air fryer cornish hen

Skip the store-bought rotisserie chicken and make this easy air fryer cornish hen recipe right at home! Five easy steps to perfectly cooked birds with irresistibly crispy skin.

Air Fryer Cornish Hen

cornish hens,

olive oil

salt

italian seasoning

garlic powder

paprika

black pepper

lemon zest (or 1 tablespoon lemon juice)

Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the oil and...

In a small bowl, combine the oil and salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and lemon zest/juice.

Pat the cornish game hens dry with a...

Pat the cornish game hens dry with a paper towel then brush them with the seasoning mixture under and on top of the skin. Twist wings to tuck under the bird.

Place hen(s) in the air fryer basket, breast...

Place hen(s) in the air fryer basket, breast side down, and cook for 35 minutes.

Flip the hens and cook for an additional...

Flip the hens and cook for an additional 10 minutes to get the skin crispy. Check internal temperature: hens are done at 165 degrees F. Serve and enjoy!

Air Fryer Cornish Hen is a super flavorful meal that's quick and easy to make!

lb (907 grams) Cornish Hen (1 large Cornish Hen)

Tablespoon Shawarma spice mix (or another spice blend)

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.

Learn how to cook Cornish Hen in an Air Fryer with this easy recipe. The air fryer is the perfect tool for cooking these little birds because it yields a crisp, golden-brown skin and a tender, juicy middle. This elegant dish is perfect to serve for a special occasion or dinner party, but it also makes for a delicious, easy weeknight meal.

Cornish Hen in Air Fryer Recipe

cornish hens (1

onion powder

paprika (or smoked paprika)

Kosher salt

parsley (chopped)

Dry the hens: Take cornish hens out of the fridge and pat dry on all sides using a few sheets of paper towels. Let them rest while you are making the rub.

Mix the seasoning: Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Oil the meat: Rub the cornish hens with olive oil on all sides and inside the cavity.

Season the hens: Sprinkle with the seasoning on the skin and in the cavity area, ensuring that it is equally distributed.

Preheat the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. (176 degrees C).

Place hens in the air fryer: Carefully remove the basket and place seasoned cornish hens breast side down in  a single layer.

Air fry: Air fry for 20 minutes, flip, and continue to air fry until the thickest part of the bird registers 165 degrees when inserted with a thermometer for 15-17 minutes. The skin should be golden brown and crispy as well.

Rest and serve: Carefully remove the cornish hens from the air fryer and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy juicy and tender Cornish hen straight from the freezer with this air fryer recipe. Get ready for a hassle-free and delicious meal.

Air Fryer Cornish Hen from Frozen

Cornish hen (about 22 ounces / 1.375 pounds net weight)

smoked sweet paprika

kosher salt (to taste)

black pepper (to taste)

Preheat the air fryer to 245°F (118°C) and set it for 30 minutes.

Gently transfer Cornish hen onto Air Fryer tray and slowly insert tray into the middle cooking chamber, near the rotisserie catch. Let’s start thawing the frozen Cornish hen.

Slowly turn Cornish hen over after 10 minutes. No need to wait for the “turn food” reminder provided by the Air Fryer.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix garlic powder and smoked sweet paprika. Set aside.

After 10 minutes, increase the temperature to 270°F (132°C), then slowly turn Cornish hen, wing side up. Then turn over the other side of the wing after 5 minutes.

Slowly remove the Air Fryer tray with thawed Cornish hen. See tips or notes when closing the door.

Before the Air Fryer timer ends (30 minutes set), increase the heat to 370°F (188°C) and set the timer to 45 minutes.

Pat dry the whole Cornish hen. Remove any remaining broken ice from the cavity, if any.

Season cavity of Cornish hen with salt and ground black pepper.

Brush the skin with olive oil. Season with the salt, ground black pepper, and the garlic mixture.

Slowly insert Air Fryer tray into the middle cooking chamber, near the rotisserie catch.

Turn on each side after every 10 minutes, with the breast side up at the last 5 minutes.

Once the whole Cornish hen is golden after 45 minutes and the instant-read thermometer registers 165°F at the thickest part of the inner thigh while the juices run clear, remove the Air Fryer tray.

Allow to Air Fryer Cornish hen to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Hats off to you for the amazing frozen Cornish hen recipe for the air fryer! Your method delivered a juicy hen with crispy skin, all from frozen. Your clear instructions and flavorful seasonings made it a hassle-free yet impressive meal. This recipe has earned a permanent spot in my go-to list – thanks for sharing your culinary expertise!

I got a crispy skin and juicy meat with no thawing needed. The air fryer makes frozen food so easy, which is good because I tend to forget to thaw stuff!

I had frozen Cornish hen from Costco which I forgot to pull out to thaw. Then I found your recipe.  The hen turned out juicy, moist and delicious. Thank you.

This saved the day this weekend!!! 
Hubby and I had the busiest day running about after the kids for various events. And then once they were all Yes all!!! A rare and unknown thing for all 5 kids to have birthday party sleepovers to go to! We sat down to decide where to go to dinner. But quite frankly all we really wanted was dinner at home, to watch a movie that might contain a come cursing and snuggle up on the sofa together.
We didn't want takeout and I didn't want to cook anything too difficult. So I grabbed a frozen cornish hen  (I bought 4 last Christmas and didn't cook them!!!) and followed your recipe.
We just had it pulled apart with some dinner rolls and salad and it was delicious. So tender and juicy and so easy! 
THANK YOU

Making a cornish hen is the best use yet for my air fryer! This meal got cheers all around!

This is the perfect solution to the dreaded " Oh no I forgot to pull out the frozen chicken" but with a twist! It was my first time trying cornish hen and now I can't wait to have it again for dinner this week, I think I'm going to try it with the cayenne pepper tip you mentioned.

I'm always looking to try new recipes in my air fryer and my family enjoyed this meal! I'll make it again!

I love cornish game hens! I am awful at remembering to pull meat for dinner the next day so this is perfect! The air fryer is such a dinner saver, so using a frozen hen would make it even better!

Cornish hens are a delightful change from everyday chicken, and I love how fast and easy it is to make them perfectly from frozen in the air fryer with this recipe.

This recipe turned out awesome! I have always been a bit intimidated to make a cornish hen but this recipe broke it down so simply and using the air fryer made it even easier.

I haven't had a cornish hen since I was in high school! My sister and I loved to make a special anniversary dinner for my parents every year and one year we had cornish hens. They turned out amazing. Had no idea it could be so easy with the air fryer. Thank you so much for the instructions for cooking a cornish hen from frozen in the air fryer. (I've never seen them not frozen.) So helpful!

This was so delicious and such an easy recipe to make. I love making chicken in my air fryer.

This recipe is brilliant. I don't have to worry about forgetting to take the chicken out of the freezer before I need to cook it. Thank you for saving me hassle.

I've always wanted to make a Cornish hen. This air fryer version is one of the easiest ways I've seen yet. I'll give it a go this weekend when the in-laws come over. Thanks for the help!

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Air Fryer Cornish Hen

Cornish Hen in Air Fryer Recipe

Air Fryer Cornish Hen from Frozen

Top 4 air fryer cornish hen recipes from across the web

The most viewed air fryer cornish hen recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Air Fryer Cornish Hen

Air Fryer Cornish Hen

Cornish Hen in Air Fryer Recipe

Air Fryer Cornish Hen from Frozen

The most viewed air fryer cornish hen recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine