CHICKEN Scheme

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 — at family picnics, food fairs and festivals across the country. Best Grills for 2026

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.  21 Grilling Tools That Are Worth the Money See at CNET 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 more akin to a Carolina style than the sweet Kansas City or St. Louis styles. Baker suggests us

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’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 achieves. As it turns out, some forum users have even experimented with using the Cornell chicken cooking recipe on wings, with 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