A simple marinade made with Asian inspired ingredients like ginger and miso can really bring out an incredible depth of flavor in the chicken.  The marinade works double duty, serving as a seasoning and coating the chicken to achieve the perfect roasted crispy ginger miso chicken thighs.

I’m all about frugal simplicity for a busy weeknight meal.  Chicken thighs are cheap, especially if you buy them with bones and skin intact.  There’s only a single bone in chicken thighs, and unlike drumsticks, there’s very little gristle.  That means an inexpensive cut of meat yields a lot of food for a small amount of money.  Those extra bones make a tasty bone broth later anyway…

The best part though, of buying chicken thighs intact is that they still have skin.  When there’s skin, there’s a lot of opportunity for golden crunchy crispiness and with super moist meat underneath.

To make these ginger miso chicken thighs, I start by mixing a simple marinade in a large Tupperware or gallon Ziploc bag.  The base is made up of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.  Add in a bit of ginger, garlic, and fresh miso and you’re good to go.

It doesn’t take long for the deep umami flavors to penetrate the chicken thighs, so even a short 30-minute marinade will make a world of difference.  If you want to go a bit longer, perhaps 2-3 hours all the better.  Be careful marinading this overnight though, as the salty soy sauce will make the meat too salty with a long marinade.

The trick to getting the skin on these chicken thighs extra crispy is brushing them with a tiny bit of extra sesame oil right before baking.  A hot oven (425 F) is all you need for the perfect skin after that.

Yield: 2 lbs

Crispy Baked Ginger Miso Chicken Thighs

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This crispy ginger miso baked chicken makes a tasty weeknight meal for the whole family.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken thighs, with skin
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons miso paste
• 1 in piece fresh ginger, minced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, pressed
• sesame oil for brushing

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large ziploc bag or tupperware and marinade at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on a baking tray skin side up. Brush each piece with sesame oil.
4. Bake at 425 for about 30 minutes, until the skin is very crisp and the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 F.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving.

More Asian Inspired Recipes

• Mongolian Steamed Meat Dumplings
• Instant Pot Adzuki Beans