Chicken Breasts With Miso-Garlic Sauce

By Nik Sharma

Updated Oct. 28, 2022

Chicken Breasts With Miso-Garlic Sauce
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.
Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
4(1,478)
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

    • 1tablespoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
    • 2tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt or whey
    • 4cups cold water
    • 4boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
    • ¼cup unsalted butter (½ stick), melted, or olive oil
    • 2tablespoons onion powder
    • 1tablespoon garlic powder
    • 2teaspoons chipotle powder
    • 1teaspoon black pepper

    For the Miso-garlic Sauce

    • ¼cup unsalted butter (½ stick), cubed
    • 4garlic cloves, peeled and minced
    • 1tablespoon lemon zest
    • ½teaspoon black pepper
    • 1tablespoon red miso
    • 2tablespoons lemon juice
    • 2tablespoons minced scallions or chives
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

540 calories; 32 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 53 grams protein; 1224 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.

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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
1,478 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!

lisa murphy

500 degrees is entirely too high a temperature.

Karen

Made this with chicken tenders and it worked well. 375 for 25 minutes was just right. I used minced garlic from a jar for the sauce, and went a little over 4 tsp - that was more than necessary. Used white miso instead of red and it was plenty of umami. I was a little short on butter, so for step 2, I used a combo of butter and olive oil (2 T butter & a little less than 2 T olive oil) and that was plenty to create the paste. The flavor combo is tasty and the chicken stayed nice & moist.

Barbara

Made as written except for the chipotle powder - didn’t have any and subbed chili powder with some smoked paprika mixed in. Really good recipe. I served it over soba and some simply stir-fried sugar snaps as a veggie. Pretty on the plate and very tasty. Sauce would work with fish and possibly even breaded pork cutlets.

Lily W

Is there a reason not to brine the chicken for longer than 15 mins? Any harm in starting now for dinner later?

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