Don’t let that tub of white miso sit in the back of your fridge. Mix it with butter and use it to make these miso chicken thighs with roasted baby potatoes.
My secret to upgrading weeknight chicken is a quick miso butter. It’s nutty, packed with umami, and sweetened with maple syrup, and it touches every part of this sheet pan dinner. It keeps the miso chicken thighs juicy, crisps the baby red potatoes and caramelizes the sliced onions until everything is funky and rich. Serve a crisp, vinegary salad on the side to brighten the meal, and save leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch wrap.
Ingredients for Miso Chicken Thighs
- Baby red potatoes: You can really use any type of potato in this recipe, but we recommend baby red potatoes because they become creamy when baked, and they have a mild flavor that adapts easily to whatever they’re cooked with.
- Alliums: Onions and garlic add a savory, aromatic flavor to the potatoes. Slice one large yellow onion and mince six cloves of garlic.
- Chicken thighs: It’s hard to overcook chicken thighs—they’re very forgiving! To maximize the juiciness, buy bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. It’s easy to remove the skin if you want.
- Butter: You’ll need a half stick of butter for this miso recipe. Soften the butter so it mixes easily with the miso, maple syrup and sesame oil.
- White miso: Miso is a funky and pungent paste made from fermented soybeans. It’s rich in umami, imparting all its nuanced flavors throughout the chicken.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup balances the salty, umami flavors in this chicken recipe with a touch of sweetness. Plus, the sugars help the marinade caramelize during roasting.
- Sesame oil: A little sesame oil adds a toasty, nutty flavor to the miso chicken marinade and thins the paste, making it more spreadable.
Directions
Step 1: Prep the onions and potatoes
Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss together the baby red potatoes, onions and garlic, then drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and toss them again until everything is evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to a 15x10x1-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.
Step 2: Make the miso butter
Place the chicken thighs on the pan. In a small bowl, stir together the softened butter, miso paste, maple syrup and sesame oil. Spread the mixture all over the chicken’s skin. Keep in mind, the mixture will be quite thick. Cover the pan with foil.
Step 3: Bake the chicken and vegetables
Roast the chicken thighs and vegetables until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 170° to 175°, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes, uncovering the pan after 45 minutes. The miso mixture on the chicken may appear very dark while roasting. Sprinkle servings with chopped green onions.
Editor’s Tip: Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes after roasting so the juices can redistribute. If you cut into it right away, the juices will leak out, and the chicken will become dry.
Recipe Variations
- Grill or air fry the thighs: Come summer, I’m grilling everything, and these miso chicken thighs are at the top of the list. You can also air-fry the thighs at 400° until their internal temperature reaches 175°, about 25 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- Make it with red miso: Red miso is even deeper and funkier than white miso paste. If you’re looking for a bump in flavor, this is it.
- Use a different meat: You can totally use this miso chicken marinade on other cuts of chicken, like chicken breasts or a whole chicken. Try it on salmon, too; miso salmon is a huge hit!
How to Store Miso Chicken Thighs
Allow the miso chicken thighs to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to four days.
How do you reheat miso chicken thighs?
Reheat miso chicken thighs in a 350° oven until they’re warmed through, about 10 minutes. I like to splash a little water on them before they go in the oven, which helps them stay juicy. Cooking chicken twice can dry it out.
Miso Chicken Thighs Tips
How do you serve miso chicken thighs?
Serve miso chicken thighs on a bed of white rice, with smashed chili-crisp cucumber salad, on miso ramen, or with roasted vegetables, glazed carrots, chili-crisp biscuits or crispy rice salad. You could also fold it into a wrap with lettuce and lots of veggies, or chop it up for a summery salad.
How else can you use the miso butter?
If you have any leftover miso butter or want to make a double batch, spread it on corn, homemade garlic bread or dinner rolls, toss it with roasted veggies, or add a few pats to roasted Japanese sweet potatoes or regular sweet potatoes. You also don’t have to decide right now; miso butter can last in the fridge for up to two weeks when stored in an airtight container.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby red potatoes
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2-1/4 pounds)
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1/4 cup white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- Chopped green onions
Directions
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1Preheat oven to 425°. Mix potatoes, onions and garlic; drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Transfer to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray.
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2Place chicken thighs on pan. In a small bowl, combine butter, miso paste, maple syrup and sesame oil; spread over chicken skin (mixture will be thick). Cover with foil.
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3Roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours, uncovering after 45 minutes (The miso mixture on the chicken may appear very dark while roasting). Sprinkle with chopped green onions before serving.
