Slow Cooked Stuffed Cornish Hens

Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 556 min
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 servings
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Description

Cornish hens are pan seared, stuffed with homemade stuffing full of herbs, and slow cooked with more herbs to succulent chicken perfection.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1 pinch dried marjoram
• 6 cups cubed plain bread
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 Cornish game hens, thawed and giblets removed
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried savory
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1/4 cup butter

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch baking pan.
2 Melt 1/2 cup butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Mix in thyme, seasoned salt, parsley, black pepper, nutmeg, oregano, and marjoram.
3 Transfer herb mixture to a large bowl. Add cubed bread and 2 cups chicken broth; toss until well combined. Spread stuffing evenly over the prepared pan.
4 Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
5 Place Cornish hens on a flat work surface. Sprinkle salt inside the cavities.
6 Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add hens; season exteriors lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, turning to press all sides into the oil, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove hens from heat, reserving the oil.
7 Spoon stuffing into the hen cavities; place hens in a slow cooker. Pour the reserved olive oil, wine, and 1/4 cup chicken broth into the slow cooker. Sprinkle sage, savory, and rosemary over the hens. Slice butter into 4 separate tablespoons and place on hens.
8 Cook hens on Low until tender and juicy and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 8 hours and 30 minutes.