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If you want something festive and flavorful without committing to a full turkey or ham, these Cranberry Orange Glazed Cornish Hens are the perfect solution. They’re juicy, beautifully golden, and bursting with sweet-tart citrus and herb flavor!
why you’ll love this Recipe
I’ve made these Cornish hens for everything from holiday dinners to cozy Sunday meals, and they always impress! The glaze is a cozy blend of cranberry, maple, and orange that caramelizes beautifully in the oven, and the hens come out tender with crispy skin and a hint of rosemary. They feel fancy but require way less effort than they look!
Especially if you don’t want to make a full roasted turkey or spiral ham this holiday season, Cornish hens are a great option. Each person is served on hen, so they are easy to serve with no carving needed!
What makes these cornish hens beans so special!
I’ve made this cranberry orange glazed Cornish hens recipe for holiday dinners, cozy winter nights, and small dinner parties. Once you serve them, they might just become your new go-to festive main dish!
❥ Flavor: Sweet, savory, and citrusy with warm rosemary undertones. The glaze brings together tart cranberries, bright orange, and rich maple for a perfectly balanced flavor.
❥ Ease: These look impressive, but they’re simple to prep and roast. Just rub the hens with herb butter, stuff with orange slices and cranberries, and brush with the glaze while they roast, no fancy techniques required!
❥ Prep Note: The hens roast fairly quickly (about 60 minutes total), but don’t forget to let them rest for 15–20 minutes before serving. This keeps the juices in and helps the flavors settle beautifully.
❥ Recommended Equipment: A roasting pan or 9×13 baking dish, paper towels for drying the skin, a small saucepan for the glaze, and a basting brush for layering on that shiny, sticky finish.
NikkiCranberry Orange Glazed Cornish Hen Ingredients
- Salted Butter: Softened butter helps the herbs stick and crisps the skin. Unsalted also works, just add a pinch more salt.
- Fresh Thyme: Dried thyme works in a pinch. Just use about half as much.
- Fresh Rosemary: Earthy and aromatic. You can sub dried rosemary if needed. You will need it for the compound butter, to tuck inside of the hens before roasting, in the glaze, and as garnish if desired.
- Salt + Black Pepper: Essential for seasoning the skin and the inside of the birds.
- Cornish Hens: I use 3 to 4 hens depending on their size. They roast quickly and look beautiful on a plate!
- Orange: Use a fresh, juicy orange. You’ll need slices for stuffing and zest + juice for the glaze.
- Fresh Cranberries: For a pop of tartness, I add fresh cranberries into the hens before roasting.
- Cranberry Sauce: Whole berry, jellied, or homemade all work for the glaze.
- Maple Syrup: Adds deep, natural sweetness. You can sub honey if that’s what you have.
How To Make Cranberry Orange Glazed Cornish Hens
✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and full recipe instructions!
Step 1 | Preheat & Prep the Hens
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 425°F and spray a roasting pan or a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the butter mixture. In a small bowl, combine the butter, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
Arrange the hens in the pan. Place your hens in a roasting pan or casserole dish, arranging them so they are not overlapping (they can touch, just don’t overlap).
Rub with the butter mixture. Pat the hens dry with a paper towel before rubbing the butter mixture all over the hens, inside and out. If the butter mixture isn’t sticking to the hens, pat them with paper towel again!
Stuff the cavity. Stuff the inside of each hen with orange slices, cranberries, and a sprig of rosemary. Tie the legs together if needed.
Step 2 | Top with Glaze
Make the glaze (while hens are cooking): In a small pot over medium heat, combine the cranberry sauce, maple syrup, orange juice, orange zest, and rosemary until well combined and slightly thickened.
Bake and glaze. Bake the hens uncovered for 30 minutes before removing and brushing liberally with the cranberry orange glaze.
Step 3 | Finish Roasting & Serve
Finish cooking. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from the oven and brush once again with the glaze.
Rest before serving. Allow the hens to rest for 15-20 minutes, brushing with glaze as many times as you like, before serving warm with orange slices, rosemary, and cranberries.
Variations and Substitutions
- Crockpot version: You can make these in a 10-quart slow cooker—perfect for keeping the oven free during holiday cooking. You might have to cook them in batches though, so plan ahead!
- Glaze twist: Add ½ teaspoon ground ginger or red pepper flakes to the glaze for a little extra spice.
- Herb swap: Swap in sage or tarragon if that’s what you have on hand.
- Citrus swap: Try lemon juice and zest in place of orange for a different flavor profile.
- Make it sweeter: Add more maple syrup to the glaze if you want a stronger sweet note.
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Cranberry Orange Glazed Cornish FAQs
Cornish hens are actually a type of young chicken, typically weighing 1 to 2 pounds each. The biggest differences are size and tenderness. Cornish hens are much smaller than standard chickens and have a milder flavor with especially tender meat. Because of their size, they cook faster and make an elegant individual serving, which is perfect for dinner parties or holiday meals. Regular chickens, on the other hand, are larger and feed more people per bird.
They’re sweet and savory, with hints of citrus and rosemary throughout. The glaze adds a glossy, slightly sticky finish that’s beautifully festive.
In the oven: Add a splash of water or broth, cover with foil, and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Microwave works too, but the skin won’t stay crispy.
What to Serve with this Cornish Hen Recipe
These hens pair beautifully with creamy mashed potatoes, crack green beans, and cornbread dressing.
I also love them with something fresh like a classic pea salad or a broccoli salad with bacon to balance the sweetness of the glaze. And of course, a little crusty bread to soak up the extra glaze never hurts!
Other Recipes to Try
- Greek Roast Chicken
- Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Leftover Turkey Salad with Cranberries
- Homemade Turkey Gravy
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Cranberry Orange Glazed Cornish Hens
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Ingredients
- ½ cup 1 stick salted butter - softened
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme - diced
- ¼ teaspoon fresh rosemary - diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 Cornish hens - giblets removed
- 1 medium orange - sliced
- 4 rosemary sprigs
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- Garnish- rosemary springs - cranberries, and orange slices
- 1 14-ounce can cranberry sauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon rosemary - diced
Instructions
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 425°F and spray a roasting pan or a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the butter mixture. In a small bowl, combine the butter, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
- Arrange the hens in the pan. Place your hens in a roasting pan or casserole dish, arranging them so they are not overlapping (they can touch, just don’t overlap).
- Rub with the butter mixture. Pat the hens dry with a paper towel before rubbing the butter mixture all over the hens, inside and out. If the butter mixture isn’t sticking to the hens, pat them with paper towel again!
- Stuff the cavity. Stuff the inside of each hen with orange slices, cranberries, and a sprig of rosemary. Tie the legs together if needed.
- Bake and glaze. Bake the hens uncovered for 30 minutes before removing and brushing liberally with the cranberry orange glaze.
- Make the glaze (while hens are cooking): In a small pot over medium heat, combine the cranberry sauce, maple syrup, orange juice, orange zest, and rosemary until well combined and slightly thickened.
- Finish cooking. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from the oven and brush once again with the glaze.
- Rest before serving. Allow the hens to rest for 15-20 minutes, brushing with glaze as many times as you like, before serving warm with orange slices, rosemary, and cranberries.
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Nutrition
Notes
- Storage: Once the Cornish hens are cooked and cooled (within 2 hours), store them in the refrigerator for 3–4 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze: For longer storage, freeze them whole or carved—just be sure they’re fully cooled. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven with a splash of broth or water to help retain moisture.
