This easy miso glazed chicken thigh recipe makes for a mouthwatering weeknight meal that you can meal prep ahead of time. The flavorful miso sauce not only packs a ton of umami flavor but also creates a beautiful glaze on the juicy chicken thighs as it caramelizes. Whether you’re cooking for guests or planning quick dinners, this versatile dish has got you covered.
Why This Recipe Works
- Marinating the chicken thighs in miso, seasons them through while making this a great prep-ahead recipe.
- Ginger contains an enzyme that tenderizes the thigh meat, rendering it juicy and delicious.
- Scraping the marinade off before roasting it keeps it from burning, and by reserving a small amount of marinade, you can glaze it at the end to give it a nice thick coating of miso sauce.
Ingredients
- Mirin – Mirin is a sweet rice wine that adds umami while balancing out the salty flavor of the miso paste.
- Sake – This is another Japanese rice wine that adds umami while tenderizing the chicken. Please do not substitute rice vinegar, as it will make your chicken too sour.
- Honey – Sweet honey helps caramelize the miso glaze, giving the chicken a beautiful golden-brown color. Maple syrup or brown sugar can be used for a different flavor profile.
- Organic Miso Red – The longer aging period used to make red miso gives it a rich, savory flavor that’s more earthy and nutty than white miso paste. If you can’t find it, other types of miso, such as yellow miso paste or white miso, will work for a milder flavor.
- Ginger – Fresh ginger contains enzymes that help tenderize the chicken thighs while adding a wonderful fresh zing. You can also grate in a few cloves garlic for additional depth of flavor.
- Chicken Thighs – Boneless, skin-on thighs are ideal for this miso-glazed chicken recipe. They remain juicy and tender while developing crispy skin. Other types of chicken, such as bone in drumsticks, skinless chicken thighs, or skinless chicken breasts, will work, but you may need to adjust the cooking time to account for different thicknesses of the meat.
- Garnish – You can optionally garnish these miso glazed chicken thighs with green onions, toasted sesame seeds, or chili flakes for a pop of color and extra flavor.
How to Make Miso Chicken Thighs
To prepare the miso marinade, combine the mirin, sake, and honey in a pot and bring the mixture to a boil. This step serves two purposes: it reduces the liquid, concentrates the flavors, and allows the alcohol to evaporate, leaving behind the essence of these ingredients.
Next, incorporate the red miso and grated ginger into the reduced liquid. Continue cooking the miso sauce until it becomes thick and glossy. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.
Once the marinade has cooled completely, layer the chicken thighs with the miso marinade in an airtight container, ensuring each piece is well-coated. Ideally, you’ll want to do this at least 3 hours in advance to give the flavors to penetrate deeper into the meat.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or foil and placing a rack on top. This setup allows hot air to circulate around the chicken pieces, promoting even cooking and helping to crisp up the skin. Before roasting, it’s important to remove excess marinade from the chicken with paper towels.
This prevents burning and allows the skin to crisp up properly. Place the chicken thighs skin side up on the baking tray and roast in a 400°F (205°C) oven for 15 minutes. Then, brush the leftover miso glaze onto the chicken skin. Return the miso chicken to the oven and continue roasting until the glaze is shiny and caramelized (another couple of minutes).
Serving Suggestions
Chop the miso chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and turn it into a complete meal, serving it over a bowl of steamed rice along with some colorful vegetables such as broccoli, butternut squash, or snap peas. If you’re avoiding carbs, you can also serve this miso chicken recipe on a green salad with Miso Vinaigrette, or cauliflower rice. To turn up the heat, try adding some chili paste to the marinade before you baste the chicken.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup ORGANIC MISO RED
- 10 grams ginger grated
- 700 grams skin-on boneless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Add 1/4 cup mirin, 1/4 cup sake, and 2 tablespoons honey to a pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue boiling until the mixture is reduced by about 30% and it no longer smells like alcohol.
- Add 1/2 cup ORGANIC MISO RED and 10 grams ginger and stir to dissolve the miso. Continue cooking until the miso marinade is thick and shiny. Turn off the heat and let this cool completely.
- Set aside 2 tablespoons of the miso marinade for use later. Add a layer of miso sauce to the bottom of a container that’s just large enough to hold the chicken.
- Add 700 grams skin-on boneless chicken thighs and spread more marinade between the chicken pieces. Let this marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.
- To roast the miso chicken, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on the sheet pan.
- Scrape the miso mixture off the chicken thighs and then use paper towels to remove as much of the excess marinade as possible. Place the pieces on the prepared baking sheet with the skin side up.
- Bake the marinated chicken thighs for 15 minutes.
- Brush the tops of the chicken with the reserved miso sauce and return to the oven. Continue baking until the miso glaze is golden brown and shiny and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 160°F. About another 5 minutes.
- Slice and serve the juicy chicken thighs over a bowl of rice with a sprinkling of sesame seeds or green onions for a pop of extra flavor.
