Baked Miso Chicken Thighs is a delicious Japanese dish that comes together in under an hour for a quick and easy meal. This recipe for miso butter chicken uses honey, ginger and white miso paste to make delicious bites of tender, juicy, crispy, chicken that goes great with a variety of side dishes.
I’ve been feeling a little ho-hum lately in the kitchen, on the lookout for new dishes to try and new tastes to explore. And while I’ve used miso paste in loads of stir fry and ramen dishes, I’ve never actually used it as a rub for chicken. Until I whipped up this miso-glazed chicken recipe that is. (And now, my friends, there’s no going back!). This miso chicken recipe is officially on permanent rotation in my monthly meal plan
Why I Love This Recipe
- So simple. This miso-baked chicken recipe is EASY! It involved hardly any prep and used only a handful of ingredients.
- Fast. This miso chicken recipe doesn’t require any marinating and comes together super quickly. It can be on your table in under an hour!
- Delicious taste! Part sweet, part savory, the flavor combination here is spot on, and the miso paste gives this dish an umami savoriness I love.
- Versatile. Miso butter chicken goes with so many great sides! I love it with a big bowl of Asian noodles and these garlic green beans.
- Tender and juicy! These miso chicken thighs and drumsticks have a crispy skin, with an extra tender and juicy interior.
Ingredients for Miso Chicken Recipe:
- Chicken. I used skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (and added in a few drumsticks) for this miso recipe, but you could also use chicken breast. If you do substitute chicken breasts, be sure to adjust your cooking time as breast cuts are often a little thicker than chicken legs or thighs. Skin-on works well here since it makes the chicken more flavorful and also helps the honey miso glaze adhere better to the chicken.
- White miso paste (Shiro miso). Did you know miso comes in three colors/varieties? White, which is the mildest, yellow miso paste, which is a bit stronger in flavor, and red miso paste (aka miso), which is the most fermented and strongest miso flavor. You could use any type of miso in this recipe, but I used white miso paste since I didn’t want the miso flavor to overpower the sweetness of the honey and the spiciness of the ginger.
- Butter. Mixing the butter together with the miso creates a delicious paste that adds tons of flavor to this Japanese roast chicken, and helps make the skin nice and crispy.
- Rice vinegar. The vinegar adds a little bit of acidity to the miso glaze.
- Spices. Ground ginger, salt, and pepper give this miso roast chicken recipe just the right amount of spice.
- Honey. Honey gives this honey miso chicken a touch of sweetness. For the same effect, you could also substitute maple syrup, or even brown sugar for the sweetener in this miso sauce.
How To Make It:
Making this miso recipe couldn’t be easier!
- Start by making your butter/miso paste. Combine the butter, white miso paste, honey, rice vinegar, and spices in a medium-sized bowl. This should be easy to mix together with a spoon and will create a thick paste.
- Next, wash the chicken thighs and drumsticks, and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, then add the paste to the bowl. Using your hands, rub the butter/miso paste onto each piece of chicken, making sure to thoroughly coat each one.
TIP: For extra flavor, rub the paste underneath the skin of the chicken too! - Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Place the coated chicken onto the baking sheet and bake the miso chicken in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning the chicken at least twice to prevent it from blackening on the side.
- Once the miso glazed chicken is golden brown, and the skin is nice and crispy, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Enjoy! Serve the miso chicken thighs and drumsticks with rice, noodles, or greens for an easy, delicious meal.
Helpful Tips:
- Stick with skin on chicken. You can vary the type of chicken you use (breasts, thighs, drumsticks) but try to use chicken with the skin on. The chicken will be so much more flavorful as the miso sauce will stick to the skin of the chicken.
- Rub the miso sauce under the skin for extra flavor. For some really pumped-up flavor, rub the miso marinade under the skin.
- Know your oven. Every oven heats differently so watch your temperature and be sure not to over or undercook your chicken, especially if you’re subbing out different cuts (like using chicken breasts instead of thighs or drumsticks.)
- Flip the chicken as it cooks. Miso sauce will blacken quickly so keep turning the chicken as it cooks to avoid it from burning on one side.
- Miso chicken will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.
- Reheating. When ready to reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and heat for 15 minutes in a 400-degree oven.
What to serve with Miso Chicken
The beauty of this sweet and savory miso dish is that its delicious savory flavor goes great with a variety of different side dishes. Here are just a few ideas for what to serve with this ginger miso chicken:
- Rice
- Noodles
- Garlic green beans
- Roasted broccoli
- Simple green salad
- Roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes
- In a stirfry.
- Alongside miso ramen soup.
If you try these Miso Chicken Thighs, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below! And don't forget to tag me on Instagram @frontrangefed with a pic so I can see your lovely creation!
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- Chicken And Yellow Rice
- Easy Red Chicken Enchiladas
- Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs With Sausage And Potatoes
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps
- Easy Chicken Banh Mi Sandwiches
- Mediterranean Grilled Chicken
- Spicy Fried Chicken Drumsticks
- Easy White Chicken Chili In The Crockpot
Miso Chicken Thighs
Baked Miso Chicken Thighs is a delicious Japanese dish that comes together in under an hour for a quick and easy meal. This recipe for miso butter chicken uses honey, ginger and white miso paste to make delicious bites of tender, juicy, crispy, chicken that goes great with a variety of side dishes.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ tablespoon butter, softened
- ½ cup white miso paste
- 2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8-10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine the butter, miso, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
- Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs and drumsticks, then place in a large bowl. Add the miso/buter/honey paste to the bowl and coat each piece of chicken with the sauce.
- Place the pices of chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet or roasting pan and roast them for 30 -40 minutes, flipping the chicken over at least 2 times during the cooking process. Remove when skin is crispy and golden brown and chicken is fully cooked (160 degrees)
Notes
- Place parchment paper on the pan under the chicken to protect your pan and catch the drippings.
- Be sure to flip the chicken at least 2 times when cooking to ensure all sides are crispy and golden.
- When coating the chicken pieces, be liberal with the sauce and rub it both over and under the skin for maximum flavor.
- For garnish, add chopped scallions and/or sesame seeds to the finished dish.
Serve with rice, Asian noodles, a green salad, green veggies, or potatoes.
Did you try this recipe? Tell me what you think!