Sheet Pan Spatchcocked Cornish Hens with Summer Vegetables
Jun 27, 2017, Updated Dec 13, 2024
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This sheet pan spatchcocked Cornish hens with summer vegetables is the perfect weeknight dinner. It all bakes up on one sheet pan and is packed with perfectly crisp Cornish hens, zucchini, baby potatoes, and cherry tomatoes, all tossed in olive oil, oregano, and thyme mixture.
This post is sponsored by Kamikoto knives. All opinions are 100% my own.
Summer meals are the best meals!
While I usually love all things grilling, I’m a giant fan of sheet-pan meals for their super-easy prep and delicious outcome.
PLUS, they give me my meat and veggies all in one delicious tray.
How freaking simple is that?
And I know spatchcocking might sound odd but I swear it’s super simple!
It’s just a fancy word for taking out the backbone and laying your Cornish hen flat.
You can also do this technique with chickens or turkeys.
A few months ago, Kamikoto Knives asked me to partner with them to showcase their knives, and I jumped at the opportunity.
Having a quality knife in your kitchen is your number one best tool.
I don’t know how many times I have almost sliced off my finger by using a dull knife.
Seriously people. Sharpen those knives!
How do you spatchcock a Cornish hen?
Now, as you can tell from the top two pictures, spatchcocking means you’re cutting out the backbone.
The easiest way to do this is to cut up the backbone with a pair of kitchen shears, but today, we’re going to do it with a knife!
First, flip your Cornish hen upside down so the breast is face down and you’re looking at the back of the bird.
Run your fingers down the back of the bird and find its backbone.
Take your knife and cut down the sides of the backbone. Then, pull out the back (like in the above picture) of the Cornish hen and lay it flat.
On bigger birds, I usually pop out the breastplate, but because these babies are so tiny, they lay out flat nicely without that work.
Normally, when I think of roasted poultry, I think of pairing it with things like roasted carrots, mashed potatoes, and gravy. But that is just too wintery, and baby, it’s summer!
I went with cute baby potatoes, juicy cherry tomatoes, and zucchini.
Anytime you throw zucchini in the mix, it’s summer to me!
You do have to let the Cornish hens and potatoes cook for a bit before adding the zucchini and tomatoes, but it’s well worth it!
Plus, they are all seasoned with fresh minced oregano and thyme.
Love these sheet pan spatchcocked Cornish hens?
Why not try a few of my other sheet pan meals!
- Craving holiday dinner but super easy? Try my Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner.
- Love lots of spice? Try my Honey Spiced Glazed Chicken.
- Want a fall sheet pan meal? Try mySheet Pan Chicken and Apples.
- Need a quick and easy meal? Try my Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Fajitas.
- Short on time? Try my Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken.
Sheet Pan Spatchcocked Cornish Hens with Summer Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 (2-½ pound) Cornish hens, giblets removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced oregano
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1 pound baby yellow potatoes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if very large
- 2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in half and then into spears
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Remove the giblets from the Cornish hens and place the hens on a cutting board, breast side down.
- Using sharp kitchen shears cut down each side of the backbone, starting from the neck end down to the tail. Remove the backbone, pull open the hen, flip it over, and lay it flat.
- Optional: Near the bottom of the breast near the legs there should be some loose skin. Cut a small slit on each slice of fat and put your legs through the hole. This helps hold the legs in place but it is completely optional.
- Rub both birds with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, season the front and underside of the bird with kosher salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half of the oregano and thyme onto the bird and rub to coat the top and bottom.
- Use the rest of the olive oil and herbs to toss with the vegetables. Season with the desired amount of kosher salt and pepper.
- To a large rimmed sheet pan add the flattened Cornish hens and potatoes.
- Cook for about 45 minutes, tossing the potatoes midway to keep them crispy and evenly cooked.
- Remove from the oven and add on the tomatoes and zucchini.
- Cook for about another 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked, internal temperature 160 degrees in the thigh.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What a gorgeous meal! I rarely cook with Cornish game hens, but am thinking that I need to step up my game.