My air fryer cornish hen gets a super crispy skin with little prepping time. I make it with simple ingredients, so the air fryer does all the hard work!
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My Crispy Recipe For Cornish Hen in the Air Fryer
It isn’t often my husband and I get a nice date night on a whim to ourselves. So when I get one of those nights, air fryer cornish hen is my go-to!
I remember the first time I made this recipe. I was out shopping and got a text from my husband that both kids were over at friends’ houses until after dinner. That doesn’t happen often!
I decided to stop in the grocery store next door and find something to make for just the two of us. I spotted the cornish hens, and a light bulb went off.
I had the cornish hen in the air fryer within 10 minutes of stepping in the door, then relaxed in a quiet house while my husband was mowing the lawn.
When it was done cooking, I placed it on the table. My husband Ben looked at me and told me I didn’t need to spend all my free time cooking. I laughed and told him it was super easy to make, so easy that even he could make it himself. I will never forget his response. He said, “But it looks so fancy!”
I love my husband, but cooking is not his strength, so easy recipes like this one are right up his alley.
I now make this for normal family dinners and also throw two in for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas for an easy alternative to turkey for those who want it.
And, if you love a good air fryer chicken recipe, try my recipes for air fryer fried chicken, air fryer chicken tenders, air fryer chicken legs, grilled chicken in the air fryer, and air fryer chicken cordon bleu.
Cornish Game Hen Air Fryer Ingredients
- Cornish game hens
- Oil – I use olive oil, but canola oil or corn oil will work
- Salt and pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Lemon zest – I’ve substituted lemon juice for this too
How To Cook A Cornish Hen in the Air Fryer
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F. Prepare two cornish hens by patting their skin dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.
STEP TWO: Whisk the oil, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.
STEP THREE: Twist the wings to tuck them underneath and then place the cornish hens in the air fryer basket with the breast side down and cook for 35 minutes.
STEP FOUR: Flip the hens over and air fry them for an additional 10 minutes, for a total cooking time of about 45 minutes. It is done when the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer.
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Cornish Hen
- Pat the cornish hens dry before cooking using a paper towel. I find the oil sticks to the skin better when it’s completely dry making the skins extra crispy.
- Flip them with 10 minutes left to air fry. While I don’t flip every food in the air fryer, flipping these helps get both sides nice and crispy without overcooking one side too much.
- Tuck the wings under the hen. I find this not only helps keep them in place, but also prevents them from cooking too quickly and burning.
- Leave enough space for cooking the birds. I can fit one in my older smaller air fryer and two cornish hens in my square Cosori basket and air fryer ovens with enough space to still allow the hot air to circulate.
- Let it rest for about 5 to 10 minutes to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Air Fryer Cornish Game Hen Variations and Substitutions
- Use a different seasoning blend like lemon pepper seasoning or fresh herbs. I find fresh basil, thyme, and parsley are delicious.
- Try another new flavor by using poultry seasoning or a spicier option like Cajun seasoning. I’ve used both and it gives the game hens a ton of flavor!
- Use your favorite seasonings for regular chicken or rotisseries. I love to mix up the spices and herbs I use and have found that any seasoning that tastes great on regular chicken, tastes great on these. I served them as mini rotisserie chickens to my kids the first time they ate them with us and they loved them!
What to Serve with Cornish Hen in the Air Fryer
I love serving this dish with good vegetable side dishes like air fryer butternut squash, air fryer carrots, or air fryer asparagus with some mashed potatoes and salads.
I also love making it alongside a baked sweet potato in the air fryer or a normal air fryer baked potato because of their longer cooking times. The potatoes are done right as the hens finish resting.
Air Fryer Cornish Hens FAQs
How Long to Cook Cornish Hen in the Air Fryer
I find that air frying the Cornish hens takes about 45 minutes in a preheated air fryer, which is much quicker than roasting them in the oven. I use a meat thermometer to check when they’re done cooking.
How to Cook Frozen Cornish Game Hen in the Air Fryer
I’ve been starting to see more and more frozen cornish hens sold in the frozen section of stores now. While I love cooking meats from frozen in the air fryer, I find thawing them overnight in the refrigerator to be the best option for the crispy skin.
If they are still slightly frozen when air frying, it will add another 10 to 15 minutes to the cooking time.
How to Reheat Air Fryer Cornish Hen
I love reheating these in the air fryer to get the crispy skin back. I find about 15 minutes is needed at 360 degrees F to do this. If the skin needs a little extra crispiness, I will cook it at 400 degrees for another few minutes.
How do I defrost Cornish hen quickly?
The quickest way I’ve found to thaw a Cornish hen in a pinch is to put the bird in a leak-proof bag and submerge it inside cold water. I change the water every 30 minutes or so to make sure it stays cold, and the hen is fully thawed and ready to cook in an hour or two depending on the size!
Should Air Fryer Cornish hens be rinsed before cooking?
I never recommend rinsing raw meats, including Cornish hens, because it can spread bacteria around the kitchen through a process called aerosolization.
Instead, I pat my hens dry with paper towels before seasoning so the oil will stick well to the chicken helping the skin get nice and crispy.
More Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
- Air fryer pork loin
- Brats in the air fryer
- Air fryer steak bites
- Italian sausage in the air fryer
- Air fryer flank steak
- Air fryer breaded pork chops
- Pork steak in the air fryer
- Air fryer kielbasa
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Crispy Air Fryer Cornish Hen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cornish hens about 1.5 pounds each
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees.
- 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 paper towel then brush them with the seasoning mixture under and on top of the skin. Twist wings to tuck under the bird.
- Place the hen(s) in the air fryer basket, breast side down, and cook for 35 minutes.
- Flip the hens and cook for an additional 10 minutes to get the skin crispy (45 minutes total). They are done cooking once they reach 165 degrees F.
Video
Notes
- Pat the cornish hens dry before cooking using a paper towel to help the oil stick better for crispier skin.
- Flip them with 10 minutes left to air fry. While I don’t flip every food in the air fryer, flipping these helps get both sides nice and crispy without overcooking one side too much.
- Tuck the wings under the hen. This helps keep them in place and prevents them from cooking too quickly and burning.
- Leave enough space for cooking the birds. I can fit one in my older smaller air fryer and two cornish hens in my square Cosori basket with enough space to still allow the hot air to circulate.
- Let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat leftovers in a preheated air fryer at 360 degrees F for about 15 minutes until warmed thoroughly. Turn the temperature up to 400 degrees F for a few minutes if the skin needs to get a little crispier.
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Love that I can make these from frozen and that they’re so easy.
I love these little hens. They are so fun and the seasoning was great! Especially the lemons zest.
My air fryer oven has a rotisserie option – would using that feature change the cook time or any of the other ingredients/instructions?
I did not use a rotisserie for this recipe, so this would be the directions for using the air fryer without that. If using the rotisserie, I would drop your temperature by about 10 to 20 degrees since it will sit closer to the heating element.