BBQ Chicken
Sam Sifton
2538 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
2,538
45 minutes
Cornell Chicken
Published Oct. 26, 2023
- Total Time
- 1 hour 5 minutes, plus 3 to 8 hours’ marinating
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour, plus 3 to 8 hours' marinating
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 1cup apple cider vinegar
- ½cup vegetable oil
- 1large egg
- 2teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1½teaspoons poultry seasoning (for substitute, see Tip)
- 1teaspoon black pepper
- 3½ to 4pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
797 calories; 62 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 31 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 54 grams protein; 817 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl or reusable container, whisk together the vinegar, oil, egg, salt, poultry seasoning and black pepper until combined. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 3 to 8 hours.
- Step 2
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for two-zone cooking over medium-high heat. (For a charcoal grill, pour the coals on one side. For a gas grill, heat all burners covered on high, then reduce one burner to medium-high and turn off the other.) Clean the grates.
- Step 3
Shake any dripping marinade off the chicken, add the chicken to the cool side of the grill and cover the grill. Every 5 minutes, baste the chicken with the marinade, flip it over and cover the grill. Repeat for 20 to 25 minutes, until pieces reach about 130 degrees. If using a charcoal grill, position the vent over the chicken.
- Step 4
Move the chicken to the hot side of the grill. Flip and rotate often (no need to baste) until browned, crisp and cooked through, 10 to 20 minutes. If using a gas grill, cover the grill between flips. If flareups occur, move to the cool side. (Cook times will vary depending on sizes and cuts of chicken pieces, so check that the breast is at least 155 degrees and the dark meat at least 165 degrees in the thickest parts.) Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Tip
- To make your own poultry seasoning, combine 1 ½ teaspoons dried sage, 1 teaspoon dried thyme or marjoram, and a grating of nutmeg.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Nano
As a Cornell grad who spent many hours in Baker Hall (not sure it was named after Prof. Baker), I'd love to make this - and it sounds very tasty. But I live in a condo: no outdoor grill. Please advise me how to cook Cornell chicken in an ordinary oven.
Susan Ryhanen
I'm from upstate NY (originally) and we made this all the time. I always use raw chicken..if you parboil you lose lots of flavor....and the marinade doesn't permeate the chicken as well. The trick is a grill on low heat..and baste every 8 minutes with the marinade. Best grilled chicken ever!!
bnorth
Can this recipe be made successfully in a regular oven?
alysonp
I’ve been making this for decades after getting the recipe from a Central New York native. Quick tip: parboil (20 min.) the chicken pieces (preferably thighs) in the morning, let them cool, then add them to the marinade and refrigerate for the rest of the day. Then the grillmeister basically just has to warm them up and get the grill marks on them, maybe a total of 8 minutes. Leftovers make incredible chicken salad.
Belinda in 🇨🇵
Hate at me if you like, but I've always made this with a cup/250ml of Best Foods/ Hellman's mayonnaise thinned out with 1/2 cup/125ml Sherry vinegar along with the poultry seasoning and the salt and white pepper. MY secret is to add 1 teaspoon of Liquid Smoke, everything goes into a Ziploc bag, and I marinate it overnight or longer. Oven bake on a baking sheet and then slap the chicken (I use only thighs,) on a cast iron ridged skillet for char marks. Make the juices left into gravy. Thanks, Mom
catmoo
At the carnivals of upstate NY the firemen use a mop to baste the chicken
Paula
We beat the egg, add oil, beat again & then whisk in the rest of the ingredients. We also make extra marinade for basting. We use bone in breasts, and marinate for 2 days. Never fails to be tender & delicious!
Mary McCue
I use a whole bird, submerged in the sauce and then prop it up on a beer can chicken stand. Whole bird=juicy bird.
Carol B.
Born in Utica; graduated from Cornell. Never have I ever heard of Utica Greens being served with Dr. Baker's BBQ chicken. Both are sublime dishes though. Utica Greens is an appetizer. The chicken is served with salt potatoes -- a Syracuse thing --, a roll and butter, and an ear of corn. Baker's Chicken Coop at the New York State Fair was the place to go until it closed. The recipe works at home too.
Maxine Catalano
Haven't made it yet but can I do this in the oven under the broiler?
J. P.
We beat the egg first, then very slowly add the oil while whisking the egg to make an emulsion. You’re essentially making mayonnaise. Then add the seasoning, and finally add the vinegar. Keeps the marinade from splitting. Unfiltered cider vinegar makes the nicest golden brown crust on the grill. We use this for chicken kebabs, all the extra surface area is great with the marinade.
SR
Can this be baked instead of grilled? Thank you!
Dominique
My dad has been grilling this for years after his dad taught at Cornell and learned the recipe. He used balsamic vinegar instead and it’s amazing.
Maryann
You can also freeze the chicken in the marinade. The chicken soaks up more flavor and is very tender.
Ann
It should not be a problem because the basting marinade is getting cooked along with the chicken--including 15 to 20 minutes over high heat at the end, during which time you are not adding any more of the marinade. All of the marinade that you put on the chicken will be fully cooked, so no worries.
very yummy
The simplicity to yum ratio is very good on this one. Whole family enjoyed. Will make again.
Gregg Favalora
This was fantastic! Note: it cooked more rapidly than the recipe implies, so you might want to keep an eye on temperature.
use balsamic and apple cider vinegar
I did 1/4 cup balsamic with 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar. This came out so good! My family wants it again soon!
James
Yes. No need for barbecue. Just follow the recipe and put in a flat pan in the oven. 35-50 minutes until done. Bon Appetite!
Patty L
My aunt Margaret went to Cornell and was in Dr. Baker's class. She gave this recipe to the family; we all thought it was such a big delicious secret! (It probably was when I was a child.) I have been making this recipe for years, and have received many compliments and requests for the recipe. With fresh corn on the cob and a potato salad, this is the primo meal of the summer. Thanks, Aunt Margie!
Grace
This sounds exactly like a recipe that has been passed down in my family, with the exception of the poultry seasoning. We add 1/3 of a cup of Dijon mustard to the marinade since Dijon can add a tiny bit of sweet and a baby kick to the chicken. We let it soak overnight and either grill it or bake it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes. (If using chicken wings, they most likely will bake for 30 minutes at this temperature, just flip them after the first 15 to brown both sides.
Gail
Cooked according to recipe except that I kept out enough of the marinade to baste the chicken. I'm from the school of not basting with the liquid chicken. or any other poultry, has been used as a marinade. The chicken is delicious and is now in my rotation of favorite recipes.
Miriam
As an outsider to this tradition, I have to say that putting an egg in the marinade sounds revolting to me. From someone who has actually made this, can you explain how it works and truly why is the egg in it? Thank you.
AEB
Chicken tasted great, but this was quite a time consuming dish just to have great tasting chicken.
Danno
Chicken was tender and moist, but bland.
KFH
This recipe sounds very similar to Maryland Eastern Shore chicken. I a!so add Old Bay as a seasoning in addition to what this recipe shows.
Bill Mourey
I still use Accent (MSG.) Been eating it every Summer for 65 years now. Watkins Glen NY native.
Kathy M
Prof Baker educated my dad at Cornell and this is the summer food of my youth. Whether hundreds of chickens at the Rotary Club annual bbq or a family summer evening in the backyard, it’s perfect. Only needs fresh corn on the cob and a salad. Perhaps a potato salad if one is feeling peppy.
Constance
The bbq chicken of my Northeastern PA childhood, looked forward to every summer when the local firemen's organization offered it up as a fundraiser. My memory has them cooking it on heavy grills set over firepits, long and slow, and basting with mops dipped into pails of the marinade. The best ever. To those asking if you can make it in the oven, sure. Although it won't be AS good as if given a long grilling,the marinade will take you a ways towards that great flavor. Do use apple cider vinegar
Lori W.
Delicious!! Cooked by recipe.
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