Some consider Cornell chicken — the simple yet iconic recipe created by a university professor more than 75 years ago — to be the first officially documented barbecue chicken recipe. Its straightforward, tangy marinade has stood the test of time, delivering balanced flavor and crispy skin whether you’re grilling over charcoal, searing in a cast-iron skillet or even using an air fryer. I tested all three methods, and each produced reliably delicious chicken.
With Memorial Day weekend finally here, this easy-to-scale recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd and kicking off the summer grilling season.
While Upstate New York is typically associated with apples rather than smoked meats, it’s home to one legendary exception.
Cornell chicken, first published by Robert C. Baker, a Cornell professor of poultry science and food science (and passionate home cook), has earned iconic status in the region. Grounded in basic food science, the recipe calls for just a few simple ingredients: bone-in chicken, apple cider vinegar, oil, a few common spices — or a poultry seasoning blend — and a reliable cooking method. Though it shines over open coals, I found it came out just as tasty from a skillet or air fryer.
Whether you like to cook your summer bird in an air fryer, over a cast-iron skillet or directly on the grates of your gas or pellet smoker — I made this recipe on all three and it worked each time — this simple and straightforward marinade is easy to make in large batches and worth adding to your rotation.
What’s special about Cornell chicken?
Baker is a Northeast barbecue legend.
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 tasty food en masse at large cookouts.
“Cornell chicken,” as it’s known, is beautifully simple and remains one of the most lauded chicken marinades and summer cookout recipes. You’ll find Cornell chicken served at restaurants, particularly in upstate New York, where the university is located, family picnics, food fairs and festivals across the country.
What’s different about Cornell chicken?
Cornell chicken uses one unusual element, a beaten egg, to add a creamy coating and let the chicken skin get crispy without burning. There’s also poultry seasoning for depth of flavor and vinegar to add tang and help the marinade penetrate.
If you’re wondering how to make Cornell chicken, it’s easy — use just five ingredients and a similar cooking method to traditional barbecue chicken. This chicken marinade is vinegar-based so it’s akin more to a Carolina style than the sweet Kansas City or St. Louis styles. Baker suggests using a charcoal grill to keep unwieldy flames from cooking the skin unevenly.
The barbecue chicken recipe is about as simple as it gets. Baker’s cooking technique is a little more meticulous.
How to make perfect Cornell chicken
Ingredients
- Bone-in chicken pieces
- 1/2 cup vegetable cooking oil
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 beaten egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Let the marinade do its thing for at least three hours.
Directions
- Step 1: Beat the egg. Add oil and beat again.
- Step 2: Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Step 3: Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least three hours and up to 24 hours.
- Step 4: Place 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, flipping and basting the chicken with leftover sauce every five minutes. The basting should be light at first and grow heavier toward the end of cooking.
- Step 6: Cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
Baker recommends a charcoal grill but gas works fine, too.
Can you make Cornell chicken in an air fryer?
Yes and I did. I put half of my batch in the air fryer and the other half over a hot flame the way Baker intended. Both methods worked well. The grill gave me a slightly more caramelized char while the air fryer was faster and there was less to clean up.
Baker included instructions on how to build a fire pit but you can choose a charcoal or gas grill and get similar results.
Can you use any chicken for Cornell chicken?
Baker’s original recipe calls for broilers (small whole chickens), but this recipe can be applied to any bone-in, skin-on chicken. You can use boneless, skinless chicken, but you won’t get that coveted crispy skin that Baker’s Cornell chicken recipe aces.
As it turns out, some forum users have even experimented with using the Cornell chicken cooking recipe on wings — to pretty immediate success. One person from the r/Wings subreddit shared their 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, these are the best bottled barbecue sauces we’ve tried.
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Cornell chicken FAQs
What is the most important ingredient for Cornell chicken?
Aside from the obvious — the bone-in chicken — the apple cider vinegar is perhaps the most important part of the Cornell chicken marinade. It adds a unique “tang” and a depth of flavor that defines Baker’s BBQ recipe. Adding the egg also allows the skin to crisp over, adding a great texture to bite into.
In a deep dive into online discussions on Cornell chicken, I found multiple testimonies in a thread on the r/Wings subreddit that Chiavetta’s Barbecue Marinade is based on the Cornell chicken recipe and is a fantastic store-bought alternative marinade to provide similar results.
