How to cook Cornish game hens? and guess what in your SLOW COOKER!. Every part of the chicken turns out juicy and so flavorful with that Mediterranean olive oil and herbs rub.
Here is another slow cooker chicken yum that our readers love.
Cornish hens are a favorite in our home. They are small, convenient for everyone and so delicious. I have another grilled cornish hens recipe here that is absolutely finger licking.
Although I love this grilled chicken recipe, this new one is handy as it is done in the slow cooker which is for sure one of my favorite methods for cooking.
We live in a very white city here in Colorado, my kids' school reached out to me as they have noticed an increased population of other cultures and religions in their school and they wanted to get to know everyone better. This was a great even to get to know other moms and also it was a surprise for me to know that there are so much diversity in my kiddos' school.
It was really interesting to know that there are others who do not celebrate Halloween out of their respect to their god. There are others who celebrate Christmas on January 7th, like Christians who I grew up with. Others who do not eat beef, and those who are not Muslims but do not eat pork as well.
It is always a good thing to reach out and talk to people and get to know them better. I always shy from asking people about their religion or their habits during holidays for example as I do not know what will they think. And because of what is going on around us these days I do not want anyone to get any weird wrong idea. But at that meeting, I found my opportunity to listen and ask and listen very carefully and I was glad I did.
Our grandparents were very fascinated by the idea behind this meeting and waited eagerly for the results and the information I came back with. They were also very happy to see these chicken. Small birds are highly appreciated in the Middle East as they always indicate juicy and easy to eat meat.
How long does it take to cook a Cornish hen?
I cooked mine in the slow cooker for 5 hours on low. For oven baked chicken, I found that roasting them on high (400F) for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350F and continue cooking for about 45 minutes to an hour is the best way.
How do you get crispy skin on Cornish hens?
After cooking the chicken in the slow cooker, I like popping them under the broiler in the oven or pan sear them with butter until skin gets browned and crispy.
How do you slow cook a Cornish hen?
Seriously it is super easy to make, just dump, set and forget kind of recipe.
- In a bowl, combine all herbs together and mix well.
- Add olive oil and mix.
- Rub the hens inside out and under the skin with the rub.
- Place in your slow cooker, add some chicken broth or water if you would like.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours.
- If you would like a crispy skin, place chicken under broiler or pan sear them on stovetop
Just as simple as that, you'll have a flavorful, tender chicken to go with any veggies of your choice. I've served mine with freekeh pilaf, roasted asparagus and sweet potato fries.
Easy weeknight slow cooker recipes
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Slow Cooker Cornish hens
Ingredients
Rub mixture:
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt.
- ½ Tablespoon paprika.
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom.
- ½ teaspoon basil.
- ½ teaspoon oregano.
- ½ teaspoon sage.
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder.
- ¼ cup olive oil.
- 2 cornish hens
- ½ cup chicken broth.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients together.
- Rub the chicken inside out with the mixture.
- Place chicken in your slow cooker.
- Pour the broth in and set the crockpot on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours.
- Let it set for 5 minutes before taking it our and serving *
Video
Notes
- Make sure to clean the cavity of each hen well.
- You may want to tie the legs with kitchen twine.
- You can also put them under the broiler for a crispier skin.
- Make sure the internal temperature on instant read thermometer reaches 180 degrees F when inserted into inner thigh.
- Serve with Lebanese rice and roasted vegetables or sweet potato fries with some lemon wedges on the side.
- To store: Place any leftover in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a lightly oiled r buttered skillet on your stove.
Pamela
I had been searching for alternative methods to cook game hens. I am so happy to have found this, not only easy to prepare but a wonderful meal. I served with wild rice and broccoli. Loved it!! Thank you this will be added to my favorite recipes.
Amira
Pamela, your comment made my day <3, thank you so much for trying the recipe. I am happy you liked it.
Sarah Kaldas
Hello,
I have a question.
In the pictures it looks like you have a plastic cover on the slow cooker. What is that and why do you have it on there? Is it a special cooking plastic?
Amira
Sarah, these are slow cooker liners for easy cleaning. They are not a necessity for the recipe.
Scott Landry
Excellent recipe...very easy for a busy Saturday or Sunday.
A couple of notes:
I could not find cardamom so I used a mixture of clove/cinnamon/nutmeg and the flavors did wonders for the taste. Just need to make sure that they are minimized because they came through STRONG in the final meal.
Second comment is that I put some of the seasonings in the broth during the cooking process to get the taste infused in the entire bird.
GREAT RECIPE, it's in my little favorite recipe book.
Amira
Scott, thank you for trying this recipe and I am happy you liked it. Your notes are very important as not many people might have cardamom in their spice drawer, this is a great substitute. Thanks again.
Sara Solom
This was easy and everyone enjoyed dinner.
Amira
This is great, Sara. Thank you so much for the feedback.
May Bentley
These were delicious, I used butter instead and roasted them for 10 minutes in the oven after they were done.
Amira
Awesome, thanks for the feedback May!