Spicy Miso Marinated Chicken is a flavoursome pan-fried chicken dish made with a combination of traditional Japanese misozuke with a little spicy kick from gochujang – a Korean fermented condiment. Once marinated, it takes less than 10 minutes to cook.
- 4 chicken thigh fillets (650-680g/1.4-1.5lb, note 1)
- 1 tbsp oil
- Fresh salad leaves for serving
- 2 tbsp miso (about 40g/1.4oz)
- 2 tsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste) (about 14g/0.5oz, note 2)
- 1 tbsp cooking sake
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp garlic , grated
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Put all the Marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until there are no lumps of miso or gochujang.
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If part of the chicken fillet is very thick, butterfly it to even out the thickness.
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If you are using fillets with the skin on, prick the skin in several places using the tip of a knife.
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Put the marinade and the chicken fillets in a plastic bag and gently massage the bag, ensuring that the marinade covers the entire surface of the chicken pieces.
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Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal it. Marinate in the fridge overnight or for up to 1 day (note 3).
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Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat (see note 4 if you are cooking in the oven).
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Place the marinated chicken pieces in the pan, skin side down. Place a lid on and cook for about 5-6 minutes if your fillets have the skin on, 4-5 minutes if they are skinless.
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Remove the lid and turn the pieces over. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked through (the internal temperature reaches close to 75°C/167°F).
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Turn the heat off and leave it for another minute to cook further with the residual heat.
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Place the chicken fillets on a cutting board and slice each fillet into 1½-2cm/⅝-¾” thick pieces.
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Serve the chicken pieces on a plate with fresh salad leaves on the side.
1. You can use the fillet with skin on or skinless. I think fillets with skin on are visually more attractive because of the way skin gets charred. However, skin adds extra calories.
2. Gochujang is a spicy fermented Korean condiment (red chilli paste). It is sold at Asian grocery stores and in the international isle of supermarkets. See the sample photo in my post Korean Beef Soup with Rice.
3. The minimum marinating time is 2 hours, but I strongly recommend marinating the chicken overnight. If you don’t have enough time to marinate it, poke the chicken fillets with a fork to help the marinade penetrate the flesh faster.
You can also freeze the chicken coated with the marinade. Thaw the chicken in the fridge.
4. Cooking the Marinated Chicken (skinless) in the Oven:
- Set the grill with fan to 200°C/392°F (fan-forced oven).
- Place the marinated chicken pieces on a tray lined with baking paper.
- Place the tray on the middle rack and cook for 18 minutes.