Air Fryer Cornish Game Hens

Name: Air Fryer Cornish Game Hens Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 cornish game hens ((2 pounds each)); ½ lemon (cut in half); oil spray; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened to room temperature); 2 sprigs fresh thyme; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon onion powder; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon paprika; ¼ teaspoon pepper

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Juicy, flavorful, and tender meat wrapped with crispy, golden skins, these air fryer cornish game hens are so easy to make! I love how simple cornish hens are to whip up on a weeknight for dinner but also elegant enough to serve for special occasions. Have these cornish game hens air fried in 40 minutes!

Cooking a cornish hen in an air fryer is one of the easiest ways to cook a cornish game hen! It can be easy to overcook cornish hens but I find they come out pretty much perfect every time I use an air fryer! Here’s how I make tender yet crispy air fried cornish hens!

Overhead view of a platter with two air fryer cornish game hens surrounded by lemon slices and fresh thyme.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s very easy to make! Don’t be fooled by the long ingredient list. I just personally love making a butter mixture to put under the skin. I find it adds so much more flavor than just seasoning the outside of the cornish hens.
You probably have most of the ingredients! A lot of the ingredients are staples in a kitchen, so you don’t have to run out to the store to get anything that you’ll only use once or twice.
I always jokingly call these birds mini rotisserie chickens. They’re perfect for individual servings. I usually cut them in half after resting so everyone gets half of a hen without me having to carve and serve.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make air fryer cornish game hens.

cornish game hens — cornish hens are young, immature chicken (less than 5 weeks of age). Due to their size, they have a high skin-to-meat ratio which makes them remarkably succulent and tender. They also have a rich flavor with a hint of sweetness compared to regular chickens.
butter mixture — to make the butter mixture that goes under the skin, you’ll need softened unsalted butter, fresh thyme leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. The fresh thyme goes under the skin as the air fryer is small and you don’t want the fresh herb to burn from being so close to the heat element.
oil — I used olive oil but you can use your go-to neutral oil like avocado oil.
seasoning — I season the exterior of the hens with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Feel free to change things up!
lemon — I put a wedge of lemon in the cavity of the cornish hens. You can also air fry the hens with a few slices of lemon in the air fryer basket as well.
oil spray — for the air fryer basket.

My Recommendation

I love my air fryer! This is the one I'm currently using and it crisps everything up perfectly with little-to-no oil.

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How to Air Fry Cornish Game Hens

Set of two photos showing butter mixture mixed in a bowl and seasoning mixed with oil in another bowl.

Take cornish hens out of the fridge and place them on a large cutting board or a sheet pan. Pat them dry on all sides using paper towels and leave them out to rest.
Meanwhile, prepare the butter mixture by mixing together the softened unsalted butter, fresh thyme leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Set aside.
In another small bowl, combine the oil with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

Set of two photos showing lemon placed into the cornish game hen's cavity and skin loosened from the meat.

Place the lemon wedges into the cavity of each of the cornish hens.
Using fingers or a long spatula, gently pull the skin away from the meat.

Set of two photos showing butter mixture added under the skin of the hens and coated in seasoning and oil.

Spread the mixture under the skin of the breasts. If you have extra butter, you can add them to skin under the thighs as well.
Rub the bird with the olive oil mixture until it’s evenly coated on all sides.

Set of two photos showing two seasoned cornish hens added to an air fryer, breast side down, and air fried.

Spray the air fryer basket with oil. Place the two cornish hens into the air fryer, breast side down and air fry for 25 minutes at 350°F.

Set of two photos showing cornish hens flipped so they're breast side up and then air fried until golden and crispy.

Flip the cornish hens over and air fry them for another 10 to 17 minutes at 400°F to crisp up the breasts. Add additional time if the skin has not crisped to your liking.
Let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

A plate with half an air fryer cornish game hen along with mashed potatoes with gravy, peas, stuffing, lemon slices, and fresh thyme.

Recipe Tips and Notes

To make flipping the birds easier, I use a pair of tongs and insert one arm into the cavity of the bird to grip it.
Save the bones to make bone broth!
Change up the seasoning! You can use lemon pepper, cajun, Italian seasoning, and more! You can also add some lemon zest to the butter mixture for a brighter flavor.
I highly recommend adding as much butter as you can underneath the skin. This will trap the flavor and make your meat even more flavorful.
Don’t skip resting for a juicy and moist bird! Letting the air fried cornish game hens rest for around 5 to 10 minutes before serving lets the meat reabsorb the juices. If you don’t rest the meat, the juices will run out when you slice into it and the meat will be dry.
To tell if your hens are done, use an instant-read thermometer and check that the thickest part of the bird registers at 165°F/75°C.

My Recommendation

This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!

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Always pat dry the skin before you add the oil and seasoning or it won’t stick as well.
If you have the time, you can leave the hens uncovered in the fridge overnight before you prepare them. This will help the skin dry out so they become crispier.
Bringing your cornish game hens to room temperature before you air fry them can help promote even cooking.
If you have extra thyme, you can add a few sprigs inside the cavities with the lemons.
If you’re making these for a holiday gathering, you can tie the legs together with twine to make them look cuter.
It’s important to place the hens into the air fryer basket breast side down. This helps prevent the breasts from drying out as the heat element is pretty close to the birds and are on top.
I have not tried stuffing the hens before air frying them. I would assume it would increase the cooking time. If you give it a try, let me know in the comments down below!

Storage Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezer: allow the meat to cool before transferring into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. Cooked cornish hen can last for up to 3 months in the freezer. You can even shred the meat off before freezing so you can add frozen shredded meat directly in soup, stew, etc.
Leftovers: Try this chicken pesto sandwich, salsa chicken soup, or air fryer chicken taquitos recipe with leftover cornish hen!

Serving Suggestions

Want to make a mini feast of these air fryer cornish hens? Here are some of my favorite sides to make for a gathering!

A close up view of air fried cornish game hens in an air fryer basket.

How many cornish hens do I prepare per person?

Cornish hens generally range from 1 to 2 pounds each, so they can feed 1 to 2 people. Mine were each just shy of 2 pounds, so I cut them in half to make 4 servings with two cornish hens.

Can I air fry frozen cornish hens?

While you can, I don’t recommend it. You won’t be able to get the butter mixture under the skin for extra flavor and the oil and seasoning won’t stick as well to the frozen bird.