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 Negi Miso Sauce
- 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (use green part only; should be roughly 1 cup/240 ml; You can substitute negi with leeks, green onions, or a mix of both for a similar flavor and texture.)
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame oil (for cooking)
- 2 ½ Tbsp miso (I use koji miso or awase miso)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 Tbsp sake
- ½ tsp soy sauce
For Negi Miso Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.) (for cooking)
Instructions
To Make Negi Miso
- Gather all the ingredients. Cut the green part of negi (leeks/green onion/a mix) into fine rounds.
- In a large frying pan, heat sesame oil on medium-high heat. When it's hot, add negi and stir fry until wilted.
- Lower the heat to medium-low heat and add miso, sugar, mirin, sake, and soy sauce, and keep stirring. It gets burned easily because of miso so keep stirring while you cook. When most of the liquid is evaporated, turn off the heat, and let cool.
To Make Negi Miso Chicken
- In a bowl or resealable plastic bag, combine the chicken with negi miso sauce. Marinate for at least 2 hours.
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil on medium heat. When it's hot, remove the marinade off from the chicken the best you can (miso burns easily), and add to the pan. Cook the chicken until golden brown, and flip. Cook, covered, until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the remaining negi miso sauce to the pan. Add ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) water (or you can use sake, too) and bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a few minutes (as the raw chicken was in the sauce). Serve the chicken immediately with the negi miso sauce and enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.
