If you haven’t tried Cornell Chicken, you’re missing out. Here’s how to do it

No native cuisine is more hotly debated than barbecue and chicken recipes (aka sauce we apply it) are often at the center of discussions. Some recipes, however, they are so legendary that we find a way to make them year-round.

One such recipe was courtesy of Cornell poultry professor Robert C. Baker about 75 years ago. Baker’s Cornell Chicken is simple, yes, but draws on basic food science and has achieved iconic status throughout much of upstate New York, particularly in the area surrounding Cornell and its program of hospitality praised.

To make Cornell Chicken, all you will need is chicken, apple cider vinegaroil, basic spices or a poultry spice blend and a place to cook it, preferably over hot coals, but I’ve found a cast iron skillet almost as good.

Some information about Cornell chicken

Baker wrote the proverbial book on barbecue chicken, according to many, after extensive recipe testing in the 1950s. He was unhappy with the bland state of American cuisine and created this recipe to help serve up tasty dishes en masse during large meals.

“Cornell Chicken,” as it’s called, is beautifully simple and remains one of the most popular chicken marinades and summer cooking recipes. You’ll find Cornell chicken served in restaurants, especially in upstate New York, where the university is located, at family picnics, food fairs and festivals across the country.

What is so special about Cornell chicken?

Cornell Chicken uses an unusual element, a beaten egg, to add a creamy coating and leave the chicken skin crispy without burning. There are also poultry seasonings for a deeper flavor and vinegar to add tang and help the marinade penetrate.

If you’re wondering how to make Cornell Chicken, it’s simple: use just five ingredients and a cooking method similar to traditional barbecue chicken. This chicken marinade is vinegar-based, so it’s more akin to Carolina style than the sweet Kansas City or St. Louis styles. Baker suggests using a charcoal grill to prevent heavy flames from cooking the skin unevenly.

How to Make Perfect Cornell Chicken

Ingredients

• Bone-in chicken pieces
• 1/2 cup vegetable cooking oil
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 beaten egg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Step 1: Beat the egg. Add the oil and beat again.
• Step 2: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Step 3: Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least three hours and up to 24 hours.
• Step 4: Place the coated chicken on a medium-high grill (Baker suggests charcoal) or hot cast iron skillet and reserve any leftover marinade.
• Step 5: Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning and basting the chicken with any leftover sauce every five minutes. The basting should be light at first and become heavier towards the end of cooking.
• Step 6: Cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.

Can you make Cornell Chicken in an air fryer?

Yes, and I did it. I put half my batch in the air fryer and the other half on a hot flame as Baker had predicted. Both methods worked well. The grill gave me a slightly more caramelized coal while the air fryer was faster and there was less to clean up.

Can you use any chicken for Cornell Chicken?

The baker’s original recipe calls for broilers (small whole chickens), but this recipe can be applied to any bone-in and skin-on chicken. You can use boneless, skinless chicken, but you won’t get that coveted crispy skin that Baker’s Cornell Chicken recipe provides.

It turns out that some forum users have even experimented with the recipe for cooking Cornell chicken on wings – with fairly immediate success. A user on the r/Wings subreddit shared his successful Cornell chicken wings, after using the same basic six-step process included in Baker’s original recipe.

If you don’t feel like making this sauce, here are the best bottled barbecue sauces we’ve tried.

Cornell Chicken FAQ