Delmarva Chicken / Eastern Shore Chicken
Delmarva Chicken is a flavorful, crispy dish that highlights the savory traditions of the Eastern Shore. The chicken is perfectly seasoned and roasted to golden perfection, making it tender and juicy with every bite. It pairs wonderfully with classic sides like roasted potatoes, buttery corn on the cob, or a fresh garden salad for a balanced and satisfying meal. This dish is versatile enough for weeknight dinners or special family gatherings.
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs whole chicken
- 1½ cups apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil
- Water, enough to cover chicken
- 3 tsp poultry seasoning
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tsp black pepper
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Put chicken pieces into a large bowl suitable for marinating in.
- Add all of your spices, then the liquid ingredients.
- Add the cider and oil, then use water to cover the chicken parts (just barely over the top of the chicken)
- Feel free to adjust the ingredients to your personal taste.
- Marinate the chicken for at least an hour, but marinate overnight for best results.
- Prepare your smoker or grill – 275-300 degrees which makes the skin on the chicken nice and crispy by the end of your cook. Slow cooking yields the best chicken!
- When your fire is up to temp, pull the chicken out of the marinade.
- Place the chicken on the smoker or grill. 3 pounds of chicken thighs and legs take about 90 minutes to come to 175 degrees internal temp.
- Chicken breast is done at 165 degrees, so please make sure you have a good meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- After determining temp is correct and done, I pull the chicken off and set it out to rest for 15 minutes or so. After that, serve and eat!
Notes
Additional step during cooking: I like to make extra marinade that I DON’T marinate the chicken in. Keep this marinade completely separate from the marinade you put the chicken in.