Teriyaki chicken over miso rice is Japanese comfort food made easy

Chicken teriyaki is one of my favorite Japanese dishes because I love the contrast of the different flavors in one bite. It’s hard to resist sweet-and-salty chicken browned to just the right shade and with the stickiness that makes it even better. And the sautéed lemon adds the perfect citrusy twist.

Pairing this chicken with miso rice is 100 times better than steamed white rice, because the miso complements the teriyaki flavor. It’s a Japanese paste made of fermented soybeans (can also be rice, barley and other ingredients), salt and koji. Remember that with the three basic kinds of miso, the degree of saltiness varies. In this recipe, I used red, which is the saltiest. White is the least saltiest, and yellow is medium saltiness.

Teriyaki chicken over miso rice recipe

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Inactive time: 2 hours | Total time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs with skin on
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons mirin
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Olive oil
• 4 slices organic lemon
• Miso rice (see recipe below)

Directions:

1. Using a sharp knife, make about 4 small, deep slits in the chicken.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, mirin and pepper, and then marinate the chicken in it for about 2 hours (or more). While the chicken marinates, prepare the miso rice (see recipe below).
3. In a saucepan over medium heat with olive oil, brown the chicken on both sides. Discard the marinade. Quickly sauté the lemon slices with the chicken until they color.
4. Serve the chicken on top of the miso rice.

Miso rice recipe

There are three kinds of miso paste, with different degrees of saltiness. Red is the saltiest, so use more miso if using white or yellow.

Serves 4

Prep time: 3 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 13 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon red miso
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 4 cups cooked rice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the miso, honey, mirin, rice vinegar and ginger.
2. In a large, dry saucepan over low-medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, and then add the miso mixture.
3. Add the rice, and mix well. Pour in the sesame oil, and mix well.
4. Serve on a serving platter with the chicken.

More chicken and rice recipes

Gluten-free rainbow chicken and rice bowls with spicy rice dressing
Creamy slow cooker chicken, rice and bacon soup
Chicken, rice and veggie casserole