A barbecue chicken combo platter served at Chiavetta's chicken stand at the Hamburg Fairgrounds during the 2021 Erie County Fair: half chicken, tomato-pepper-onion salad, dinner roll, and a Pepsi from the soda fountain to drink. Chiavetta chicken (usually shortened to just "Chiavetta") is a staple of the Western New York cuisine the key to which is its marinade, a garlic- and cider vinegar-based concoction imbued with a secret blend of herbs and spices (educated guesses usually include black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and perhaps ginger, onion powder, and poultry seasoning) in which the meat sits for about four hours before being broiled on a charcoal grill. The result is tender and incredibly juicy, with just a hint of crispy char on the skin. Aside from the Chiavetta Catering Company's booth at the fairgrounds, which has been operating since the 1950s, and their sit-down restaurants in Lockport and Brant, the dish's natural habitats are church lawn fetes, fire department fundraiser cookouts, and other such informal events. The marinade is also sold at most local supermarkets.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Andre_Carrotflower" title="User:Andre Carrotflower">Andre Carrotflower</a>
CC BY-SA 4.0
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>