Cornish Hens with Apricot Stuffing

SERVES: 6

COOK TIME: 1 Hr 5 Min

Cornish hens are a great alternative to turkey, especially when cooking for two or a smaller group. The presentation is just as holiday special, and everyone's sure to love the easy apricot stuffing!

What You'll Need

3 cups apricot nectar, divided
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups one-step stuffing mix
3 tablespoons chopped almonds
6 (1-pound) Cornish hens
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

What to Do

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine 1-1/2 cups of nectar and the butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the stuffing mix and almonds, cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes; set aside.
Prepare the hens by removing (and discarding) the insides and rinsing them inside and out with cold water. Stuff each hen with 1/2 cup of the stuffing mixture.
In a small bowl or cup, combine the poultry seasoning, salt, and oil and completely rub each hen with the mixture. Place the remaining 1-1/2 cups of nectar at the bottom of a large roasting pan that has been coated with cooking spray and place the hens in the nectar.
Roast for 30 minutes, then baste with the nectar and continue roasting for an additional 30 minutes or until juices run clear and skin is golden brown. Serve with pan drippings.

Notes

Make sure that you roast the hens right after stuffing them.

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416keepher 3587517

Nov 13, 2016

I made this tonight. It was good but next time I'm leaving off the poultry seasoning. It left something to be desired in this recipe. I did use apricot preserves in the stuffing, it worked out fine. It might have been better with the nectar but considering how none was to be found in any store it was time to step back and punt. I did add an equal amount of water to the preserves.

douglasdherbert

Nov 04, 2015

I can not rate it yet, as I have not made it yet. I can not find Apricot nectar in any stores in my city in Canada. I assume I might be able to use apricot jam, but not sure how much to water it down while heating it up to a liquid form. Would a one-one amount be suitable?

Test Kitchen Team

Nov 05, 2015

Hi there! You can definitely use watered-down apricot jam for the for basting the Cornish hen, however it will not work for the stuffing. We recommend using a peach or mango nectar (or your favorite kind) for the stuffing. Let us know how it turns out for you, we would love to hear back!

douglasdherbert 52 19098

Nov 05, 2015

Thank you for the reply, but the nectars are not something we can not get up here. I will try it using fresh fruit jam and see how it turns out. Thanks again.