Grilled Miso Chicken
This is my go-to chicken marinade (it’s also delicious with tofu), as it results in gloriously tender, juicy meat that’s robustly flavored with miso, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. Miso paste gives the chicken an umami richness, while maple syrup lends balancing sweetness. The chicken is delicious all on its own, or you can tuck it into rice bowls with the vegetables of your choice and a drizzle of Miso Maple Dressing (see the Tips below). It’s one of those back pocket dinners that everybody in my family loves, and that you can adapt to your own tastes or to what you have on hand. If you’re making the miso maple dressing, whisk it together at the same time as you make the marinade, as it uses many of the same ingredients. Take note that the chicken needs to marinate for 8 hours (or overnight) for the best flavor (although it will still be good if you’re shorter on time). If you don’t have an outdoor grill you can use a grill pan or a well oiled skillet.
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.
Loved this recipe? Check out @nickisizemore for more!