Celebrate a special occasion or impress your dinner guests with Glazed Cornish Hens with Pomegranate-Rice Stuffing. This elegant dish combines the sweet and tangy flavors of pomegranate and orange with aromatic spices for a truly festive meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These Cornish hens are not only visually stunning but packed with flavors that meld beautifully—cinnamon, cumin, and pomegranate create a perfect balance of sweet and savory. The wild rice stuffing is hearty and infused with fresh herbs, making each bite a delightful experience.
Ingredients
- Ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Cornish hens
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Wild rice blend
- Unsalted butter
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Ground ginger
- Ground cumin
- Pomegranate seeds
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh cilantro
- Egg yolks
- Fresh orange juice
- Pomegranate molasses
Substitutions
- Wild Rice: Quinoa or couscous can be used as a lighter alternative.
- Pomegranate Seeds: Dried cranberries or cherries soaked in juice for an extra burst of flavor.
How to Make Glazed Cornish Hens
- Prepare the Hens: Season and refrigerate overnight to enhance the flavors.
- Cook the Rice: Use chicken broth for richness and drain well.
- Sauté Aromatics: Cook shallot, garlic, ginger, and cumin until fragrant.
- Combine Ingredients: Mix rice with herbs, spices, and egg yolks.
- Prepare the Glaze: Reduce orange juice and pomegranate molasses, then emulsify with butter.
- Stuff and Roast: Fill hens with rice mixture, roast, and glaze periodically until perfectly cooked.
Recipe Tips
- Marinating Time: Allowing the hens to rest with the seasonings overnight will deepen the flavors and help the skin crisp up beautifully.
- Basting Frequency: Regularly basting the hens with the glaze will not only add flavor but also give the skin a gorgeous, glossy finish.
How to Serve
Serve these Cornish hens on a platter garnished with fresh herbs and additional pomegranate seeds for a burst of color and flavor. Pair with a side of roasted vegetables or a light salad and some festive Christmas Punch for a complete meal.
How to Store
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. Gently reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Reheating
To reheat, place the hens in a 350°F oven, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until heated through. This method helps maintain moisture and keeps the meat tender.
This dish is sure to be the centerpiece of any dining occasion, providing a memorable meal that’s as delicious as it is beautiful.
Glazed Cornish Hens with Pomegranate-Rice Stuffing
AmericanIngredients
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 Cornish hens - about 1 1/4 pounds each, rinsed and dried
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend - I used a box of Uncle Bill’s Wild Rice blend without the seasoning package.
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot - minced
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds - plus more for serving*
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley - plus sprigs for serving
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro - plus sprigs for serving
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Instructions
- Mix the cinnamon, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; sprinkle all over the hens and inside the cavities.
- Place the hens on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Bring the chicken broth and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; add the rice blend and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger and cumin and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat; add the cooked rice, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley and cilantro; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the egg yolks and stir to combine.
Make the glaze:
- Bring the orange juice and pomegranate molasses to a boil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Stuff the Hens:
- Fill the cavity of each hen with about 1/2 cup of the rice mixture (reserve the rest); tie the legs together with twine.
- Roast 20 minutes, then brush with the pomegranate glaze.
- Continue roasting, glazing every 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. (Rotate the hens halfway through cooking; if the skin gets too dark, cover loosely with foil.)
- Spoon the reserved rice into a pie dish, sprinkle with water and cover with foil.
- After the hens have roasted about 20 minutes, transfer the rice to the oven and cook until heated through, about 45 minutes. Keep an eye it because it goes for browning to dark brown in a matter of moments as evident by my pics.
- Transfer the hens to a platter and add some parsley and cilantro sprigs and pomegranate seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
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wow, that looks SOOO goood. can you come over to my house and make me xmas dinner? ;P
my favorite christmas special is the charlie brown christmas. i haven’t watched it in YEARS but i like that it’s still on tv every year for the younger generations to enjoy. heck, i don’t even think MY generation grew up with charlie brown.
i am a facebook fan!
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i tweeted this giveaway!
https://twitter.com/#!/whmsicalcupcake/status/149452331434512384
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and “i like it” on stumbleupon!! merry christmas!!
What stunning Cornish hens!!! Perfect for any celebration. And such a great giveaway, too!
I’m only going to enter once since I own that great cookbook…but I do follow you everywhere :)….and will stumble your post! My favorite holiday special is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas! Merry Christmas, my friend.
My favorite special is Home Alone. Does that count??? I love that movie
My favorite holiday special is the classic Charlie Brown Christmas.
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Thank you for bringing the cookies! I’ve been waiting for this post you know? Ever since you tweeted that you had cornish hens. 😀 I just knew that you were going to do something awesome with them.
You do all in one comments/entries, yes? I follow on Facebook, Twitter, RSS. I stumbled and tweeted 😉
What a fantastic meal this is – the stuffing is awesome.
These hens looks absolutely fabulous!
Those are gorgeous, Kita and I agree…perfect portion control for a smaller family. My fave holiday special? I always loved the really old one with Rudolph and Baby New Year, where the baby has the big ears he wants to hide under his hat all the time.
my favorite holiday special is a christmas story! hands down. the grinch who stole christmas is a second, and rudolph (the stop-motion animation) is third.
i also subscribe to your rss feed.
Merry Christmas! I think your cornish hens look SO much better than the ones in the magazine! I have the recipe tabbed but don’t think I’ll be able to get to it before the end of the year. Now you’re making me really want to. The hens look fantastic.
The original Grinch will probably always be my favorite (who can resist Max?), but we’ve grown fond of Shrek Christmas. Dudette watching it a jillion times this season has absolutely nothing to do with that.
Wishing you and yours the best!
What an outstanding dish! I’m definitely saving it to make soon.
My favorite Christmas special…hmmm, so many to choose from!
I’m old school – I love to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with my adult kids 🙂 and the grandchildren. My middle son used to watch it year-round on video tape (back in the days when we had a Beta video player…and you’re probably too young to know what that is!)
The hens look wonderful. That is one of my favorite thing to make for the holidays. I have to say my favorite dish to make is prime rib. Happy Holidays!
My favorite holiday special is The Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol.
Those look awesome! You really can’t go wrong with pomegranates.
I’m not much of a Christmas show person although I have watched Elf approximately 27 times already this year.
I like you on FB! (and we’re friends on there so I should get 2 entries, right? Right?! :P)
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What a great recipe! I always love cornish hens; however, they usually look like murder victims instead of little jewels, like yours 🙂 Very pretty!
My favorite special is always It’s A Wonderful Life. But you know… I REALLY miss the the Claymation Christmas special from growing up. BTW I’m dying to find some hens and cook them up. I bet they’d be really fun and would probably spark some pretty hilarious comments from the kids.
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Stumbled 🙂
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just tweeted! 😉
My favorite is the Grinch who stole Christmas
I’m an RSS subscriber
My favorite holiday special is Garfield’s Christmas.
I never miss the Charlie Brown Christmas special, as it is just about the only one anymore that gets to the REAL meaning of Christmas.
I’ve “liked” you on Facebook.
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I just tweeted about the giveaway here: https://twitter.com/#!/sharinlilbit/status/149583684931026944
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My favorite holiday special is Mickey’s Christmas Carol!! Throwback. 🙂
I love Miracle on 34th Street (the Maureen O’Hara version)
I follow Pass the Sushi on Facebook.
And I follow you on Twitter.
I follow @passthesushi (cmouse01)
Tweeted the giveaway: https://twitter.com/#!/ChipChipHooray/status/149589476014960640
I subscribe to you via RSS Feed (Google Reader).
Just thumbs-upped you via StumbleUpon.
My favorite Holiday special is The Wizard of Oz.
Just started following you on Twitter.
I just tweeted about your giveaway.
I love the original grinch movie, an specifically the grinch song, which we watch over and over on youtube.
I subscribed to your RSS feed just yesterday, does that count?
Gorgeous hens! My fav holiday special is A Christmas Story.
I subscribe to your rss feed.
My favorite Christmas special that I whip out for the holidays is definitely my 7 layer cookies. They take a bit more time and work, but it is so worth it in the end. Definitely a show stopper for the holidays. My favorite thing you have made here are the maple bacon cupcakes. Such an underrated combination that I think everyone should have on Christmas morning 🙂
Loved the cookies at Katrina’s! The dinner looks amazing, and the giveaway is a great one! So many good things going on in one day!!
my favorite holiday special – Frosty the Snowman!
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
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It just dawned on my that the only Christmas special we have watched this year was a new Ice Age one. (It really didn’t measure up to the old classics.) The best ever holiday classic has to be Christmas Story—don’t shoot your eye out! 🙂 Happy Holidays!
Tweeted, followed, I think I’m subscribed, I stumbled, and I’ve rss’ed, *knead* an awesome bread book 🙂
What a great post! I love Linus’s monologue, too! I think it’s one of the all-time best Christmas moments!
Thank you for the amazing giveaway! I “like” your Facebook page
I am subscribed! WooHoo!
….and you know I follow you on Twitter!
Just liked you on FB; site looks great!
It’s so hard to choose, my mother-in-laws broccoli salad or my daughter’s breakfast or bread pudding!!
I like you on FB
I love Charlie Brown Christmas. We DVR’d it last week. So much fun to watch
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I tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/iamahoneybee/status/149919013353431041
I follow you on twitter!
I love “Polar Express” and “Elf”…both great movies.
I already follow you on FB.
I subscribe via email.
I’m following you on Twitter.
I’m following via Google reader.
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/GoddessFoodie/status/149980133120425984
My favorite holiday special? The Dr Who Christmas Special.
I’m following Pass the Sushi on Facebook
I subscribe to your RSS Feed
My favorite holiday food is simple, garlic whipped potatoes that my mom makes. But just so you know I can’t stop thinking about your Blueberry Cheesecake Martini!
Already like you on facebook (Savour the Senses by Jenny Morris) =)
Already follow you on twitter =) @savourthesenses
Tweeted this giveaway
Already subscribed to your RSS feed =)
Stumbled this post too!
Even though I’ve seen it a thousand times, I still like to watch Elf every year 🙂
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Oh girl, these are the sexiest hens I’ve ever seen! I’d almost feel dirty eating these babies – but trust me, I would enjoy every bite. Yeah… I’m a little loopy, but you’re still fabulous!