Miso Chicken
on Dec 18, 2025
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This savory Japanese-inspired Miso Chicken recipe is filled with umami flavors, thanks to the miso paste and mirin wine. Leftovers are great rewarmed, at room temperature, or chilled.
So, you have that tub of miso paste in the fridge, and you want to put it to good use. This crispy chicken thigh recipe is just the ticket, perfect for a weeknight dinner, with 5 ingredients, INCLUDING the chicken (6 if you decide to add hot sauce). The marinating time for the chicken is optional, but it will add more depth of flavor.
This dish is ultra savory with a hint of sweetness, and so easy to make. Leftovers are delicious warm or cold. You could also think about slicing or shredding leftover chicken and adding them to Asian-inspired salads, like Chicken Satay Salad, Indonesian Chicken Salad, or Chinese Chicken Salad.
Serve this chicken with white or brown rice, or try the Kimchi Fried Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice. Vegetable Yaki Udon is another great option, and there are more serving suggestions below!
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What's In This Post?
Chicken With Miso Paste
Miso paste is one of the most loved and often used ingredients in Japanese and other Asian cooking. The salty-sweet umami flavor adds so much dimension to all kinds of dishes, including this chicken thigh recipe. In general, the darker the miso paste, the more pronounced the flavor. White miso is the most delicate, and that’s what’s called for here. If you want to use yellow or red miso, you might want to reduce the amount to 1/4 cup so that the flavor doesn’t become overpowering.
If you have time, you’ll want to marinate the chicken in the fridge overnight, so that it absorbs even more of the rich, savory flavors of the marinade.
This recipe was adapted from a New York Times recipe by Sam Sifton.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – Some melted butter in the marinade gives this dish wonderful savory richness and helps the skin crisp up nicely.
- Miso – This soybean paste is the base of the marinade, with its singular umami flavor. See above for more info on miso!
- Mirin – A low-alcoholic, slightly sweet Japanese cooking wine that helps lift and blend all of the flavors, as well as aids in browning
- Rice vinegar – Use unseasoned if you have it, though seasoned will work just fine here.
- Hot sauce – If you want a little kick to this comforting dish, you can add a bit of Sriracha or another hot sauce.
- Chicken – I used skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs here, but you could also use small bone-in chicken breasts. The cooking time will be roughly the same, as white meat cooks faster than dark, and breasts are usually bigger than thighs (at least in chickens…).
How to Make Miso Chicken
- Prep the oven: Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (or do this just before baking, if you have time to marinate the chicken).
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine the butter, miso, mirin, rice vinegar, Sriracha (if using), and black pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. Cover and marinate overnight, if you have time. You can also let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Roast the chicken: Place the chicken on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, skin side up, and roast for about 40 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
Kitchen Smarts
If the skin seems to be browning too quickly, you can flip the chicken for about 15 minutes. Then, make sure to finish with the chicken skin side up for the last 10 minutes.
- Serve hot or warm, with the cilantro leaves and scallions sprinkled over if desired.
Leftovers and Storage
Leftovers will last for up to 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Reheat in a 300°F oven just until warm, or reheat in the microwave. Or enjoy them cold or at room temp.
What to Serve With Miso Chicken
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Miso Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- ⅓ cup white miso
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (or other chili sauce; optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
- Cilantro leaves and sliced scallions (for serving; optional)
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 F (unless you have time to marinate the chicken; in that case, preheat the oven just before cooking). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, miso, mirin, rice vinegar, Sriracha (if using), and black pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. Cover and marinate overnight, if you have time. You can also let the chicken sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Place the chicken on the baking sheet skin side up and roast for about 40 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the chicken is cooked through. If the skin seems to be browning too quickly, you can flip the chicken for about 15 minutes or so of the baking, and then make sure to finish with the chicken skin side up for the last 10 minutes.
- Serve hot or warm, with the cilantro leaves and scallions sprinkled over if desired.
