Grilled Miso Chicken (with Gluten-Free Marinade)
This grilled miso chicken is made with my favorite chicken marinade, period - white miso, tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, and ginger, whisked together in one bowl in about 10 minutes. The chicken marinates overnight, grills in under 10 minutes, and it's naturally gluten-free. Serve it as-is, or slice it into rice bowls with whatever vegetables you've got.
Why This Grilled Miso Chicken Works
This miso chicken is one of those weeknight superheroes that my whole family loves. But most importantly, I love it. And I'm the cook, so that matters! When it comes to easy, adaptable dinners, this one is at the top of my list. In fact, I think it's number one.
The marinade is the only part that asks for any structure - you do need to follow the recipe there. Everything after that is up to you. The chicken comes off the grill gloriously tender and juicy, and from there you can serve it however you'd like: on its own; sliced into rice bowls with my homemade miso dressing; or piled onto a platter for a backyard cookout with a big pile of vegetables alongside. I also love it with these life-changing (really!) grilled potatoes. It's exactly what you want on a summer weeknight.
Nicki's Tip: Miso paste is what lends the chicken umami richness. Be sure to buy it in the refrigerated section, as it's a fermented product (shelf-stable miso has been pasteurized, which kills off the probiotics and mutes the flavor).
The Secret to Grilled Miso Chicken That Doesn't Burn
Everything that makes this marinade taste good - the miso, the maple syrup, the tamari - can brown fast over a hot grill. Here are two tricks to keeping it from burning:
- Let the excess marinade drip off. Lift each thigh out of the bowl and let the excess drip back into the bowl.
- Clean your grates and oil them well. A sticky, sweet marinade will grab onto anything crusty that's left on the grill. Make sure the grates are well oiled and flip the chicken occasionally to prevent sticking.
Ingredient Notes
Here's an overview of what we'll be using for this recipe. Check out the recipe card below for the rest of the ingredients and their measurements.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Thighs are juicier than chicken breasts - plus, they don't need pounding.
Miso Marinade
- White miso paste (shiro miso). Sodium varies a lot from brand to brand, so taste your marinade before the chicken goes in. Also worth a label check if you're eating gluten free, since some misos are made with barley rather than rice.
- Low-sodium tamari. Tamari is my default. It brings the same deep savory saltiness as soy sauce, and it's typically made without wheat (check your bottle). If gluten isn't a concern in your house, soy sauce works here.
How to Make Grilled Miso Chicken
Step 1: Whisk the marinade. Stir the miso paste, maple syrup, tamari, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and gochugaru together in a medium bowl until completely smooth. Miso likes to clump, so break it up against the side of the bowl with a fork until you don't see any pale streaks. Taste it here!
Step 2: Add the chicken. Add the thighs and stir well to evenly coat every piece. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Step 3: Let it come off the chill. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and transfer it to a pan or plate. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while the grill heats. Discard the leftover marinade.
Step 4: Heat and prep the grill. Preheat the grill to medium-high, 450˚-500˚F. Clean the grates, then oil them well.
Step 5: Grill the chicken. Grill, turning occasionally, until the chicken is browned with grill marks and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes total. The surface should look glossy and caramelized rather than blackened.
Step 6: Rest it. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve it as-is, or thinly slice it against the grain (lengthwise) for rice bowls.
Turn It Into Miso Chicken Rice Bowls
- Scoop steamed rice into bowls and arrange the sliced chicken alongside. Pile in your vegetables of choice, then drizzle them generously with more miso maple dressing, which you can whisk together at the same time you make the marinade (it uses many of the same ingredients). Finish with chopped herbs and scallions.
- My go-to version: toss some of the dressing with packaged slaw mix, add corn on the cob alongside, and drizzle everything with more of that umami-rich dressing.
- Any vegetables work here, and leftovers work great. Summer squash and eggplant, corn, cucumbers, green beans, radishes, slaw mix, snap peas, sweet potatoes, winter squash, grilled broccoli - you name it. I like to do a mix of something raw and something cooked for maximum texture.
- For even more freedom, let your people build their own bowls. Giving them the freedom of choice will free you up as well. Also, and this is a big one, ask them to clean up.
For Vegetarians
If you're feeding vegetarians (or if you are one yourself), you can use the marinade on extra-firm tofu instead of chicken, or do a mix of both. Cook the tofu in a well-oiled skillet. The rice bowls are also delicious with vegetables only, drizzled generously with the miso maple dressing.
Recipe Tips
- Marinate for 8 hours or overnight for the best flavor. You can knock this out in the morning or the day before. If you don't have that much time, it will still be tasty.
- Make the dressing while you make the marinade. They share many of the same ingredients, so you're already standing there with the miso open. The dressing can also be made up to 5 days ahead if meal prep is your thing.
- Use whatever vegetables you have for the bowls. The sky is the limit, and a mix of something raw and something cooked gives you the most texture.
- Don't save the used marinade. It's been in contact with raw chicken, so it goes in the bin.
Recipe FAQs
I marinate mine for 8 hours or overnight, which you can knock out in the morning or the day before. If you don't have that much time, marinate for at least 1 hour. It will still be tasty.
P.S. More Grilling Recipes:
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Grilled Miso Chicken
Ingredients
Miso Marinade
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari
- 1 large garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon gochugaru or red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
For serving (optional)
- Cooked rice
- Vegetables (a mix of raw and/or cooked), see Notes
- Miso Maple Dressing (click for recipe)
- Chopped herbs (such as cilantro, basil and/or mint) and/or scallions, for sprinkling
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In a medium bowl, stir together the miso paste, maple syrup, tamari, rice vinegar, ginger and gochugaru or red pepper flakes until smooth. Add the chicken thighs and stir well to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Grill the chicken
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (450˚-500˚F).
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip back into the bowl (discard the leftover marinade). Transfer the chicken to a pan or plate, and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Clean the grill grates and oil them well. Grill the chicken, turning occasionally, until browned with grill marks and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. You can serve the chicken as-is or thinly slice it against the grain (lengthwise) for rice bowls (if making rice bowls, keep reading!).
Serve
- Scoop rice into serving bowls and arrange the chicken alongside. Pile in your vegetables of choice, then drizzle the veggies with the Miso Maple Dressing. Garnish the bowls with herbs and scallions.
Notes
- For the best flavor, marinate the chicken for 8 hours or overnight (you can knock this out in the morning or the day before), but if you don't have that much time it will still be tasty.
- If you're making the Miso Maple Dressing, whisk it together at the same time you make the marinade (it can also be made up to 5 days ahead if meal prep is your thing).
- If you're making rice bowls you can use any vegetables you like (leftovers work great!). The sky is the limit: summer squash, corn, eggplant, cucumbers, green beans, radishes, slaw mix, snap peas, sweet potatoes, winter squash, broccoli… you name it. I like to do a mix of something raw and something cooked for maximum texture.
