Cranberry Orange Glazed Cornish Hens

4.47 from 67 votes

These Cranberry Orange Glazed Cornish Hens are perfect for holiday family dinners. The flavors of cranberries and oranges make this festive dinner a winner!

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian

Servings: servings

Calories: 761kcal

Author: Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Ingredients

Orange Glazed Cornish Hens:

2 Cornish Hens
⅓ cup Kikkoman® Soy Sauce
½ cup Orange Juice
⅓ cup Water
1 tbsp Corn Starch
2 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 cup Fresh Cranberries
1 White Onion

Panko Crusted Roasted Potatoes:

3 Russet Potatoes washed and dried
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
¾ cup Kikkoman® Panko Bread Crumbs
1 tsp Salt

Instructions

Orange Glazed Cornish Hens:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Pat dry the cornish hens, clean the inside and generously sprinkle some salt inside and on them. Set aside.
In a sauce pan, pour Kikkoman® soy sauce and orange juice. Mix the water and corn starch together and pour into the sauce pan.
Add brown sugar and cranberries. Bring to simmer and let cook until the cranberries start popping and the glaze thickens.
Slice the onion into thin rings and place them at the bottom of an oven safe dish. Place the cornish hens on the onions and brush with the cranberry orange glaze.
Roast in the oven for 25 minutes at 400°F. Brush again with the glaze and roast for another 25 minutes. If the cornish hens are browned and beautiful, cover them with aluminum foil and roast so they don't burn.
Check the cornish hens using a thermometer. The thighs should register at 165F and the breast should register at 170°F.
If you have oven space, you can make the panko crusted roasted potatoes at the same time.

Panko Crusted Roasted Potatoes:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non stick spray.
Cut the russet potatoes into chunks and place them in a bowl.
Add in olive oil and stir until the potatoes are coated.
Add in Kikkoman® Panko bread crumbs and toss to cover the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until soft on the inside and golden brown.
Serve with cranberry orange glazed cornish hens.

Notes

It's very important to have your birds cleaned and completely pat dried. The dryness would result in a very crispy skin at the end of cooking.
The Cornish hen recipe calls for brushing the birds twice with the glaze. You can do this up to 4 times if you would like a darker color on the bird.
The onions at the bottom of the baking dish will be caramelized and flavored with the glaze. They're going to be very delicious so don't leave them out.
If Cornish hens are not available where you live, simply use a whole chicken and follow the exact same steps of this recipe. Make sure the chicken is fully cooked by inserting a meat thermometer into the thighs. It should register at 165F. Then insert the thermometer into the breast. It should register at 170F.
For the Panko crusted roasted potatoes, I used russet potatoes but red potatoes or Yukon gold would work perfectly, too.

Nutrition