• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About

Boulder Locavore logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Free Bonus
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ร—
    Home ยป Recipes ยป Main Dishes ยป Golden Plum Glazed Cornish Game Hens

    LAST UPDATED: September 28, 2023 โ€ข FIRST PUBLISHED: February 14, 2013 By Toni Dash 4 Comments

    Golden Plum Glazed Cornish Game Hens

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Plum Balsamic Glazed Cornish Game Hens Holidays beg to be marked by special food and Valentine’s Day is no different. There are the gold standards of chocolate, champagne, anything heart shaped, pink or red. I’ve certainly shared my fair share of all of those in the past few weeks however when thinking about a special dish to share today my mind went back to my childhood when my mother would occasionally prepare Cornish Game Hens. They are miniature fowl, that when full grown is a size a bit larger than a soft ball making them a perfect ‘personal size’ bird. It always seemed so special to be served my own bird in such a dainty size. They taste like chicken and really do elevate a meal from the ordinary.

    WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
    Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox (and more recipes every week)!
    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading

    Cornish Game Hens are incredibly easy to prepare and take less than an hour to roast. Most often they are kept frozen at the grocery store or local butcher so fold into your planning time for full thawing (overnight is fine) before your preparation. I chose to glaze my Golden Plum Balsamic Cornish Game Hens during roasting to make the flavors that much more special. You can stuff them as you would a turkey though investigate cooking time if cooking them stuffed. They are incredibly versatile, not a fussy dish to prepare and sadly overlooked as a protein option.

    Cornish game hen on pot

    Plum Balsamic Glazed Cornish Game Hens

    A bowl of food on a plate, with Glaze and Cornish game hen

    Every Valentine’s morning when I was a child I would come to the breakfast table to find a red foil box of chocolates. Even though I knew it would be there I still was completely surprised. Valentine’s Day should be a day full of unexpected whimsy in my book. I so would love to make your day but a box of heart candy is not what I had in mind. Instead a lucky reader will win a duplicate of some of the key supplies I used to make this lovely Cornish Game Hen dish from Le Creuset and some other newly discovered fun brands!

    A close up of food on a plate, with Cornish game hen

    Recipe

    Plum Balsamic Glazed Cornish Game Hens | BoulderLocavore.com

    Golden Plum Balsamic Glazed Cornish Game Hens

    Cornish Game Hens are simple to prepare and elevate the ordinary meal serving an individual bird to each diner. This easy glaze is sweet with a punch from the balsamic vinegar. A sure favorite!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 1078kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1 large Shallot peeled and diced
    • ½ teaspoon Meyer Lemon Zest
    • ½ cup Plum Preserves
    • ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons glazing liquid white wine, chicken broth, or water an be used
    • 4 Cornish Game Hens thawed and at room temperature
    • 1 tablespoon kosher Salt
    • 1 tablespoon ground Black Pepper
    • 2 Meyer Lemons cut into quarters
    • 24 sprigs of fresh Thyme

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • In a heavy small saucepan on over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add shallot and sauté until shallot is transparent. 
      1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 large Shallot
    • Add lemon zest, plum preserves balsamic vinegar and glazing liquid. Stir or whisk to combine and allow to simmer on low for 10 minutes until thickened (stirring periodically).
      ½ teaspoon Meyer Lemon Zest, ½ cup Plum Preserves, ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar, 3 tablespoons glazing liquid
    • Allow glaze to cool.
    • While glaze is cooling, pat dry inside and out with paper towels.
    • Liberally rub the salt and pepper inside and outside of the hens. 
      1 tablespoon kosher Salt, 1 tablespoon ground Black Pepper
    • Stuff each hen with 2 quarters of Meyer lemon and 6 sprigs of thyme.
      NOTE: I found bending the thyme in half and stuffing that into the hen’s cavity before the lemons worked well.
      Truss the legs in a crossed position, not too tight.
      4 Cornish Game Hens, 2 Meyer Lemons, 24 sprigs of fresh Thyme
    • With a cooking/basting brush, brush hens on all sides with the glaze. 
    • Place breast side up in a roasting pan or casserole. Wrap wing tips with a small piece of foil to avoid blackening if preferred. Place in warmed oven.
    • Set a timer for 50 minutes. Baste at 20 minutes with remaining glaze. 
    • Check hens at 30 minutes. If having started to brown cover pan loosely with foil (the sugar in the glaze will cause the hens to blacken if left uncovered). 
    • Baste finally at 40 minutes. Remove and check temperature at 50 minutes (hens should register 165 degrees on a meat thermometer placed between the thigh and breast).
    • Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1078kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 78g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Cholesterol: 455mg | Sodium: 2038mg | Potassium: 1191mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 780IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 5mg
    WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
    Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox (and more recipes every week)!
    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

    Plum Balsamic Glazed Cornish Game Hens with rice

    « Sparkling Pink Sangria
    Simple Suppers: Pear Marmalade Glazed Ham Steaks »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Jane Helgerson says

      November 10, 2021 at 11:35 am

      5 stars
      I just made this recipe with two Cornish game hens and it was wonderful. Recipe is very forgiving. Added some garlic with the shallot and substituted cherry/berry preserves in place of plum. Very easy and tasty. Recommend highly!

      Reply
    2. PolaM says

      February 26, 2013 at 10:22 pm

      Love Cornish hen! This glaze looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Sue says

        November 03, 2021 at 12:26 am

        5 stars
        This was so good!

        Reply
    3. Jennifer-The Adventuresome Kitchen says

      February 14, 2013 at 11:54 pm

      What a great recipe! I haven’t had Cornish hens in years! I love Valentine’s Day!! But quite possibly that hen in a pot more! Way to go!

      Reply
    5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Picture of Toni

    Welcome! Iโ€™m Toni Dash. Iโ€™m a Certified Nutrition Coach and the professional writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavoreยฎ. Iโ€™m so glad you are here!

    More about me โ†’

    Featured on....

    BoulderLocavore.com Featured By Press

    Grilling Recipes

    • Ultimate Burger Grill Guide title photo with burgers on a charcoal grill Ultimate Burger Grill Guide: How to Grill the Perfect Burger
    • steak on grill with flames How to Grill Steak Perfectly: Everything You Need to Grill Like a Pro
    • grilled porterhouse steak title Perfect Porterhouse Steak on the Grill
    • Grilled Kabob Recipes on grate (titled image) Grilled Kabob Recipes: 20 Must Make Recipes for Summer
    • bruschetta chicken title image Bruschetta Chicken recipe โ€“ Baked, Grilled or Stove Top
    • Chicken Shish Kabobs title Easy Grilled Chicken Shish Kabobs

    TRENDING RIGHT NOW

    • Ultimate Burger Grill Guide title photo with burgers on a charcoal grill Ultimate Burger Grill Guide: How to Grill the Perfect Burger
    • How to Make Moist Homemade Shredded Chicken Breast title How to Make Moist Homemade Shredded Chicken Breast Recipe
    • Instant Pot Jambalaya Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe: Quick & Easy Comfort Food
    • Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Recipe
    • homemade ketchup title image The Best Homemade Ketchup โ€“ Made with Fresh Tomatoes!
    • Instant Pot Smoked Paprika & Garlic Chicken Legs with lime wedges on a pewter platter Instant Pot Smoked Paprika & Garlic Chicken Legs

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Contact | About | Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy | Accessibility Statement | Cookie Policy


    SIGN ME UP to get FREE recipes directly to my inbox!

    Don't miss our TRAVEL SECTION!


    Copyright ยฉ 2010-2025 All Rights Reserved

    Boulder Locavore is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.