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    Recipes » Main Dish » Marry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hens Recipe

    Marry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hens Recipe

    Feb 21, 2023 · Last updated: Sep 17, 2022 by Gina Dickson · This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

    I appreciate your shares! xox

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    Marry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hens Recipe in a white dish and spoon with gravy

    Merry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hens Recipe has a rich and creamy gravy with bites of sweet chewy sun-dried tomatoes and herbs all smothered over juicy cornish game hens. They are perfect for a special occasion, but best of all, they are easy to prepare and cook on their own in your crockpot.

    Marry Me Cornish Hens on a white platter with sauces all around them
    PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

    These cornish hens have so much delicious sauce that you will defiantly want to serve them with my Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes or Air Fryer Baked Potatoes. Another quick side you could pour the sauce over is Instant Pot Coconut Jasmin Rice. Toss a fresh salad such as a Green Jacket Salad or plate a beautiful Wedge Greek Salad to accompany the cornish hens for a memorable, delicious meal without a lot of work.

    Jump to:
    • 😊 Great Reasons To Make Marry Me Chicken
    • 🛒 Key Ingredient Notes
    • 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions For Marry Me Chicken
    • 🔀 Variations
    • 💭 Tips For Handling Raw Chicken
    • Tips and Questions About Cornish Hen
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe

    😊 Great Reasons To Make Marry Me Chicken

    • This recipe is easy for a make-ahead main course. Perfect for an elegant meal or a holiday dinner party.
    • The sauce makes this recipe a unique creamy sauce that goes well over potatoes and rice.
    • Crockpot cornish hens always come out moist and tender. The slow cooking and sauce assure this.
    • Serving a whole hen that is enough meat for one serving will create a memorable meal for your guests.

    🛒 Key Ingredient Notes

    ingredients for Marry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hens Recipe
    • Cornish hens: Cornish game hen, also sometimes called Rock Cornish game hen, is a variety of broiler chicken produced from a cross between the Cornish and White Plymouth Rock chicken breeds. They are served as young chickens weighing no more than two pounds. Perfect for an individual serving. They can be purchased at your local grocery store, usually individually wrapped and frozen.
    • Sundried tomatoes: It is best to precut these into quarter-size pieces. They expand when cooking and are a bit chewy even after cooking in the sauce.
    • Parmesan cheese: Be sure and buy a good quality parmesan, not the shaker kind in the green can. You want it to melt nicely into the sauce.
    • Chicken stock: Again, quality counts. Be sure to use a rich chicken broth, not bullion granules.
    • Crushed red peppers: The recipe calls for one teaspoon, which will not make your dish spicy. However, if you like a bit of spice, put two teaspoons in when preparing the sauce.

    ⭐️See the recipe card for a complete list and quantities.

    🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions For Marry Me Chicken

    1. Remove the Cornish hens from the wrapper and rinse well with cold water inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken generously with salt and black pepper on all sides.In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil.
    raw peppered chickens, browned chickens

    2. Sear each breast, sides, and underside of the cornish hens until golden brown. Ensuring you have crispy skin will lock in the cornish chicken's juices while cooking, yielding juicy meat when you serve. This is the secret to moist poultry. It should take about 4 minutes per side. When done browning, place the hens in a slow cooker.

    3. Return skillet to medium heat and add garlic, thyme, basil, onion powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

    Next, stir in broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan into the pan. Season to taste with more salt. Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes.

    pan of sauce, chicken and sauce in crock pot

    4. Then, pour the sauce over the hens in the slow cooker.

    Set the slow cooker on high power or 3 hours or low for 5 hours. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. They are done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

    🔀 Variations

    Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe

    • Substitute two cornish hens for one whole chicken. One regular chicken that is medium-size would equal about three game birds.
    • If you enjoy poultry with cooked wine, substitute white wine for the chicken broth.
    • You could switch out thyme springs for fresh rosemary sprigs.

    💭 Tips For Handling Raw Chicken

    I like using disposable surgical-type gloves when handling raw chicken. After done, pull them off inside out and dispose of them.

    Tips and Questions About Cornish Hen

    If you have not cooked a cornish hen before, you need to try it. They are just like mini chickens. Because of their small size, they are individual serving size. Perfect for a fun romantic dinner.

    What is the difference between a chicken and a Cornish hen?

    Cornish hens are a cross between a Cornish and White Plymouth Rock chicken and are butchered when they are 4 to 6 weeks old. Therefore they are leaner than regular chicken and have fewer calories.

    Are Cornish hens healthier?

    Cornish hens have less fat and fewer calories than regular chickens because they are butchered young and have not built up fat.

    How do Cornish hens taste?

    Cornish hen has tender meat with a subtle, more delicate flavor than that of a regular chicken with less fat flavor.

    Do you wash Cornish hens before cooking?

    It is always a good idea to wash off any excess fluids inside and outside of poultry, ensuring not to cross-contaminate your work surfaces.

    Marry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hens Recipe close up of chicken and gravy

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    If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This helps others find great recipes.

    Recipe

    Marry Me Cornish Hens on a white platter with sauces all around them

    Marry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hens Recipe

    Gina Dickson
    Merry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hens Recipes has a rich and creamy gravy with bites of sweet chewy sun-dried tomatoes, herbs all smothered over juicy cornish game hens. They are perfect for a special occasion, but best of all, they are easy to prepare and cook on their own in your crockpot

    Note:

    To save you ink, video and equipment images will not print.

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    Tap to prevent your screen from going dark while making this recipe.
    Prep Time 20 mins
    3 hrs
    Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins
    Course Main Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 hens
    Calories 2044 kcal

    Equipment

    Crock Pot

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cornish hens thaw over night in your refrigerator if you buy them frozen.
    • salt to taste
    • black pepper to taste
    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 3 cloves garlic peeled and finely minced
    • 1 teaspoon basil dried
    • 1 teaspoon thyme I like to use one 3-inch fresh sprig of thyme. If you don't have fresh, use 1 teaspoon of dried.
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp onion powder
    • 1 tsp red crushed pepper flakes
    • 1/2 cup chicken broth
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes sliced into cubes
    • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated

    Need an ingredient to make this recipe? Click this Instacart button and get what you need sent right to you.

    Instructions
     

    • Remove the Cornish hens from the wrapper and rinse well with cold water inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels
      2 cornish hens
    • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil.
      3 tbsp olive oil
    • Season chicken generously with salt and black pepper on all sides.
      salt, black pepper
    • Sear each breast, sides, and underside of the cornish hens until golden brown. Ensuring you have crispy skin will lock in the cornish chicken's juices while cooking, yielding juicy meat when you serve. This is the secret to moist poultry. It should take about 4 minutes per side. When done browning, place the hens in a slow cooker.
    • Return skillet to medium heat and add garlic, thyme, basil, onion powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
      3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp red crushed pepper flakes
    • Next, stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan into the pan. Season to taste with more salt. Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Then pour over hens in the slow cooker.
      1/2 cup chicken broth, 2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
    • Set the slow cooker on high power or 3 hours or low for 5 hours. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. They are done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
    • Open the lid and allow cornish hens to cool slightly for 5 minutes. Then carefully lift them using a large metal spatula to a serving platter. Drizzle some of the sauce over the hens, about a 1/2 cup. Then place the rest of the sauce in a gravy boat to serve.

    Need an item in the this recipe? Click the Instacart button and have it sent right to you.

    Notes

    Variations

    • Substitute two cornish hens for one whole chicken. One regular chicken that is medium-sized would equal about three game birds.
    • If you enjoy poultry with cooked wine, substitute white wine for the chicken broth.
    • You could switch out thyme springs for fresh rosemary sprigs.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1henCalories: 2044kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 96gFat: 177gSaturated Fat: 79gPolyunsaturated Fat: 19gMonounsaturated Fat: 67gCholesterol: 742mgSodium: 974mgPotassium: 1833mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 4429IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 537mgIron: 6mg
    Main Dish
    American
    Share Your CreationTag @intentionalhospitality and hashtag #intentionalhospitality so I can see what you made. Don’t forget to leave a star rating.

    Visit the story: Marry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hens

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    About Gina Dickson

    Hey y'all, I am here to help you build community and nurture faith around your table. You will find fun party ideas and delicious recipes for easy-to-make meals and party food. I want to help you create a table where people come together, enjoy a meal and linger with good conversation.

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    Comments

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    1. Alice Monroe

      January 04, 2023 at 9:20 am

      This was delicious. My niece asked for the recipe as well as my sister.

      Reply
      • Gina Dickson

        January 04, 2023 at 2:37 pm

        I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it Alice! I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs instead of cornish hens, also.

        Reply
    2. Rachel

      February 14, 2023 at 5:49 pm

      5 stars
      I made Marry Me Slow Cooker Cornish Hen for Valentine’s Day dinner, & it was so good. Served it with pierogies and put the extra sauce on top. So so good!!!

      Thank you for the recipe!!

      Reply
      • Gina Dickson

        February 15, 2023 at 10:52 am

        Thanks for letting me know, Rachel, I am so happy you enjoyed it. I sometimes use boneless chicken breasts instead of cornish hens too. I have never made perogies. I love dumplings when I eat out, so I really need to try making them at home. Send me your favorite recipe. gina@intentionalhospitality.com

        Reply
    3. Daisy

      February 20, 2023 at 4:59 pm

      3 stars
      Frustrating that for one, the butter in the list of ingredients is not included in the recipe instructions. And second, that the ingredient list is not in the order used...seriously, isn't this rule one? Smells good in the kitchen, however, looking forward to eating it.

      Reply
      • Gina Dickson

        February 22, 2023 at 3:31 pm

        Daisy, I missed taking the butter out of the recipe card. When I first tested this recipe, I used butter, however, 2nd round, I used olive oil. The olive oil was a better choice because the butter burned on the pan. I removed it from the recipe card. I also put all ingredients in order of use and, if you take a peek, I implemented a new feature. Ingredients are now under the steps they are used in. I hope this helps.

        Reply

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