Ingredients
- 2.5 tsp white or yellow miso paste
- 2 tbsp ghee or room temperature butter
- 2 whole Cornish hens, 1¼–1½ lbs each
- 1 tbsp olive oil (0.5 tbsp per hen)
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt (0.5 tsp per hen)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper (⅛ tsp per hen)
- ¾ tsp garlic granules (½ + ¼ tsp divided)
- Miso Ginger Dipping Sauce (optional, makes ⅔ cup):
- 0.3 oz grated ginger
- 4 tbsp white miso paste (or yellow/chickpea miso for soy-free)
- 1 tsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 5 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1.5–2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 4 tbsp avocado or neutral oil
Instructions
- Make miso butter: Mix miso paste with softened ghee or butter until smooth. Set aside 1 tbsp for brushing at the end.
- Season hens: Pat hens dry inside and out. Rub each with 0.5 tbsp olive oil, 0.5 tsp salt, 0.125 tsp pepper, and about 0.25 tsp garlic granules per hen.
- Rub miso butter evenly over the hens, including under the skin.
- Air fry: Line the basket with a liner. Place hens breast-side down with space between them. Air fry at 360°F (182°C) for 20 minutes. Flip breast-side up and cook 10–15 more minutes, checking around 10 minutes.
- Check doneness: Ensure internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part of breast or thigh.
- Brush hot hens with reserved miso butter.
- Rest and carve: Let hens rest 10–15 minutes before carving. Serve with optional miso-ginger dipping sauce.
- Optional dipping sauce: Whisk miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and grated ginger. Slowly whisk in sesame and avocado oils until smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 week.
Notes
- Use baby spring chickens if Cornish hens aren’t available.
- For soy-free sauce, substitute chickpea miso and coconut aminos.
- Add fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary under the skin for extra aroma.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
- Reheat in an air fryer at 360°F (182°C) for 4–5 minutes skin-side up, or in oven at 375°F (190°C) for 10–12 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
- Diet: Low Fat
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 hen
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 50 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg
