Change up your roasted chicken game a bit with the addition of flavorful miso paste into your marinade. It adds delicious savory flavor to anything it touches. A hearty dinner in less than an hour!

Time-Saving Tip:
Prepare the miso marinade in advance and marinade the chicken overnight.
Ingredient notes:
- Chicken – You can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. But I highly recommend skin-on chicken.
- Miso paste – There’re different varieties of miso paste. Red or dark miso paste tend to be richer, while yellow/white miso paste is milder. If you’re new to miso paste, start with white miso. This article has a great information on miso paste.
- Mirin – Also known as Japanese rice wine, mirin helps to tenderize the meat.
How to make this recipe:
Start off by making the marinade. Whisk together miso paste, sesame oil, olive oil, mirin, Sriracha, soy sauce and salt. It needs to have a smooth texture.
I like to marinade the chicken in a freezer bag. Pour in the marinade over the chicken in a large freezer bag, or bowl. Squeeze out as much air as you can and then close the bag. Massage the marinade into the meat, so it distributes evenly.
Marinade for at least 20-30 minutes, or up to overnight. If you plan on cooking it within 30 minutes, keep it at room temperature, otherwise refrigerate it until ready to cook. Remember to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the chicken skin side up on a baking pan. Ensure the chicken is spread out into one layer to cook evenly.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until internal temperature registers 175°F (80°C).
This instant meat thermometer is my go-to thermometer and the most used tool in my kitchen to check for doneness.
Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds, if you like. Serve with steamed rice, or vegetables of your choice for a complete meal.
How long do I need to marinade the chicken?
Marinade the chicken for as little as 20-30 minutes, or up to overnight.
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.
TIP: I like to use a large freezer bag for marinading chicken. If using a bowl, choose non-reactive bowl, like glass or ceramic bowls.
Can I grill my miso chicken?
You can, follow the same preperation process. Turn your grill to medium high, place the chicken skin side down. Cook until internal temperature reaches 175°F. It takes about 40 minutes. Remember to flip them over half way through.
Side Dish Ideas
While you prepare the chicken, put on some sides. Here’re what we like to serve it with:
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Let me know once you’ve tried it by leaving a comment below or sharing a photo and tagging @busy_cooks on Instagram!
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Baked Miso Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons miso paste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon mirin aka rice wine
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha more if you like spicy
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
For garnish
- 1 green onion optional
- 1 teaspoon black or white toasted sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together miso paste, sesame oil, olive oil, mirin, Sriracha, soy sauce and salt until nice and smooth.
- Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour the prepared marinade. Squeeze out the air, as you close the bag. Massage the marinade into the meat to distribute it evenly. Marinade for 20-30 minutes. If you’re cooking right away, keep it at room temperature. If not cooking within 30 minutes, refrigerate until 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the chicken in one layer in a baking pan. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until internal temperature registers 175°F (80°C).
- Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Serve with steamed rice, or vegetables of your choice for a complete meal.
Notes
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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Reader's Reviews
Barbara G says
Made this with boneless thighs and used sambal instead of sriracha. I was meal prepping, so I had a bigger batch of chicken and doubled the marinade recipe. It turned out super tasty and moist! Will definitely make this again and try it with the bone-in thighs.
Shinee says
So happy you tried and loved this recipe. Thank you for your feedback, Barbara!
Susan says
Soooo good! My family RAVED about it. Only tweak I made was to put it under the broiler for a few minutes after cooking to get the skin brown and crispy. Yum!!!
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you all loved this recipe. Thank you for your feedback, Susan!!
Sandy Pikelny says
Hi, I am a senior. I am having a bit of a problem using miso paste. The miso doesn’t dissolve into a smooth paste. What am I doing wrong? I am unable to use acidic items, miso is healthy & delicious. Please reply.
Thank you,
Sandy.
Shinee says
Hi, Sandy. Sorry for delay. Not sure why your miso paste is not dissolving. Do you store it in a refrigerator, right? Is it soft?
P.S. I edited your comment to remove your e-mail address.