Sous Vide Cornish Hen

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This Sous Vide Cornish Hen recipe is tender and juicy, seasoned with Moroccan flavors and broiled until the skin is golden brown and crispy! 

Cornish hens are a perfect option for date night or dinner parties, and this sous vide recipe is perfect for entertaining. It is hands off and guarantees perfectly juicy results.

While this recipe involves a longer cooking time compared to other Cornish hen recipes, using the sous vide method ensures these small birds cook evenly without drying out.

If you’re looking for quicker results, I highly recommend these Instant Pot Cornish hens. But, if you love sous vide cooking like us, you’ll want to try these sous vide Cornish game hens!

For a complete meal, serve them with truffle mashed potatoes and Instant Pot carrots!

And, for more traditional Cornish hen recipes, you can try these recipes for stuffed Cornish hen, Thai grilled Cornish game hens or grilled Cornish game hens.

Jump to:

• What are Cornish game hens?
• Why this recipe works
• What is Sous Vide?
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Expert tips
• Common questions
• Storage and freezing instructions
• Serving options for Cornish hens
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

What are Cornish game hens?

Cornish hens are a type of hybrid chicken. They’re smaller than chickens, averaging between 1-2 pounds, and mature quickly, growing large breasts in fewer than 5 weeks.

Why this recipe works

1. Since Cornish hens are small, they can easily overcook. The controlled temperature of the sous vide water bath ensures they cook evenly without drying out.
2. The recipe calls for dry brining overnight so the hens get extra tender and juicy. 
3. You can still get crispy skin even when using the sous vide. The birds get a quick broil in the oven just before serving.
4. The recipe is pretty hands off which makes it ideal for entertaining. You can run errands or make side dishes while the water bath does its work!

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use sous vide magnets) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum-seal bags

You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

You’ll need 2 Cornish game hens for this recipe. They usually weigh about 1.5 pounds, but you can get them as large as 2 pounds.

This recipe is filled with Moroccan flavors so you’ll need 2 tablespoons of ras el hanout. This is a Moroccan/Tunisian spice blend that typically contains ground spices such as cumin, coriander, cardamom, allspice, ginger, pepper, among others. 

You’ll also need 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds, toasted and ground. To toast and grind your own spices, heat a skillet on medium heat and add the cumin seeds, tossing every few minutes or so until fragrant. Remove from heat and grind with a mortar and pestle.

Four preserved lemons are also added to the hens while they cook. Preserved lemons have been pickled in their own juices along with salt. You can buy them at grocery stores or specialty stores, but you can also make preserved lemons. 

For additional Moroccan flavors, you’ll need 2 saffron threads. These threads are thin and orange-red in color. If you can’t find saffron, try substituting turmeric.

Step by step instructions

Combine the salt, ras el hanout and cumin in a bowl and mix.

Rub olive oil and the spice mixture all over the Cornish hens and place in the fridge, uncovered, overnight.

Heat a sous vide water bath to 150F degrees.

Place the Cornish hens in a vacuum seal bag with the saffron threads, dates and preserved lemons.

Seal and cook in the water bath for 6 hours.

Remove from the bag and reserve any cooking liquid for serving.

Place the Cornish hens under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to crisp the skin. (You can also use a high powered kitchen torch).

Serve with the reserved cooking liquid on the side. 

Expert tips

1. For extra crispy skin, pat the hens dry with paper towels before broiling them.
2. Be careful not to broil the hens for longer than 3-5 minutes as they may over cook and dry out.
3. For crispy skin, you can also use a kitchen torch instead of broiling them.
4. Don’t throw out the bag juice! Serve it on the side or over the Cornish hens.
5. To keep bacteria out of the sealed bag, make sure the vacuum sealable bag is sealed properly to remove the air.
6. You’ll want to make sure the bag doesn’t float in the water bath. If it does, you can just open it, let the excess air out and reseal it. 
7. To prevent floating, you can also use something heavy like a sous vide sinker weight to weigh down the bag and keep it submerged.

Common questions

Storage and freezing instructions

You can store leftover Cornish hens in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

You can also freeze them. Just let them cool, then remove the meat from the bones and place it in an airtight container or freezer safe bag. It should last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the microwave or oven.

Serving options for Cornish hens

• Instant Pot Couscous
• Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Sous Vide Carrots
• Instant Pot Basmati Rice
• Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
• Bacon and Pea Risotto

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