now I realize they’re not sweet enough. So I wouldn’t recommend using fresh cranberries, so I’ve adjusted the recipe below to include sweetened, dried cranberries. You can still use fresh cranberries as a garnish, if you wish. They look so pretty!
To make the stuffing, combine the toasted bread cubes with the fruits and veggies. Then pour a mixture of chicken broth, egg, melted butter, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Toss it all together. Reserve 2 cups to stuff the 4 hens.
I really like these Tyson® All Natural Premium Cornish Hens because they’re 100% All Natural with no added hormones or steroids. Plus, there are no artificial ingredients, and they are minimally processed.
Filling the Cornish Hens
To prepare the Cornish hens for baking, I loosely filled each one with ½ cup of stuffing, then brushed them with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Next, I tied the legs together with kitchen twine and placed all four hens in a greased roasting pan.
Be sure the center of the stuffing and the thickest part of each hen reach an internal temperature of 165°F before serving.
What to do with Extra Stuffing
I poured the rest of the stuffing into a greased casserole dish and put it into a 400° oven with the Cornish Hens. Then I took the stuffing out after about 35 minutes. Then I continued to bake the hens for another 35 minutes.
Then I enjoyed the glorious aroma for the rest of the day! The Cornish Hens browned up nicely and looked beautiful on a serving plate with fresh cranberries, sliced apples and minced parsley.
Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing is a delicious and festive meal you can share with your family or even serve for a holiday dinner party.
Cornish Hen with Apple Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients
For the hens
- 4 Cornish Hens
- 1/3 cup Olive oil, to brush on hens
- salt and pepper to taste
For the stuffing
- 1 pound gluten free bread, cut into cubes
- 1 large apple, unpeeled, chopped, I used Gala apples
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries, I don't recommend fresh cranberries for the stuffing, they aren't sweet enough
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Optional garnish
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced
- 1 handful fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the cubed bread on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20–30 minutes or until dry and crispy, tossing the cubes halfway through baking time.
- In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread, apples, cranberries, onions, and celery. Stir to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the broth, melted butter, egg, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour over the bread mixture and toss to combine. Reserve 2 cups of stuffing to fill the hens, then transfer the rest to a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Refrigerate the stuffing while preparing the hens.
- Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Season the Cornish hen cavities with a little salt and pepper, then loosely fill each hen with ½ cup of stuffing. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Brush the hens with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place in a greased roasting pan. Place in the preheated oven on the middle rack, along with the casserole dish of stuffing. Bake the stuffing for approximately 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and the center reaches 165°F. Continue roasting the hens for another 30–35 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and the center of the stuffing. Cooking times may vary depending on the size of the hens.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Please let us know by leaving a star rating and review!Looking for dessert ideas? Try my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies post where I’m sharing my all time favorite holiday cookie recipe.
All text and images © Lise Ode for Mom Loves Baking. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate. This post may contain affiliate links.
Lise… I’m so glad to see this recipe. I see what I have been doing wrong… I have roasted the hens at too low a temperature. I have been doing it at 350° and my hens have not been brown enough. I will try at the higher temperature next time.
This is a final test as if this terminology even matters!
Here’s a reply to the final test.
Those hens look so special, perfect for the holidays! I love apples in my stuffing 🙂 #client
What type of apple did you use?
Hi Tina, I used Gala apples. Hope you enjoy the recipe!