Cornish Hens with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Four Cornish game hens marinated in tomatillo-chipotle salsa, roasted at high heat, and finished with a creamy pan sauce made from the drippings. This is a dinner that looks like you spent all day on it but really just needs some hands-off oven time.

The hens sit in the salsa at room temperature for an hour, soaking up smoky chipotle heat and tangy tomatillo flavor. Before roasting, the marinade gets scraped off and mixed with heavy cream to become the sauce. The hens roast breast-side up for 15 minutes first, then blanched green beans and thick onion slices join the pan for the final 20 minutes, cooking right in the creamy chipotle drippings.

The pan sauce gets a quick reduction on the stovetop after roasting, scraping up all those caramelized bits from the bottom. Spoon it around the plated hens and vegetables.

Pro Tips

• Let the hens come to room temperature during the marinating hour. Cold hens roast unevenly, with dried-out breasts and underdone thighs.
• Blanch the green beans and onions first so they only need 20 minutes in the roasting pan. Raw green beans won’t cook through in that time.
• Check doneness by piercing the thigh. The juices should run completely clear with no pink.
• Skim the fat from the pan sauce before reducing. The cream provides plenty of richness without the rendered poultry fat.

Variations

• Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead of game hens for a more budget-friendly version. Adjust roasting time to 35 to 40 minutes total.
• Milder sauce: Use a roasted tomatillo salsa without chipotles and stir in just ½ teaspoon of chipotle in adobo for controlled heat.
• Root vegetable swap: Replace the green beans with cubed butternut squash or sweet potato chunks.