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Roasted Orange-Tarragon Cornish Hens

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 American High-Protein 💪Low-CarbLow-SodiumSugar-FreeCarnivore 🥩Anabolic Diet

Roasted Orange-Tarragon Cornish Hens feature juicy birds infused with bright citrus, subtle anise notes from tarragon, and a garlicky Dijon pan sauce. It’s an elegant, smaller-scale main course perfect for a date night or holiday-for-two, with golden, crisp skin and a fragrant, zesty glaze that feels special without being fussy.

  • Prep20 mins
  • Cook1 hr
  • Serves2
  • DifficultyMedium
Roasted Orange-Tarragon Cornish Hens

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Roasted Orange-Tarragon Cornish Hens, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

29 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactPoor
27 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
0 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityFair
57 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
2 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

15
Heart Health
48
Metabolic
12
Digestive
20
Inflammatory
48
Performance
25
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Remove and discard the giblet, if present. Rinse the hens inside and out and pat them dry. Gently loosen the skin from the breasts and place the hens in a large resealable plastic bag.

  2. 2

    Whisk the orange juice, orange zest, tarragon, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until combined. Pour the marinade over the hens in the bag, making sure to get some under the skin. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

  3. 3

    Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

  4. 4

    Remove the hens from the bag, letting the excess marinade drip off; pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and set it aside. Place the hens in a small roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips underneath.

  5. 5

    Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue cooking, basting with the pan juices every 10 to 15 minutes, until the hens are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 25 to 30 minutes more.

  6. 6

    Transfer the hens to a serving plate, pouring any cavity juices back into the roasting pan. Tent with aluminum foil and keep warm.

  7. 7

    Scrape up the pan juices and pour them through a strainer into the saucepan with the reserved marinade. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, if needed.

  8. 8

    Serve the Cornish hens whole or cut in half. Spoon the pan sauce over the hens to serve.

About This Recipe

Roasted Orange Tarragon Cornish Hens is made with 9 ingredients and serves 2. It takes about 1 hr 20 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Black Pepper, Cornish Hen, Dijon Mustard, and Dried Tarragon. Each serving provides about 1302.17 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Roasted Orange-Tarragon Cornish Hens made of?
The main ingredients are Black Pepper, Cornish Hen, Dijon Mustard, Dried Tarragon, Garlic. The full list of 9 is above.
How long does it take to make Roasted Orange-Tarragon Cornish Hens?
About 1 hr 20 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 1 hr to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 1302.17 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Roasted Orange-Tarragon Cornish Hens easy to make?
This recipe is rated medium, with 9 ingredients and 8 steps.
Is Roasted Orange-Tarragon Cornish Hens healthy?
Roasted Orange-Tarragon Cornish Hens has an easyChef Pro health score of 29/100. Per serving, it provides 1302.17 calories and 102.84 g of protein, or 206% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 450.93 mg (20% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 23.72 g (119% of the Daily Value). It contains Citrus, Eggs, Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Corn and Garlic, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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