Crock Pot Cornish Hens in Orange Sauce are an elegant and easy dinner for two perfect for the holidays. Cornish Game Hens are cooked in your slow cooker with a buttery orange sauce that is reduced for the perfect sauce to finish off your poultry.
Crock Pot Cornish Hens in Orange Sauce
You will soon notice that I am gearing up for full holiday mode around here. I shared these amazing Pumpkin Bars yesterday and there are so many more holiday treats coming your way! Sweet & Salty Cranberry Snack Mix, Zesty Cheddar Fondue and Apple & Pancetta Stuffing will be up on the blog next week. How amazing do those holiday dishes sound?!
Ok, clearly I am getting overly excited about food…like I often tend to do. But I really just love sharing beautiful photos of delicious recipes with all of you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
These little Cornish Hens are a great dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any special occasion you will be sharing with just your special someone or maybe even by yourself. Are all your children going to their in-laws this year? Maybe you aren’t able to fly home to see family for the holiday. No matter your reason, if it is just one or two of you this year for the holiday, but you still want to enjoy a special meal, these Crock Pot Cornish Hens in Orange Sauce are just what you have been looking for!
Toss all of your sauce ingredients in the Crock Pot and top them with the seasoned Cornish Hens. After the hens are done cooking, pour all of the sauce and drippings into a sauce pan and cook them down until the sauce is thick and creamy. Give it a quick wiz with your immersion blender
and you have a creamy citrus sauce to top the tender and juicy meat. Add some of this Crock Pot Cranberry Pecan Stuffing to the side and you have a full meal made in your slow cookers!
Crock Pot Cornish Hens in Orange Sauce
Ingredients
- 2/3 c. chicken broth
- 2 tsp flour
- 4 oranges juiced
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 1/4 c. butter melted
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp Grand Marnier or orange liquor
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 Cornish Game Hens
Instructions
- Whisk the flour into the chicken broth and add to your 4-6 qt. slow cooker along with the orange juice, zest, butter, brown sugar and Grand Marnier and give it a quick whisk.
- Pat the hens dry and place them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle the top of the hens with the garlic powder and salt.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the internal temperature of the hens reaches 165°.
- Removed the hens from the Crock Pot and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If you are wanting a crispy skin, place them under the broiler for 5 minutes or use a kitchen torch to crisp the skin.
- Meanwhile, add all of the sauce and drippings to a sauce pan. Use and immersion blender to blend the sauce smooth. Cook for 15 minutes over medium-high heat or until thickened. Pour over the hens or serve on the side in a ramekin.
Nutrition
Holiday Side Dishes
Crock Pot Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
Roasted Dijon & Dill Potatoes
Tarragon Vegetable & Goat Cheese Gratin
Daisy Stuart says
Delicious! I cooked my hens in a covered Dutch oven at 325 for an hour, let them sit for 10 minutes while I reduced the sauce, and then ran them under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. They were perfect! And the sauce was to die for! The only thing I added was some herbs de province sprinkled over the birds before cooking. It just made them pretty 🙂
Danielle Green says
Happy to hear you enjoyed it so much!
Lori Deasey says
It was missing something. Even though the hens were cooking in the sauce, it didnt really big up the flavor.
Lori Deasey says
It was missing something. Even though the hens were cooking in the sauce, it didnt really big up the flavor.
Leon T Williams says
Can you buy Orange sauce already made???!