Easy low maintenance dinners are my current jam. Like this delicious Air Fryer Cornish Hen. Quick and simple to make in just 30 minutes. Yeap, simple maintenance-free recipes like this are what it’s aaaalllllll about.
Related Link : Instant Pot Cornish Hen and Gravy.
Why You’ll ♡ This
- Can be made with fresh or frozen defrosted Cornish hen.
- It is meal prep and freezer friendly.
- Really flexible for ingredient swaps.
- Great for Sunday lunches, easy dinners, date night and more.
What Is A Cornish Hen?
A Cornish hen, also known as a ‘Cornish game hen’ is a small chicken usually between 1 lb and 2.5 lb from the county of Cornwall in the UK.
They taste exactly the same as regular chicken. If you get smaller hens, you can serve each person their very own hen, which looks seriously impressive.
Tools Needed
- An Air Fryer.
- Your regular mixing bowl or plate.
- The best Air Fryer Accessories.
- Best ever sea salt flakes.
So, go on and grab your everyday ingredients and let’s get to work on this cornish game hen air fryer recipe!!
How to Make Air Fryer Cornish Hen
- Preheat the air fryer to 350F / 180C.
- Pat the hen dry. Combine oil, Shawarma seasoning mix and salt (if desired) then rub onto the hen.
- Place the hen backbone side up in the air fryer basket and cook for 15 minutes.
- Then flip and cook for another 15 minutes on the other side, depending on the size of your bird.
- It is important to check that the internal temperature is at least 165F / 75C using a meat thermometer before serving.
- Let the Air Fried Cornish Hen rest for a few minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
Here are a few tips to make sure you get the best Air Fryer Cornish Game Hen ever.
- Make sure your chicken is dry prior to adding the rub. A rub works well in the air fryer, and you don’t want your dry rub to not stick.
- Start with the hen breast side down in the air fryer, then turn over about halfway through the cooking time.
- Do make sure the entire hen is coated in the rub, so every mouthful is full of flavor.
How To Make Instant Pot Cornish Hen
Looking for a different, yet still easy, way to cook your Cornish Hen? Check out my Instant Pot Cornish Hen and Gravy recipe post and learn just how easy it is to make Cornish hen Instant Pot style!
Seasoning Varitations
- Blackened Seasoning.
- Greek Seasoning.
- Fajita Seasoning.
- Poultry Seasoning Recipe.
- Easy Homemade spice blends.
Meal Prep And Prep Ahead
Prep Ahead – Yeap, this Air Fried Cornish Game Hen recipe is a great meal prep solution. You can absolutely make this ahead of time and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
How To Use For Meals – in addition to eating as is, use them as suggested below:
FAQs
What is Shawarma Seasoning?
Shawarma is a well loved traditional Middle Eastern street food. Just imagine fragrantly spiced marinated piece of chicken, lamb, pork cooking and continually rotating on rotisserie stick.
And now you can easily recreate this taste at home with this shawarma spice mix. This easy-to-whip-up DIY spice made with a mix of spices aka ingredients you already own in your spice cupboard = authentic shawarma flavor. Just think fragrant, smoky, warming, middle eastern flavors in one jar. Thanks to smoked paprika, cinnamon, cumin, and more.
Cooking Time
Wondering how long to cook Cornish hen in your air fryer? Cooking time can be anytime between 30-45mins depending on their size.
Mine was large and took about 35 minutes. When cooking this for the first time, I recommend aiming for 30 mins and then checking the internal temperature.
Cooking Temperature
The temperature for cooking the air fryer roast chicken in this recipe is 350F /180C.
The most important thing is to make sure that the cooked chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165F / 75 C before serving. Use a meat thermometer to check.
More Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Fried Chicken.
- Air Fryer Shrimp Po Boy.
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks.
- Air Fryer Burgers.
- Air Fryer Shrimp Hibachi.
- Air Fryer Chickpea Tacos.
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken.
- Air Fryer Pork Chops.
- Instant Pot Cornish Hen <= for Instant Pot lovers.
Serving Suggestions
Weight Watchers Points
There are 7 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
Thank you for reading my Cornish Hen Air Fryer recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.
Get The Easy Air Fryer Cornish Hen Recipe
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Air Fryer Cornish Hen
Ingredients
- 2 lb (907g) Cornish Hen 1 large Cornish Hen
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Shawarma spice mix or another spice blend
- Salt if needed and to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 400F / 204C.
- Pat the hen dry. Combine oil, Shawarma seasoning mix and salt (if desired) then rub onto the hen.
- Place hen in the air fryer basket with the backbone side facing up and cook for about 15 mins.
- Turn over and cook for another 15 mins, until golden and crispy.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to make sure it has reached 165F / 75C and is cooked thoroughly.
- Allow the Air Fryer Cornish Hen rest a few mins before serving.
Recommended Products
Notes
Tips
- Make sure your chicken is dry prior to adding the rub. A rub works well in the air fryer, and you don’t want your dry rub to not stick.
- Start with the hen breast side down in the air fryer, then turn over about halfway through the cooking time.
- Do make sure the entire hen is coated in the rub, so every mouthful is full of flavor.
- It is important to make sure that the cooked chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165F / 75 C before serving. Use a meat thermometer to check this.
I have two Cornish hens on my work surface, and my air fryer’s ready to go! Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful, flavorful recipe. It comes together quickly.
Whoaaaa, this looks so delicious. Sadly, I don’t think my air fryer is big enough to fit a whole hen in! 🙁
How have I not bought an air fryer yet??? This looks amazing! My old job used to serve cornish hen, and I miss it! I’ve got to try making it at home now!
I love that this recipe has just a few ingredients, and is so simple to make! Looking forward to trying it in the air fryer.