Dorr’s BBQ Chicken comes from my grandfather, Dorr. After my grandparents passed I was gifted photo copies of all the recipes they had amassed. Many of the recipes were things like “Chick Pea Dip” which is just 1960’s middle class white American for hummus. Dorr’s BBQ chicken on the other hand, brought back all the childhood memories. My grandfather would make this on summer Saturday afternoons and I’d sit by the grill with him for hours, putting out flare ups with a squirt bottle.
For those of you living in Upstate New York, there is a good chance you’ll recognize the base of my grandfather’s recipe. After a deeper dive, it looks like my grandfather was using a version of the popular Cornell Chicken recipe, also known as Fireman’s Chicken, for his home barbeques.
What You’ll Need
The ingredients for this recipe are easy to get and there is a very good chance you already have everything on hand in your pantry. The original Cornell Chicken Recipe was developed to increase chicken sales and leaned on easy to procure ingredients to make the recipe accessible. Here’s what you’ll need for Dorr’s Chicken:
- Whole or halved Chickens
- Vegetable Oil
- Vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Tabasco
- Poultry Seasoning
- Mayonnaise
How to Make Dorr’s BBQ Chicken
This is a very easy recipe. You’re going to construct the marinade, marinate the chicken, then grill the chicken over indirect heat while basting reserved marinade over the poultry.
To construct your marinade, grab a large mixing bowl and put all the ingredients in it, except for the chicken. Whisk it all together until well combined. Next, use a fork to poke holes into your chicken halves and place them in a zip lock freezer bag. Pour half of your marinade into the chicken bag, and reserve the other half for later. Then zip the bag up, removing any air, and place it in the fridge to marinate for a couple hours.
After a few hours, fire up your grill and set it up for indirect heat. You don’t want to cook this chicken too fast because its the layers of basting your about to do that really kick things off. Take your chicken out of the bag and place them on the indirect side of your grill. Next, retrieve your reserved marinade so you can baste the chicken on the grill with marinade that hasn’t contacted raw chicken.
Grill your chicken over indirect heat, basting the reserved marinade onto your birds at least every half hour but more frequently if you desire. It is a good idea to keep a spay bottle full of water on hand to shoot down any flareups from the drippings. The marinade has a lot of oil in it, so be vigilant of flareups.
Once your chicken achieves and internal temperature of 165 degrees, move the chicken to the direct heat side of your grill to crisp the skin. This will only take a minute or two per side. Once crisped, you are ready to serve. Enjoy!
How to Serve Dorr’s Chicken
You’re going to want to serve this hot, with all your favorite BBQ sides. If you’re having trouble picking out what to serve, I suggest trying the dishes below, the flavor profiles match well
- Greek Potatoes
- Summer Veggies with Pesto
- Grandma Brown’s Baked Beans
Dorr’s BBQ Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Poultry Seasoning
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Tabasco Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Whole Chickens (Quarters, Halves, or Whole)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken until well combined. Use a fork to poke holes in your chicken sections, then place them in a gallon zip lock bag. Add half the marinade to your chicken and reserve the other half of the marinade for later. Zip up the bag and let the chicken marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Prepare your grill for indirect heat. Remove your chicken from the bag and pat it dry. Cook it on the indirect side of your grill, flipping to provide an even cook. Baste your chicken with the reserved marinade every 10-30 minutes. Cook to an internal temperature of 165.
- Once the chicken has reached 165 degrees internal. Move the poultry to the direct heat side of your grill to crisp the skin. Cook one to two minutes per side, then serve.