Miso Chicken

By Sam Sifton

Updated Aug. 7, 2024

Miso Chicken
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(14,913)
Comments
Read comments

Making a compound of unsalted butter and the salty, fungal deliciousness of Japanese miso paste is a surefire way of adding immense flavor to a simple weeknight meal. Here the mixture is spread over chicken thighs, which are then roasted to golden perfection. But you could easily use it on salmon or flounder, on corn or potatoes. The recipe calls for white miso, which is more mild than the aged version known as red miso. But you could certainly use red for a more intense result.

Featured in: Asian Pantry Essentials

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ½cup white miso
  • 2tablespoons honey
  • 1tablespoon rice vinegar (do not use seasoned rice vinegar)
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 8skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, approximately 2½ to 3 pounds
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1059 calories; 78 grams fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 31 grams monounsaturated fat; 15 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 68 grams protein; 1597 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine butter, miso, honey, rice vinegar and black pepper in a large bowl and mix with a spatula or spoon until it is well combined.

  2. Step 2

    Add chicken to the bowl and massage the miso-butter mixture all over it. Place the chicken in a single layer in a roasting pan and slide it into the oven. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, turning the chicken pieces over once or twice, until the skin is golden brown and crisp, and the internal temperature of the meat is 160 to 165 degrees.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
14,913 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Michael in YVR

I opted to use red miso, thinking the boost in flavour would be worthwhile. After sneaking a taste in the slathering-on stage, I worried maybe I'd overdone it; so it wasn't until I encountered the miso again, caramelized and schmaltzed to a fare-the-well at the recipe's end that I realized the true genius of this recipe. This is arguably the most toothsome chicken I've ever tasted. Five stars: most emphatically.

Greg

Skip the butter. Add a tablespoon or two of tahini for richness if you're in the mood. Glorious (and not greasy if, like me, you don't like greasy).

Annie V

I skinned and cut up a whole chicken and marinated it in a half portion of the miso mixture for 24 hours. Subbed brown sugar for honey. It only took 20 minutes for the dark meat and 10 minutes for the light meat to come to temperature, but I think my oven runs hot. Turn halfway through. Deglazed the pan with white wine and reduced it for a sauce, and garnished with cilantro and scallions. Served to friends with green beans and mushrooms sauteed with soy & sherry. Will make often!

Aliceg

Love this recipe, but it was not as good when I used boneless, skinless. Keep the skin on and crisp it up as needed. Without skin, texture was a bit slimy. Also I tried subbing tahini for the butter, but next time would do half butter, half tahini.

Susan

We absolutely loved this recipe. the miso isn't overpowering, it just tastes like really good chicken. my picky 7yo went crazy for it and now calls it "heaven chicken." it will be on regular rotation for us!

searching

made this tonight with 4 bone-in/skin-on thighs. I swapped the butter for oil and baked in convection oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I took the advice of others and put the marinade under the skin as well, and wish I hadn't done that. It kept the skin for truely crisping up. Overall, liked the flavor and have these ingredients on hand so will make again.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.