Cornell Chicken Barbecue
on Sep 01, 2019, Updated Mar 31, 2023
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Try this original Cornell chicken recipe, and you’ll agree it may be the best barbecue chicken you’ve ever tasted.
Whoever thought that New York Chicken could taste this good? Hands down, this is one of my favorite chicken recipes.
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Table of Contents
About Cornell Chicken BBQ
I credit my dad for teaching me a lot about “good chicken.” That’s probably why we feature so many tasty ways to make chicken here on Platter Talk. From Thomas Keller’s Roast Chicken Recipe, to our Easy Homemade Chicken Pot and this Easy Leftover Cheesy Chicken Casserole.
But this Upstate New York firehouse BBQ chicken recipe is my favorite chicken recipe of all time. It’s a part of my family and it always will be. Plus, hands down, there’s nothing better than the taste of this Cornell Chicken BBQ.
The foothill region of upstate New York state’s Adirondack mountains is known for its harsh snowy winters, its soft hilly landscapes, outdoor recreation of all kinds, and like any area, unique foods not found anywhere else. Like this New York chicken.
I grew up in Upstate New York and was convinced my grandfather invented Cornell Chicken. Every summer it showed up at fire department barbecues, county fairs and 4-H fundraisers—golden, smoky and dripping with that tangy, vinegary sauce. I just assumed it was a family secret, something passed down through the generations. Turns out I wasn’t entirely wrong. This Cornell Chicken recipe has been passed down through generations, but it wasn’t my grandfather who invented it. (Although I have cousins who still believe it was “his chicken!” and I can’t convince the otherwise!)
Bakers Chicken Recipe
Cornell Chicken is as Upstate as it gets, and while my grandpa didn’t exactly invent it, Dr. Robert C. Baker at Cornell University did—probably around the same time my grandpa was grilling up batch after batch in the backyard. Back in the 1940s chicken wasn’t the grocery store staple it is today. It was mostly sold whole, making it harder for farmers to compete with more popular meats like beef and pork. Baker, a food scientist at Cornell, set out to change that. His egg-based marinade wasn’t just about flavor it locked in moisture, made the chicken more tender and gave it that crispy, charred skin when grilled.
The result? A barbecue classic that became a way of life in New York State. You couldn’t step foot at a local event without catching a whiff of Cornell Chicken sizzling on the grill. It became the go-to fundraiser meal for volunteer fire departments, 4-H clubs and county fairs, cementing its place in New York’s culinary history. Even today you’ll find it at fireman’s fund-rasiers, summer cookouts and any gathering where good food brings people together.
So yeah, maybe my grandpa didn’t invent it. But you’ll never convince me the best Cornell Chicken in the world didn’t come straight off his grill.
My family often makes this Cornell chicken in 40 lb. batches!
The recipe is instead credited to Dr. Robert C. Baker, who was a former Cornell University poultry science professor. You can read about the creator of Cornell Chicken here.
Thus, this is really Dr. Baker’s Cornell chicken recipe! Some call this barbecue chicken recipe “The most famous State Fair food you’ve probably never heard of.
Fun Fact:
Cornell Chicken is the unofficial food of the New York State Fair which goes through 40,000 chickens every year.
This recipe for New York Cornell Chicken is a delicious way to prepare any cut of the bird. Sometimes I’ll buy a package of drumsticks to make this way, which is how our boys love it.
Traditionally this Cornell Chicken is served with salted small white local potatoes also known as Syracuse salt potatoes. We usually enjoy it with a green salad and baked beans. It always hits the spot!
Dan and Scot, on Living with Amy, show folks how to barbecue using the famous Cornell Chicken Recipe.
Bakers Chicken Recipe Ingredients
- Bone-in chicken (I think it is better with the skin on.)
- Oil and Vinegar
- 1 cup vegetable oil to 2 cups apple cider vinegar. The total amount you need will depending on how much chicken you are making.
- Raw Egg and poultry seasoning. The egg creates a nice light custard finish on the Cornell chicken. I think this is what gives Bakers chicken recipe it’s signature “tooth.”
- Salt, black pepper, and optional garlic salt or garlic powder. You won’t find garlic powder in Dr. Bakers’s oritinal Cornell chicken recipe, but you can. Usualy a tablespoon will do the trick, for a whole chicken.thank my sister Ann for the idea of adding it.
Be sure and buy apple cider vinegar (the dark stuff.) One of the mistakes I used to make when first learning how to make this recipe was to use clear distilled vinegar. The clear vinegar is too mild for this recipe. As my sister, the chef would say, “Like kissing your sister.”
How to Make Cornell Chicken BBQ
I try to put this Cornell chicken recipe together once or twice a year. On this past Memorial Day weekend, I decided to make the original recipe the old fashioned way, over coals.
A day before I made it, I called my brother Don, some 1,200 miles away to gain some input from him on the technique. It’s not unusual for him to put 40 lbs. of juicy, plump poultry over a barbecue pit with a hotbed of coals, encased with cinder blocks. You just won’t get the same flavor using a gas grill.
He offered no direct advice but just some cautionary words about wind, about the importance of not covering the grill while the meat grilled, and the advantage of being able to adjust the height of the rack depending on the heat of the coals.
Realizing he couldn’t give me any more specific hints on a successful outcome since he was in Florida and I was in Wisconsin, I was happy for at least having an excuse to chew the fat with him over the phone and to have the chance to say hi.
We never get together enough anymore.
Pro Tips for How to Make Cornell Chicken Barbecue
Food Safety Tip: Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165° F before consuming. I love using this instant-read thermometer, and it is the one I always recommend using.
- The coals have to be white-hot
- vegetable oil in the marinade will fuel the fire. Have a glass of water to quell the flames when necessary.
- The skin may look burned, that’s OK! Just don’t let the fire get away on you.
- You can’t leave the grill unattended when making Cornell chicken; it’s a very hands-on process.
- You can even bake this in the oven (in the event of rain or earthquakes or snow flurries, etc.)
- Often the chicken is grilled in chicken halves, providing a serving size for the most serious of eaters. You can also grill smaller chickens, chicken quarters, chicken thighs, or just a variety of chicken pieces.
When making this Cornell chicken barbecue, it’s normal (I even prefer) to have some char on the chicken skin. There is nothing better than crispy skin! The coals will be kept hot with the oil in the marinade. Be sure to have some water handy to put out any flames; otherwise, it will become a fire department cookout!
If you haven’t ever had Cornell chicken, make it a goal for this grilling season!
To Marinate the Chicken (or Not!)
When I was a boy, we never marinated this recipe. Instead, my mom or dad would constantly baste the meat as it was barbecued over the hot coals.
The raw egg in the basting sauce creates a layer of custard with every layer of marinade brushed on the chicken. This creates a subtle but distinct crusty shell of flavor around every piece.
If marinating, it’s best to soak the meat a minimum of 2 hours, but up to 24 is even better. I have marinated it for 2 days before grilling it and it turned out beautiful and delicious.
How to Marinate New York Chicken
- If marinating, it’s best to soak it for a minimum of 2 hours but up to 24 is even better.
- Use large zip-lock bags to soak the meat. Remove as much air as possible before sealing and then place the bag(s) in a large mixing bowl in the refrigerator.
- Rotate the bags (turn/flip) every couple of hours to ensure an even soak.
- Always refrigerate while marinating.
Cornell Chicken BBQ is a Way of Life
Back to where I started this post, and back to where I start this life; I grew up eating this New York chicken and my family has continued to make it for many decades now.
I couldn’t help feel some pride as I watched my then 16-year-old son tend the grill over Memorial Day weekend. Realizing he was the fourth generation of my family to make this down-home-food, a recipe standard that is now a part of my roots.
Now he’s a commercial airline pilot, and I have a good feeling he will pass this recipe on to the next generation and beyond.
This New York Cornell chicken has been a tradition in my family for nearly 100 years, spanning five generations.
Two other families joined us for the “barbecue” and this Cornell chicken central New York specialty recipe was a hit with everyone. The taste was as I remembered growing up, and I loved having the chance to tell my boys a little about the recipe and how it was a part of their heritage that someday they would be making for their kids.
Good outdoor weather is here now, and I realized that we have to plan a chicken barbecue again, very soon.
We make a lot of delicious grill recipes. It’s one of my favorite things to do. Things like jerked beef on the grill, easy smoked brisket, and our course, this fireman chicken from New York state where I grew up and learned to make this.
Take a look at our favorite grilling and smoker accessories. We use these products all the time!
Common recipe questions
You can bake Cornell Chicken in the oven. More than once we’ve started on the grill and finished in the oven due to rain! Is it the same as on the grill? No, but it’s still delicious!
Bake, covered or uncovered, at 375° until the juices run clear or the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160° using a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh.
Two of our favorite ways to use leftover chicken are in our Crispy Leftover Chicken and Shells and our Chicken Enchiladas.
- Green salad
- Grilled Beet Salad
- Waldorf slaw
- Potato salad
- Baked beans
- Potato chips
- Corn on the cob
- Rolls and butter
- Coleslaw
- Scalloped potatoes
- Cake
- Dessert bars
If you love chicken barbecue but don’t have time to light the grill, try this air fryer BBQ chicken! It’s seriously delish!
If you’re grilling out but someone isn’t a chicken fan, you can make some healthy turkey burgers in the air fryer. They’re delicious and are great for any cookout!
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Cornell Chicken Barbecue
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Ingredients
- 2 chickens, halved or cut up
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt, optional
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground peppercorn
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine oil and vinegar, add egg and beat thoroughly until will mixed. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir well.
- The poultry can be marinated from 2 hours to overnight, or it can be basted with a brush, while on the grill. To marinate, place chicken in bowl, and pour sauce over it and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
- Prepare charcoal in grill and heat till coals are starting to turn white, then evenly distribute coals throughout base of grill. Place oiled rack on grill. Place chicken on grill and barbecue on each side 20 to 30 minutes, depending on heat of coals. Turn frequently to avoid burning. Grill until juices run clear when cut with tip of knife, or internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Video
Notes
- Adjust Cornell chicken sauce/marinade quantity to the amount of chicken you are grilling, and maintain a 2:1 ratio of cider vinegar to oil. Similarly, adjust salt and other seasonings to quantity and taste.
- If marinating, place meat in gallon-size zip-lock bags. Place sealed bags in a large bowl or basin in refrigerate. Rotate the bag periodically to ensure even distribution of marinade.
- The poultry will require constant attention while grilling due to the oil dripping on the coals. Have a glass of water available while grilling to squelch flames from hot coals.
- If chicken is cut up into breasts, thighs, wings, and legs, start off by grilling the breasts and thighs as they will take longer than the smaller pieces.
Avoid closing the lid on the grill if possible to avoid a smokey flavor. If you have to close lid, be sure to open the vents on the lid. - You can make this on a gas grill as well. Preheat grill to medium-high setting and tend to chicken as outlined above.
- Nothing goes better with this barbecue recipe than a green salad and baked beans!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m sorry Dave but, that is not a choice. You are not going to get anywhere near the correct flavor for Cornell chicken without marinating it. The correct answer is both, a marinade and a baste/mop sauce.
Question, the Cornell newsletter shows this is basting sauce, not a marinade. Is there any difference?
Hi there, thanks for this great question. You can either baste it with a brush while it is on the grill, or soak it in a marinade for at least two hours, but preferably overnight. Also, if you choose to marinate it, you can still baste ir throughout the grilling process. I hope this answers your question, and I certainly hope that you try this incredible recipe!
You absolutely need to marinate this at least over night and then it should also be basted regularly after the skin is cooked through to form the golden crust. So the answer is that it is both a marinade and a basting sauce. If you do not reserve any of the marinade prior to marinating, just bring the leftover marinade to a boil to make it safe for basting. Easier to just reserve some.
Being from upstate New York I grew up eating this chicken and I absolutely love it.
You need salt potatoes and corn on the cob,great meal any time of year, from NY been in michigan for 40 years still make to this day
Hi Tim, Jim Aldrich. Are you related to the Huvelton Aldrichs?
In regards to this statement: “Nothing goes better with this barbecue recipe than a green salad and baked beans!”
I understand this is opinion but as a native central New Yorker and “Fingerlakian”, I am sorry to inform you that you are incorrect. The best thing that goes with Cornell chicken is salt potatoes. If you don’t know them, look them up. You’re welcome!
I remember this growing up in upstate NY, I do this every time I grill chicken for my family. They all live it! Thank you so much for sharing!
I grew up in Rensselaer County, NY. Organizations would have chicken BBQ fundraisers through out the summer. I like to cook and was on the lookout for the marinade/sauce for years. I didn’t know what it’s called.
I found this while surfing and i found it!! Despite what my southern neighbors (live near Raleigh,NC) say, this the best BBQed chicken.
My neighbors loved it. We still debate about BBQ being a noun or verb. 🙂
Roger, thanks for the awesome comments. Noun or verb eh? I’ve never thought about it but I think I’d like to be at your BBQ!