How to Truss a Cornish Hen

Two trussed Cornish hens on a wooden cutting board.

How to Truss a Cornish Hen

At first glance it may seem unnecessary, but trussing a cornish game hen for roasting ensures delicious, evenly-cooked poultry that looks as good as it tastes. Here I’ll show you how to truss a cornish game hen using twine, to make your best roast hen yet.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 3

Total Time 3

Servings serving

Calories 907kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Equipment

2 feet kitchen twine (see note 1)

Ingredients

1 (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pound) cornish game hen thawed (see notes 2 & 3)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut a length of kitchen twine about 2 feet long. Place the hen breast-side up, with tail end facing you. Fold and tuck the wings against the bird, and run the center of the string under the neck in the front of the bird. Bring the string up towards the wings and legs.
Use your thumbs to tuck the wings back as you bring the string around towards the legs. Keep the string tight to force the wings firmly against the hen. The string should roughly follow the contours of the chicken breast.
Bring the string around between leg and breast, then give it one overhand knot and pull tight. The wings will be solidly pinned down, and the hen's breast will pop up. Note that this is NOT a solid knot - we just want to be able to tighten up on the string.
Bring the ends of string down between the chicken's legs, then cross the legs at the "ankles" above/behind the point of the hen's breast. Make sure your previous knot is still pulled tight.
Separate the strings, loop them around the outside of the hen's ankles, then tie a square knot to finish it off. The legs should now be cinched in close to the body. Cut the extra ends of string with a knife or scissors and discard them.

Notes

Twine: Unbleached cotton kitchen twine, also known as butcher’s twine, is strong enough to hold a turkey together but won’t burn. Pro tip: You can ask your butcher for a long piece so you’ll always have some on hand. Sometimes I find it at HomeGoods or on Amazon.
Cornish hen: Also known as a Cornish game hen or Rock Cornish Hen, this type of poultry is a bit smaller than a standard chicken, usually under 2 pounds. But you can use this technique on any type or size of poultry you like; just cut more twine.
Thaw completely: If you bought a frozen hen, make sure it is safely thawed before trussing and roasting. Thaw a frozen hen in a small bowl of cold water for 1-2 hours (changing the water every 30 minutes) or in the fridge for 1-2 days before you need it. Make sure you place them on a tray to catch any liquid that leaks out of the packaging. Never leave frozen poultry out at room temperature, and never use warm water for thawing.

Nutrition