Marinated in a sweet and savory sauce, this aromatic Negi Miso Chicken is pan-fried until juicy and tender. In my recipe, I‘ll show you how to make the all-purpose Japanese sauce that‘s a delicious way to use the green part of the Tokyo negi leftover from other recipes.
A couple of months ago I was requested by a reader to make Negi Miso Sauce. This sauce consists of mainly Tokyo negi onions and miso (Tokyo negi onion resembles a giant green onion, usually over 2 feet long). It tastes a bit salty from the miso, yet sweet at the same time for preservative purposes.
For most recipes that use Tokyo negi onion, we normally use the white bottom part of it. However, for this sauce, it’s the opposite and the green top part is used instead. This sauce can be preserved for up to 1 week in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer. If Tokyo negi onions are not available locally, you can substitute them with both leeks (for the texture) and scallion/green onion (for the flavor).
Negi Miso is a very handy sauce, similar to pesto sauce for Western cuisine. We use this sauce as a dip for cucumbers and carrot sticks. Other ways to enjoy include spooning a little bit of this paste on top of rice or tofu to provide flavors, and sometimes this can be used as a marinade for fish and meat. I also love smothering this paste on Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Rice Ball).
I received many requests for recipes that use both miso and chicken, so I thought you might enjoy this Negi Miso Chicken recipe!
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Negi Miso Chicken
Ingredients
For the Negi Miso Sauce
- 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (green part only; roughly 1 cup, 240 ml; substitute leeks, green onions, or a combination for a similar flavor and texture)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (for cooking)
- 3 Tbsp miso (I use koji miso or awase miso)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp sake
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice; from a 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob)
For the Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil (for cooking)
Instructions
- Before You Start…Please note that this recipe requires at least overnight marinating time.
To Make the Negi Miso Sauce
- Gather all the ingredients. Cut the green part of 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) into fine rounds.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil. Then, add the sliced negi and stir-fry until wilted.
- Lower the heat to medium low. Add 3 Tbsp miso, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp mirin, 2 Tbsp sake, ½ tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice) and stir to combine. It burns easily because of the miso, so keep stirring while you cook. When most of the liquid has evaporated, turn off the heat and let cool.
To Make the Negi Miso Chicken
- In a bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs with the negi miso sauce. Marinate for at least overnight.
To Cook the Negi Miso Chicken
- Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, wiping off as much of it as you can since miso burns easily (and reserving the marinade to make a sauce later). Add the chicken to the pan. Cook the chicken until golden brown, then flip. Reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Let the chicken cook until fully cooked through, then transfer it to a plate.
- Add the reserved negi miso marinade to the pan. Add 4 Tbsp water (or you can use sake) and stir. Bring it to a boil, then let it simmer for a few minutes (as the raw chicken was in the sauce). Serve the chicken immediately with the negi miso sauce. Enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 7–10 days and in the freezer for a month.
Hi Nami! Have you ever tried cooking the chicken in the oven instead of in a frying pan? If not, would you recommend it — and at what temperature and for how long? Thanks!
Hello, Jarrod. Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying out her recipe!
We have not tested this recipe in the oven, however, you could try baking at 425F for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Miso is easily burned, so keep an eye on it in the oven and cover it with foil if it gets too dark.
We hope this helps!