With Shio Koji, a natural seasoning used in Japanese cooking, you can make EASY & DELICIOUS Shio Koji Chicken in no time with just 4 ingredients!
Sometimes a simple ingredient or condiment is all it takes to lend a magical touch on a dish. Garlic, ginger, miso, yuzu kosho, and sriracha are just some fantastic examples. And if you haven’t heard of Shio Koji, allow me to introduce this seasoning to you today. I’ve pulled off an incredibly amazing Shio Koji Chicken (塩麹チキン) that takes only 4 ingredients to make.
All thanks to Shio Koji, I get an umami-packed delicious chicken on the table with minimal effort. It is that WOW! You will want to have it in your pantry at all time too.
What is Shio Koji?
Shio Koji (塩麹, 塩糀) is a natural seasoning that we use to marinate, tenderize, and enhance the umami in foods. It’s made of just a few simple ingredients: salt, water, and rice koji.
One of Shio Koji’s ingredient, rice koji, or Kome Koji (米こうじ, 米糀, 米麹) in Japanese, is steamed rice that has been treated with koji mold spores (Aspergillus oryzae, koji-kin 麹菌, or koji starter).
Koji – Mold that You’ve Eaten Before
Koji is a specific strain of mold that has been cultured over the centuries. You may feel hesitant reading all about mold and wonder why we make rice moldy on purpose. But guess what, you have most likely eaten it already!
Koji has been the key ingredient to make miso, soy sauce, sake, mirin, rice vinegar, amazake, shochu, and today’s star, shio koji.
Why do we use koji in cooking? Because it’s a live food that is rich in enzymes. And we need enzymes to break down starches and proteins in food into sugars and amino acids. This process makes the food naturally sweet, aromatic, and rich in umami.
Health Benefits of Shio Koji:
Because it is a fermented ingredient, shio koji is known for its many health benefits, which includes (source):
- A natural pro-biotic seasoning
- Tenderizes food
- Brings out the umami and sweetness in foods
- Reduces the intake of salt
- Aids for digestion
- Clear the skin
- Anti-aging
- Contains minerals, fiber, and vitamins
How to Use Shio Koji
You can use shio koji to marinate your meats and vegetables, make pickles, or use it as a salt substitute. Shio koji is REALLY versatile and I’ve used it to make some delicious recipes on Just One Cookbook.
If you’re not sure, start using shio koji to replace salt. In a recipe that calls for one teaspoon of salt, you can substitute with 2 teaspoons of Shio Koji. You will not only get the “salt” effect but also experience the “umami bomb” effect!
Get a Bottle of Shio Koji and Start Cooking!
After sharing several recipes that require rice koji, I learned from readers that it’s actually a lot easier to get Shio Koji from Hikari Miso®. It’s available in Japanese grocery stores and Amazon as well as a big Korean grocery chain, H-Mart. Unlike Japanese grocery stores, this Korean grocery chain has many locations throughout North America. You may find it on the shelf or refrigerated section of the store.
When you open the bottle, you will immediately notice the sweet smell that reminds you of sake. With the help of all-natural koji, you will notice the significant flavor boost in your daily cooking!
Craving for More Shio Koji Recipes?
- Shio Koji Karaage – it’s a must-try!
- Shio Koji Yakisoba
- Shio Koji Simmered Kabocha
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Shio Koji Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 pieces boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (or use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and ask the butcher to remove the bones)
- 1 cup shio koji
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Marinate
- Combine 1 cup shio koji and 1 Tbsp soy sauce in a bowl or measuring cup.
- Season both sides of 8 pieces boneless, skin-on chicken thighs with freshly ground black pepper.
- Pour the shio koji mixture on the chicken pieces and coat them well on both sides. Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (minimum) or up to 3 hours.
To Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Remove the shio koji as much as possible and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- If your oven doesn‘t come with a temperature probe, you can use a ThermoWorks Chef Alarm. Insert the stem of the probe into the thickest part of the chicken, or in the center of the chicken if it is even in thickness.
- Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches to 165ºF (74ºC), roughly 25 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, change the oven setting from Bake to Broil. Broil the chicken until the skin has nice char, about 3–5 minutes (depends on how far the chicken is from the heat source). Remove from the oven.
- Cut each chicken thigh into 4 pieces (if you eat with chopsticks) and serve immediately.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for 2–3 months.
I made this yesterday and it was wonderful. My variation was sealing the chicken and marinade in a vacuum bag and marinating overnight. This allowed me to use less shio koji (reduces the cost). I then placed the bag in a sous vide and cooked the thighs to precisely 165° for 3 hours.
Then the thighs were wiped dry and grilled over charcoal to crisp up the skin.
I could eat this every day.
Hi Bkhuna! Amazing! Thank you very much for sharing your cooking experience with us! It sounds delicious!
Just made this tonight. It was so good and so easy! I finally found the Shio koji at the Mitsuwa in Plano, TX; which was probably the hardest part of the recipe to find. Thanks for posting.
Hi Rebecca! We are so happy to hear you were able to find the Shio Koji!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback.
Here is the link to many Shio Koji recipes; https://www.justonecookbook.com/search/?q=shio%20koji
We hope you enjoy them! Happy Cooking!
Hi Nami, I’ve tried a handful of your recipes and they’re always delicious and precise including this one!! My husband and I loved the flavors the shio koji gave to the chicken as well as the tender texture. This was also such an easy recipe! Arigato for introducing us to this secret wonder Japanese ingredient!!
Hi Bin! Thank you very much for trying many of Nami’s recipes and for your kind feedback!
Nami and the JOC team are so happy to hear you enjoy the Japanese secret ingredient, Shio Koji! Yay!😁
I’ve now tried this 3x and it is one of my family’s favorite chicken dishes ever! We have several Japanese grocery stores in MA so the Shio Koji was not hard to find. I tried the bottled liquid version and also tried making the marinade from Rice Koji. Both delicious but it takes more time to do the latter if you use the entire contents of the tub due to the fermentation process. Many thanks! Love this dish and your blog is such a great resource.
Hi Antonio! You have no idea how much your kind words meant to Nami and the JOC team!
Thank you very much for reading JOC blog and trying many recipes.
Happy Cooking! 🍱
Is it possible to freeze the marinated chicken and wipe off after it defrosts before cooking? Or will it get too salty? Noticed that you didn’t recommend marinating overnight for this reason! thank you 🙂
Hi Desiree,
If you know you will freeze the marinated chicken, then we recommend after pouring the Shio Koji mixture, place in the freezer right away. So you can avoid getting the chicken too salty.
We hope this helps!
SHIO KOJI CHICKEN, could it be marinated overnight?
Hi Hazel! We usually don’t, as it gets too salty… 🙂
We made the Shio Koji and then Shio Koji Chicken. Had the chicken on Christmas Day in Cooktown, far north QLD (very hot at Christmas!), and served it with potato salad made using the kewpie mayo recipe from your site, plus a salad with the sesame seed dressing, and some pineapple cilantro sauerkraut! It was something special and I am sorry not to take a photo to send you. We always have some of your pickled ginger in the fridge and serve it with so many things, mostly with sushi or sashimi. Thanks for sharing and I really love all the “how to” things. Arigato!
Hi Gay! I’m so happy to hear about your cooking experience! Ahhh everything sounds so delicious! Don’t worry about the picture. You spent time writing this comment made me very happy and excited. I could imagine the wonderful meal you prepared! The most important part is that you enjoy cooking and eating! 🙂 Domo arigato for your kind feedback! xo
Why does the shio koji need to be removed from the chicken before baking? Can the shio koji be left on instead? Thanks in advance!
Hi Julia! It gets burn easily… but you can if you can control the grilling/baking. 🙂
Hi!
First, I love your blog!
I was looking for a recipe with Shio Koji, because I was going to make miso with your recipe, but I wasn’t paying attention and just bought a small portion of Koji and needed much more. So, I still wanted to make something and found your recipe of Chicken With Shio Koji, and can’t wait for it to be done, to make this recipe. Thanks!
Hi Myrna! Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy the recipe. 🙂
Delicious!
I was skeptical since a friend said she doesn’t like shio koji, but Nami makes it looks so good. I’m glad I made it. My teenagers devoured it! And, asked for more. Bonus!
Thank you for another awesome recipe!
Hi Barbara! Aww I’m so glad you liked it! Isn’t it easy and amazingly delicious! I love the extra umami from shio koji. Glad your children enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
[…] Shio Koji Chicken […]
The Shio Koji Chicken looks oiishi. I have to try it and let you know. I have been following your recipes for over 2 years now and I am so delighted with your recipes. They are easy and very popular and easy to make. It makes me happy to be eating the Japanese food I love while I was living in Yokohama and Yokosuka, Japan. I thank you for your recipes, Nami. They are so authentic and so good.
Ellie
Hi Eloisa! Thank you for your sweet comment. I’m happy to hear you enjoy my recipes. I often worried if my recipes require too many authentic ingredients (such as Shio Koji here)… but it’s my goal to keep the recipes authentic for either educational purpose or for trying out the recipe when you get ingredients… Thank you for your encouraging words! xoxo
Hi, I really like to try all your recipe! I wanted to try using shio koji, but I found the liquid version on Hmart here. Can it still be use in the same way for this recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Jesica! Yes, the Shio Koji from Hikari Mis (the one I shared here) is also liquid with grains. I think what you found is similar to mine. 🙂 Hope you enjoy trying out my recipes!
It would be better if you supplied mail-order sources for the shio koji for those of us who don’t have a Japanese grocery store nearby.
Hello A! It’s sold on Amazon US, and here’s the link: https://amzn.to/2msUafK
Thanks Nami! Can’t wait to make this recipe, it looks delicious!
Hope you enjoy! It’s a really amazing condiment!
Just as a matter of interest,in Australia or certainly in the state I live boneless chicken thighs skin on or off are readily available at supermarkets or fresh chicken shops.
I will have track down Koji at my local Asian grocery , they have everything else lol.
Hi Brendan! It’s really interesting how each regional place has favorite ways to sell the meat, but I’m sure it’s due to the demands from the customers. I just met a food blogger friend from Australia (Brisbane) and she told me she can get most of the stuff in 2 Japanese grocery stores near her home.
Hi Nami, where do you typically find boneless skin-on chicken thighs? We’re in the Bay area too and can’t seem to ever find them..
Hi Mayumi! Oh! I should mention in the note section. I usually buy the skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and ask the butcher to remove the bone for me (for free, but they will include bones for the purchase weight). Nijiya or any Japanese grocery stores carry boneless skin-on thighs too as we need them for karaage etc. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Ahh thank you for this, I’ll try that next time. I made this tonight by deboning the thighs myself which was tedious, but the result was worth it. I’ve never tried Shio Koji before and it definitely tasted delicious with the chicken, thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for trying this recipe! Sorry, I wish I could respond to your questions sooner. Yes, ask the butcher next time. They will remove the bones super fast! Happy to hear you could buy Shio Koji where you are! 🙂
I also live in the Bay Area. You will also find boneless with/without skin at Trader Joe’s, 99 Ranch, and a couple of times at Costco.
Love your recipes Nami! Yum!
Hi Betty! Thank you for sharing the info with us! And thanks for your kind words. 🙂