Cajun Cornish Game Hens with Orange Maple Glaze
These Cajun Cornish Game Hens with Orange Maple Glaze deliver three layers of complementary flavors! The tender meat contrasts beautifully with the crispy Cajun-rubbed skin and is finished with a sweet and citrusy caramelized glaze.
This proven recipe is ideal year-round. Pair it in the fall and winter with a wild-rice casserole. Cook it on the grill on a hot summer night with a side of asparagus. There is no limit to the pairings with this sweet and spicy hen.
Hen Quality:
Like all meat and seafood, all Cornish game hens are not created equal. My favorite go-to brand is Bell and Evans. They have the highest quality game hens I can get locally. They are organic and raised without antibiotics (really!). Yet these hens stand out because they are 100% air chilled. Why does this matter? Because this method seals in the natural juices (and flavor) and eliminates the need for chlorinated water that most producers use that ends up in your hen!
Spice Rub Mixes:
Be cautious when you purchase spice mixes. Many brands have salt as the main ingredient. It’s an easy way for suppliers to bulk up spices inexpensively. It also can ruin a dish because of the high salt content. Because of this, I’ve gotten in the habit of making my own recipes of spice rub varieties, including this Cajun Seasoning.
I’ve learned that it’s a lot less expensive, and in addition, I control the quality and freshness of the spices. I use a lot of smoked paprika in my recipes, and Frontier allows me to buy it in bulk and save a lot of money over the year. I refill my glass spice bottles, rub mix jars, and then vacuum seal the rest until I need more. It also saves me emergency trips to the store. ; )
Cajun Cornish Game Hens with Orange Maple Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish Game Hens spatchcocked
Rub
- 3 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 tsp maple sugar
Orange Maple Glaze
- ⅓ cup orange juice fresh
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp maple sugar substitute: Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp mustard prepared
- pinch cayenne
Instructions
Glaze
- Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by about one-third - about 8 minutes. Let cool.⅓ cup orange juice, 1 tsp orange zest, 3 tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 tbsp maple sugar, 1 tbsp mustard, pinch cayenne
Dry Rub
- With your index finger, carefully separate the skin of the breast and legs from the meat and rub salt onto the meat muscles.2 tsp kosher salt, 2 Cornish Game Hens
- Combine Cajun seasoning with maple sugar. Spread over the Cornish game hen and rub to adhere to the skin. Repeat with the 2nd hen. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.3 tbsp Cajun Seasoning, 4 tsp maple sugar
Bake
- Preheat oven to 425 °F
- Bake 45 minutes or until center or meat registers 165 °F
- Brush with glaze and broil until caramelized. Remove from the oven and brush with the glaze again to give it a nice sheen. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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