Chicken Breasts With Miso-Garlic Sauce

By Nik Sharma

Updated October 27, 2022

  • Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.
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Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
4(1,520)
Comments
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Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are known for becoming dry, but brining them before cooking helps retain moisture. The chicken is soaked in cold, salted water to which a small amount of whey or yogurt is added. (The lactic acid and phosphates in the dairy help with moisture retention.) However, the star of this recipe isn’t the chicken: It’s the sauce, made from miso, plenty of garlic and a good amount of lemon and leftover pan juices. Just take care when salting it: Miso is salty by nature, and lemon juice tends to heighten its brininess. Round out the meal by pairing it with white rice, or a vibrant salad.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

FOR THE CHICKEN

  • 1 tablespoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed

  • 2 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt or whey

  • 4 cups cold water

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick), melted, or olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons onion powder

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • 2 teaspoons chipotle powder

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE MISO-GARLIC SAUCE

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick), cubed

  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon red miso

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons minced scallions or chives

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

9 grams carbs; 197 milligrams cholesterol; 540 calories; 15 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 32 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 1224 milligrams sodium; 53 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

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.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch high-heat baking dish with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, stir 1 tablespoon salt and the yogurt into 4 cups cold water. (The brine helps the chicken retain its moisture, for juicier breasts.) Add the chicken and let sit for 15 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    In a small bowl, mix together butter, onion powder, garlic and chipotle powders, and black pepper until they form a paste.

  3. Step 3

    After 15 minutes, drain the breasts, discarding liquid. Pat dry, transfer to the baking dish, and spread the paste all over the chicken.

  4. Step 4

    Roast until the top is golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 30 minutes. If chicken is darkening too quickly, tent loosely with foil. Let the chicken cool, covered, for 5 minutes. Reserve the pan juices.

  5. Step 5

    About 10 minutes before the chicken is done, prepare the miso-garlic sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in garlic, lemon zest, black pepper and miso. Return to the heat and add the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water, then mix until a velvety sauce forms. Remove from heat and stir in the reserved pan juices from the chicken. Taste and season with salt as needed.

  6. Step 6

    To serve, either slice the chicken breasts across the grain or keep them whole. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the minced scallions or chives. Serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,520 user ratings
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Comments

Debbie

You may also note that 'new' Pyrex doesn't stand up to high oven temps. When buying Pyrex always try to find vintage (it has a green hue, instead of the new 'blue' hue). Easy to do at yard sales and thrift stores. New Pyrex isn't made with the wonderful French sand anymore and many people have reported their Pyrex exploding upon touch or when removing from the oven even at lower temperatures.

tammy

we were really looking forward to this meal. Unfortunately the pan exploded after 15 minutes and dinner was destroyed and there is glass all over our oven. $ and time down the drain. Please revise this recipe to a temperature that is viable!

Tammy

FYI that OXO brand glass bakeware is the old-school borosolicate glass that Pyrex used to be made from! So you don't have to find vintage to get the good stuff, just buy OXO.

Jenny

The brine was good. The paste I could've done without as it didn't add much flavor but that could've been because I used a sub for chipotle powder. The miso-garlic was not bad. To make it simpler, maybe skip the paste step.

ERH

Spreading butter on raw skinless chicken seems like the type of task the Greek gods would assign as a punishment to a mortal who had displeased them. Especially when trying to get dinner on the table on a school night. That said, this dish was delicious and looked impressive. Will make again sometime when I have an abundance of time and patience.

Lana

Instead of a glass casserole baking dish, I have used either a metal 9 x 13 baking dish or a sheet pan when preparing dishes at high temperatures. By the way the newer Pyrex dishes and measuring cups are produced in China (this was reported awhile back, so I place these items in the microwave only to heat up items for short periods of time (like a minute or two).

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