Christmas Stuffed Cornish Game Hens with Wild Rice

Golden, crisp-skinned Cornish hens make a beautiful centerpiece for an intimate Christmas dinner. Each little bird is filled with fragrant wild rice, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, mushrooms, celery, onion, sage, and thyme, then served with a buttery orange-lemon pan sauce. The stuffing is fully cooked before it goes into the hens, making the final assembly wonderfully straightforward.

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 4 servings, 1 stuffed hen per person
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: Approximately 2 hours 10 minutes, including cooking the wild rice
• Total Time: Approximately 2 hours 55 minutes, including a 15-minute rest

Quick Ingredients

• 4 Cornish game hens, 1¼–1½ pounds each, fully thawed, giblets removed
• ½ cup uncooked pure wild rice and 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced, about 1 cup
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced, about ¾ cup
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped, and 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup pecans, roughly chopped, and ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt and ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, ¼ cup fresh orange juice, and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water for any extra stuffing; fresh thyme sprigs for optional garnish

Do This

• 1. Simmer the wild rice in 2 cups broth, covered, for 45–50 minutes, until tender; drain any excess liquid.
• 2. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for 3–4 minutes. Set aside, then sauté the onion, celery, and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter for 10–12 minutes. Add garlic and stuffing herbs for 1 minute.
• 3. Combine the vegetables, rice, pecans, cranberries, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• 4. Pat the hens dry. Rub with 2 tablespoons softened butter, olive oil, the remaining chopped herbs, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Loosely fill each cavity with about ½ cup warm stuffing.
• 5. Set the hens breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan with ½ cup broth beneath them. Roast for 65–80 minutes, until the breast, innermost thigh, and center of the stuffing each reach 165°F (74°C).
• 6. Bake any extra stuffing in a covered dish with 2 tablespoons water during the last 25–30 minutes of roasting, until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest the hens for 15 minutes.
• 7. Deglaze the roasting pan with the remaining ½ cup broth. Add orange juice, zest, lemon juice, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; simmer for 5–7 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A special dinner for every guest: Individual hens feel festive and elegant without requiring a large holiday roast.
• Wonderful Christmas flavors: Cranberries, pecans, citrus, sage, and thyme bring sweetness, crunch, and savory warmth.
• Crisp skin and tender meat: Thoroughly drying the hens and roasting them uncovered encourages a beautifully golden finish.
• A sauce made from the roast: The buttery citrus pan sauce captures all those delicious browned juices.

Grocery List

• Poultry: 4 Cornish game hens, 1¼–1½ pounds each.
• Produce: 1 small yellow onion, 2 celery stalks, 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, 2 garlic cloves, 1 large orange, 1 lemon, fresh sage, and fresh thyme.
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, at least 6 tablespoons.
• Pantry: Pure wild rice, low-sodium chicken broth, dried cranberries, pecans, olive oil, fine sea salt, and black pepper.

Full Ingredients

For the Wild Rice Stuffing

• ½ cup uncooked pure wild rice, about 80 grams, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ⅓ cup pecans, about 38 grams, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced, about 1 cup
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced, about ¾ cup
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries, about 45 grams
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons water, for baking any extra stuffing separately

For the Cornish Hens

• 4 Cornish game hens, 1¼–1½ pounds each, completely thawed, giblets removed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, for the roasting pan

For the Buttery Citrus Pan Sauce

• Roasting-pan juices and browned bits, with excess fat removed
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• Fresh thyme sprigs, for optional garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook the wild rice

Combine the rinsed wild rice and 2 cups chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45–50 minutes. The grains should be tender with a pleasant chew, and many will have split open. If necessary, cook for another 5 minutes, adding a little water if the pan becomes dry.

Drain any liquid that remains. Keep the rice covered while you finish the vegetables. Pure wild rice varies by brand, so use tenderness rather than the clock as your final guide.

Step 2: Toast the pecans and sauté the vegetables

While the rice cooks, place the pecans in a large dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add the onion, celery, and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown. Add the garlic, 2 teaspoons sage, and 1 teaspoon thyme; cook for 1 minute.

Step 3: Finish the stuffing and prepare the oven

Stir the cooked wild rice, toasted pecans, cranberries, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper into the vegetables. The stuffing should be moist but not wet. Keep it warm over very low heat while you prepare the hens; do not stuff the birds until you are ready to roast them immediately.

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C), with a rack in the lower-middle position. Set a roasting rack inside a metal roasting pan large enough to hold the hens without touching. Lightly butter a small baking dish for any extra stuffing, using a little butter from the wrapper if available.

Step 4: Season and loosely stuff the hens

Remove any giblets from the hens. Do not rinse the poultry; instead, pat the cavities and skin very dry with paper towels. Mix the 2 tablespoons softened butter with the olive oil, remaining 1 teaspoon sage, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Rub this mixture evenly over the hens.

Using a clean spoon, loosely fill each cavity with about ½ cup warm stuffing. Do not press it in tightly; leaving space helps the center heat safely. Tuck the wing tips underneath and loosely tie the legs together with kitchen twine, without cinching the cavity closed.

Transfer the remaining stuffing to the prepared baking dish, drizzle with 2 tablespoons water, and cover tightly with foil. Wash your hands and sanitize any surfaces or utensils that touched raw poultry.

Step 5: Roast until golden and safely cooked

Arrange the hens breast-side up on the roasting rack, leaving at least 1 inch between them. Pour ½ cup broth into the bottom of the pan, not over the birds. Roast uncovered for 65–80 minutes, rotating the pan after 40 minutes for even browning. Begin checking temperatures at 60 minutes.

The hens are ready only when an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost thigh, and the center of the stuffing. Avoid touching bone with the thermometer. Check every hen, since they may finish at slightly different times.

If the skin browns too quickly, loosely shield the affected areas with foil. If the meat reaches temperature before the stuffing, scoop the stuffing into a small baking dish and continue baking it separately until it reaches 165°F (74°C). If the roasting pan begins to dry out or the drippings threaten to scorch, add ¼ cup hot water at a time.

Step 6: Bake the extra stuffing and rest the hens

During the last 25–30 minutes of roasting, place the covered dish of extra stuffing in the oven. Heat until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). For a slightly crisp top, uncover it for the final 5 minutes.

Transfer the finished hens to a warm platter and rest for 15 minutes. Leave them uncovered, or tent very loosely with foil so the skin does not steam. Make the sauce during this resting time.

Step 7: Make the buttery citrus pan sauce

Remove the roasting rack. Pour the pan juices into a heatproof measuring cup and let the fat rise briefly, then skim off most of it. Keep the juices. If there are blackened bits in the roasting pan, discard those rather than scraping them into the sauce.

Set the metal roasting pan over medium heat and add the remaining ½ cup broth. Scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon for 1–2 minutes. Add the reserved pan juices, orange juice, orange zest, lemon juice, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Simmer for 5–7 minutes, until slightly reduced and flavorful. For a pan that is not stovetop-safe, loosen the browned bits with hot broth and transfer everything to a small saucepan.

Remove from the heat. Whisk in the cold butter one piece at a time until the sauce looks glossy and lightly coats a spoon. Do not boil after adding the butter. This is a light pan sauce, not a thick gravy.

Step 8: Plate and serve

Remove the kitchen twine. Place one hen on each warmed dinner plate and spoon a little extra wild rice stuffing alongside. Spoon the citrus sauce around the base of the hen, rather than over all the skin, to preserve its crispness. Finish with a small thyme sprig if you like, and pass the remaining sauce at the table.

For a complete Christmas dinner, serve with roasted Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, or simply dressed green beans.

Pro Tips

• Start with similarly sized hens: Birds of comparable weight cook more evenly. A 1½-pound hen may take longer than a 1¼-pound hen.
• Dry skin makes a difference: For especially crisp results, pat the unstuffed hens dry and refrigerate them uncovered on a rack over a rimmed tray for 8–24 hours. Keep them on the lowest refrigerator shelf, away from ready-to-eat foods.
• Keep the stuffing loose: A lightly filled cavity heats more evenly than a tightly packed one. Serve the extra stuffing alongside rather than forcing it into the birds.
• Use the thermometer, not the color: Golden skin does not guarantee that the stuffing is cooked through. Check the center of the filling in every hen.
• Keep citrus bright: Zest the orange before juicing it, and avoid the bitter white pith. Adding the citrus to the sauce rather than the roasting glaze also prevents sugary juices from scorching on the skin.

Variations

• Nut-free: Omit the pecans or replace them with ⅓ cup toasted pumpkin seeds, if suitable for your guests.
• Apple-cranberry stuffing: Add ½ cup finely diced firm apple to the skillet during the final 4 minutes of cooking the vegetables. Bake any additional stuffing separately.
• Wild rice blend: Substitute ½ cup uncooked wild rice blend, but follow its package directions for liquid and cooking time. Keep the separately measured broth for the roasting pan and sauce unchanged.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Make ahead: Prepare the stuffing up to 2 days in advance. Spread it in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours. Store the hens separately, unstuffed, in the refrigerator. Before assembling, reheat the stuffing in a covered saucepan with 2 tablespoons water until it reaches 165°F (74°C), then loosely fill the hens and roast immediately. Never refrigerate raw hens already filled with stuffing.

Thawing: Thaw frozen hens in the refrigerator on a rimmed tray, allowing approximately 24–48 hours depending on their size and how they are packaged. Keep refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below and cook within 1–2 days after thawing.

Leftovers: Within 2 hours of serving, remove the stuffing from the cavities and refrigerate the meat, stuffing, and sauce in separate shallow airtight containers. Use within 3–4 days. For easier storage and reheating, remove the meat from the bones.

Reheating: Place the meat and stuffing in a covered baking dish with 2 tablespoons broth or water. Heat at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 20–30 minutes, until both reach 165°F (74°C). Warm refrigerated sauce to 165°F (74°C), whisking frequently; it may separate slightly because it contains butter.

Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated for one stuffed hen with one-quarter of the extra stuffing and sauce. Actual values vary with hen size, edible yield, broth brand, and how much skin and sauce are eaten.

Calories: 1100 kcal | Carbs: 40g | Protein: 78g | Fat: 70g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 13g | Sodium: 1190mg | Cholesterol: 350mg