Cornish Hens the Easy Way

This Cornish hen recipe uses fresh lime, chili powder, and cumin to season game hens before roasting for a delicious, elegant special occasion dinner.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 332 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 Cornish game hens
• kosher salt to taste
• 2 limes, halved

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step 2

Rub each hen with a lime half. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper. Place hens on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.

Step 3

Roast hens in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Step 4

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the hen near the bone reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (83 degrees C), about 30 minutes.