What to Serve with Cornish Hens: 35+ Simple Sides

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Wondering what to serve with cornish hens for dinner? This handy guide covers it all. From veggies, to potatoes, and more.

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I’m sharing 35+ of the most popular, simple sides for cornish game hens. Creamy mashed potatoes, salads, and the most delicious roasted vegetables.

You’re guaranteed to find a new favorite side dish here! Add on one of these wine pairings and you’re guaranteed a fantastic dinner.

Jump To
Side Dishes for Cornish Hens
Vegetables
Salads
Potatoes
Pasta & Risotto
How to Make Ahead and Store
More Side Dish Recipes
What to Serve with Cornish Hens: 35+ Sides
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition

Side Dishes for Cornish Hens

Vegetables

Wondering what veggies go with cornish hens? Here are some of the best options:

These copycat Din Tai Fung Green Beans are deliciously crispy and coated with lots of savory garlic and a spicy chili crisp. It’s the best umami-forward side dish to pair with all of your takeout-inspired favorites!
Garlic Green Beans
Sauteed spinach in white bowl.
Add a healthy boost of nutrients to your dinner with this easy Sauteed Spinach. Baby spinach is added to a skillet along with garlic and olive oil, then sauteed gently to create a simple side dish that pairs with any meal!
Sauteed Spinach
These are the BEST Glazed Carrots! Lightly sweetened, delicately seasoned & perfectly glazed. They make an amazing side dish that both kids & adults love. | platingsandpairings.com
These are the BEST Glazed Carrots – Lightly sweetened, delicately seasoned, and perfectly glazed. These carrots make an amazing side dish that both kids and adults can’t get enough of!
Glazed Carrots
Spears of asparagus cooked sous vide topped with parmesan shavings.
How to cook perfect asparagus sous vide. Bright green, perfectly cooked spears. With three options for flavoring – garlic, parmesan or lemon.
Sous Vide Asparagus
Close up of roasted delicata squash on baking sheet.
Roasted Delicata Squash is a winter side dish that’s really easy to prepare. There’s no peeling required and the maple flavors and warm spices taste divine!
Roasted Delicata Squash
Roasted brussel sprouts in bowl drizzled with balsamic glaze and sprinkled with cranberries.
These Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction & Cranberries make a simple and elegant side dish that both kids and adults love!
Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction
Close up of roasted cabbage steaks topped with bacon and drizzled with cream sauce.
Roasted Cabbage SteaksΒ with bacon and a garlicky, creamy mustard sauce. Perfection! This delicious side dish is always a hit.
Roasted Cabbage Steaks
Overhead close up of prepared strawberry spinach salad with poppyseed dressing drizzled on it.
This spinach salad with poppyseed dressing is quick, easy & delicious! Featuring sweet strawberries & a creamy poppyseed dressing.
Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
Over head shot of cooked brussels sprouts in grey bowl with spoon.
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic cook up crispy and delicious with minimal oil with the help of your air fryer! Dressed simply with balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. You'll love these!
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
Overhead close up of miso cauliflower in serving bowl with lime wedges and cilantro.
Roasted Miso Cauliflower is a buttery, umami-filled delicious and healthy side dish. Cauliflower is tossed in a glaze of miso, soy and red pepper flakes and roasted until perfectly browned and crisp. {Vegan + Gluten Free}
Miso Cauliflower
Platter of grilled broccolini
This grilled broccolini is topped with a tangy apple cider vinaigrette and marcona almonds for a delicious crunch. It’s a perfect side dish for autumnal menus or Thanksgiving. 
Grilled Broccolini
Overhead shot of bowl of mashed cauliflower in grey bowl with swirls of butter.
Mashed Cauliflower is a delicious, low carb & keto friendly side dish. With 5 flavor variations and instructions for making Stovetop Mashed Cauliflower or Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower.
Mashed Cauliflower
Artichokes in instant pot liner.
Instant Pot Artichokes are quick and easy to make with the help of your electric pressure cooker. Plus, this recipe gives them SO much flavor!
Instant Pot Artichokes
Overhead shot of cooked sunchokes in bowl.
Sunchokes are a knobby root vegetable that can be prepared in more ways than you can imagine! In this recipe, you’ll learn how to roast them with olive oil, garlic, and thyme. It’s an easy side dish you can pair with anything.
Sunchokes
Overhead shot of smashed brussel sprouts drizzled with lemon tahini dressing.
These Crispy Smashed Brussel Sprouts are flattened so that they become extra crispy when roasted in the oven. Drizzled with the most amazing Lemon Tahini Sauce.Β 
Smashed Brussel Sprouts

Salads

Crunchy slaws and salads to serve with cornish game hens.

Arugula Salad ready to be served.
This Arugula Salad recipe with red wine vinaigrette is my go-to green salad. The arugula has a peppery bite to it which pairs wonderfully with the acid in the vinaigrette. It’s the perfect salad for pairing with rich dishes.
Arugula Salad
Prepared radicchio salad in grey bowl with serving utensils.
This delicious Italian Radicchio Salad is dressed in a creamy lemon-vinaigrette and tossed with buttery calvestrano olives, tasty breadcrumbs and nutty parmesan cheese. And, a special tip ensures that your radicchio won't be bitter!
Radicchio Salad
Overhead close up of bowl of kale caesar salad in white bowl with serving spoon.
This Kale Caesar Salad is topped with crispy homemade croutons and parmesan cheese. Massaging the creamy garlic dressing into the kale makes it extra tender and delicious.
Kale Caesar Salad
Shaved brussels sprouts salad in large bowl with serving spoon.
This Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Mustard and Parmesan is tossed in a light red wine vinaigrette and makes a delicious, crunchy side dish.
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad
Pasta salad in bowl on wooden cutting board next to bowl of pepper flakes.
This Zucchini Pasta Salad recipe may be the best I've tried to date! Packed with sauteed zucchini, loads of parmesan cheese, fresh dill and crunchy walnuts.
Zucchini Pasta Salad
Serving spoon in bowl of tomato cucumber salad.
This Tomato Cucumber Salad features fresh cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and crisp red onion. Dressed in a tangy homemade red wine vinaigrette, every bite is bursting with refreshing Mediterranean flavors!
Tomato Cucumber Salad
Close up of apple slaw in serving bowl.
Apple Celery Root Slaw is an exciting twist on your basic coleslaw. Crisp apples and celery root combine with jalapeno, cilantro & pickled onions. It's sure to be a stand out side dish!
Apple Celery Root Slaw
Overhead shot of shaved fennel salad in green serving bowl on pink table.
This Fennel Celery Salad comes together quickly and has such a delicious light lemon-parmesan vinaigrette and wonderful crunch. It's the perfect side salad for rich and hearty dishes like pasta or braised short ribs.Β Β 
Shaved Fennel Salad
Overhead shot of cherry tomato salad in grey bowl.
This Cherry Tomato Salad with Roasted Lemons is the perfect side dish. Sweet tomatoes combine with a tangy vinaigrette and delicious roasted lemons. 
Cherry Tomato Salad
Fennel salad with chickpeas in white bowl.
This Fennel and Chickpea Salad is tossed in a light citrus vinaigrette & topped with parmesan. It’s the perfect make-ahead salad for potlucks or lunches.
Fennel and Chickpea Salad
Overhead close up of combined vinegar slaw in large white mixing bowl.
Red Cabbage Slaw is a super simple side dish recipe made without mayo. It’s tangy, delicious and crunchy.Β 
Red Cabbage Slaw
Italian chopped salad in large bowl on white table.
This simple Italian Chopped Salad dresses fresh veggies, salami, mozzarella & chickpeas in a delicious homemade Italian dressing.
Italian Chopped Salad

Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are especially great with roasted game hens & gravy. But there are lots of great options!

Hasselback potatoes on grey plate dolloped with sour cream.
These easy air fryer Hasselback potatoes are drenched in garlic herb butter, giving you an almost addictive crispy-on-the-outside, pillowy-on-inside snack or side dish in no time.
Hasselback Potatoes
Overhead shot of bowl of mashed potatoes topped with a pat of butter, next to bowl of sour cream.
These Easy Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream are the most delicious mashed potatoes you will ever have. They're light, creamy, buttery and tangy and easy to make with the help of your stand mixer – No hand mashing required!
Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream
CLOSE UP OF ROASTED SWEET POTATOES ON SERVING TRAY WITH SPOON.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes are a salty, crispy, savory, and slightly sweet side dish you can pair with almost anything! Lightly spiced and so simple, this easy recipe is a total crowd pleaser and a must-have for weeknight dinners.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
COOKED DUCHESS POTATOES ON BAKING SHEET NEXT TO SPATULA.
Duchess Potatoes are a fancy piped potato side dish that must make an appearance at your next dinner party. Rich, creamy, and cheesy with just a subtle crisp, these elegant baked mashed potatoes are unlike anything else!
Duchess Potatoes
Crispy smashed potatoes on black plate next to bowl of mojo sauce.
These Easy Smashed Potatoes with Mojo Sauce are the most delicious side dish! Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
Smashed Potatoes
Overhead shot of baked goat cheese mashed potatoes in white casserole dish with serving spoon.
Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes with garlic take a classic comfort food dish to a new level! Made with tangy goat cheese, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese, these potatoes are perfectly creamy and flavorful every time.
Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Split open sweet potato on grey plate with pats of butter and fork.
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes cook up quicker than in the oven and they’re deliciously fluffy and creamy every time! Learn how to make the BEST sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker in just about 30 minutes!Β 
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Hands holding bowl of mashed sweet potatoes.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes – Ultra creamy, flavorful and delicious and made with only 3-ingredients! No hand mashing required. Let your stand mixer do all the work for you!Β 
Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Pasta & Risotto

When you want a comfort food side dish to pair with your dinner.

Overhead shot of hand holding bowl of butternut squash risotto.
This always rich and warming Butternut Squash Risotto is the perfect meal for fall. Roasted squash, creamy and tender rice, and fresh sage come together to form dreamy and heavenly flavors in every bite.
Butternut Squash Risotto
Finished Mushroom risotto in dutch oven.
This Mushroom Risotto is rich, creamy and totally decadent.Β 
Mushroom Risotto
Risotto in grey bowl next to shards of parmesan cheese.
Instant Pot Risotto is hands-down the best way to make risotto! It has the signature creamy, rich goodness you expect without all the stirring and fuss of making it on the stove. Plus there are 6 add-in options to make your risotto extra flavorful.
Instant Pot Risotto
Close up of garlic rice in serving bowl.
Ordinary white rice is transformed into the best savory side dish in this Garlic Rice recipe! Super fluffy and loaded with garlic and butter, one taste and you’ll never settle for blah rice again.
Garlic Rice

How to Make Ahead and Store

Many of these cornish hen side dish recipes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days or even in the freezer. Simply check the individual recipes for full storing instructions and details on how to make ahead. 

More Side Dish Recipes

Did you Make Any of These Cornish Hen Side Dishes?

Please leave a comment and rating below, if you loved this round up of sides for cornish hens. Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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Cornish Game Hens with Apricot Glaze arranged on a platter.

What to Serve with Cornish Hens: 35+ Sides

Wondering what to serve with cornish hens for dinner? This handy guide covers it all. From veggies, to potatoes, and more. Try one of these sides with this Apricot Glazed Cornish Game Hen recipe.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Created by Platings and Pairings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter and saute the shallots over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, and soy sauce and simmer until thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
  • Season the game hens liberally with salt and pepper. Using a basting brush, paint each bird entirely with the glaze.
  • Place the glazed birds in a roasting pan, breast side up. Roast for 20 minutes, uncovered, and then reglaze the birds. Repeat this process twice more, every 15 minutes, at 35 and 50 minutes. If the hens are turning too brown, lightly tent the roasting pan with foil to protect them. After 60 minutes, check with an instant-read thermometer; the thighs must register at 165 degrees F, the breasts at 170. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cornish game hen | Calories: 949kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 79g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 462mg | Sodium: 1286mg | Potassium: 1135mg | Vitamin A: 575IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 4.2mg

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