I’ve always been fascinated by regional American cuisine. No, I’m not talking about dishes like Philly cheesesteak, buffalo wings, or key lime pie. Nowadays those things can be found all over the country. What I’m talking about are those truly regional dishes that one can only find in a particular local area. You know stuff like maid-rite sandwiches, California burritos, goetta, and of course today’s recipe, Cornell chicken.
It’s the most popular way to grill chicken in upstate New York, however, it’s practically unheard of outside of that region. Which is a shame because it’s one of the best ways to prepare whole chicken in my opinion.
So what exactly is Cornell chicken?
Well as the name suggests it has ties to Cornell University, or more specifically with professor Robert C. Baker. During his thirty years with the university, he worked for the college of agriculture and is credited with over 40 different poultry innovations. He invented things like turkey salami, turkey/chicken hot dogs, and probably his most famous/infamous invention, the chicken nugget.
You see professor Baker lived during a time when Americans really didn’t eat chicken. So part of his job was to create new ways that would entice Americans to eat the bird. And one of his key missions was to invent a simple and delicious way for people to grill whole chickens. The end result was Cornell chicken which is basically a chicken that is grilled and basted in a simple sauce composed of vinegar, oil, poultry seasoning, and eggs. It’s simple and mellow enough in flavor that just about everyone will enjoy it.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- While you can use individual pieces of chicken like breasts and thighs, it is most traditional to use a whole chicken. And the best way to grill a whole chicken is to spatchcock it. If you are unfamiliar with that process and want to learn how to do it then I suggest you check out our short lesson on how to spatchcock.
- We will be cooking our chicken on a charcoal grill over indirect heat. If you don’t know how to do that then check out our lesson on charcoal grills.
- Some of our favorite sides we like to serve with Cornell chicken are Dad’s summer salad, baked french fries, mayocoba beans, and parsley potatoes.
Cornell Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
2 Broiler chickens, spatchcocked
For the marinating/basting sauce:
1 Cup of apple cider vinegar
½ Cup neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable
1 Egg
1 Tablespoons of salt
1 Teaspoon of black pepper
½ Teaspoon of poultry seasoning
Instructions
- Make the marinade/basting sauce: Get out a large bowl and add the 1 egg and ½ cup of oil to it. Then use a whisk to mix the two ingredients until they are combined. Then add the rest of the marinating ingredients and mix it all together.
- Pour half of the marinade over the chicken and let it sit for 1 to 2 hours.
Place the reserved marinade in your fridge.
- Preheat your grill for indirect grilling.
- Grill the chicken: Place the chicken on the indirect side of your grill and let it cook with the lid on for 10 minutes.
Then flip the chicken and baste it with the sauce. Place the lid back on the grill and let the chicken cook for another 10 minutes. Keep repeating the process of flipping and basting the chicken every 10 minutes until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Char the chicken: Move the chicken over to the direct heat side of your grill and let it cook for 5 minutes each side, or until it has become as charred as you like.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before digging in, enjoy!
Cornell Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Broiler chickens spatchcocked
For the marinating/basting sauce:
- 1 Cup of apple cider vinegar
- ½ Cup neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tablespoons of salt
- 1 Teaspoon of black pepper
- ½ Teaspoon of poultry seasoning
Instructions
- Make the marinade/basting sauce: Get out a large bowl and add the 1 egg and ½ cup of oil to it. Then use a whisk to mix the two ingredients until they are combined. Then add the rest of the marinating ingredients and mix it all together.
- Pour half of the marinade over the chicken and let it sit for 1 to 2 hours. Place the reserved marinade in your fridge.
- Preheat your grill for indirect grilling.
- Grill the chicken: Place the chicken on the indirect side of your grill and let it cook with the lid on for 10 minutes. Then flip the chicken and baste it with the sauce. Place the lid back on the grill and let the chicken cook for another 10 minutes. Keep repeating the process of flipping and basting the chicken every 10 minutes until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Char the chicken: Move the chicken over to the direct heat side of your grill and let it cook for 5 minutes each side, or until it has become as charred as you like.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before digging in, enjoy!
