Miso-Honey Chicken with Asparagus Sheet Pan-tabulous!
Sam Sifton’s What to Cook column in the NY Times is my usual starting point for what should I make for dinner during the week. I found Yossy Arefi’s Sheet Pan Miso-Honey Chicken and Asparagus in his column a little while ago and bookmarked it. Like so many others, I have jumped on the sheet pan meal train. I love a cooking method that includes hashtags like #quick, #easy, and #delicious. This recipe was simply yummy and had me licking my plate clean at the end.
Da Sauce
The flavor from the marinade manages to hit every note-sweet from honey, and spicy from chili sauce. Eartiness and salty from the miso. The ginger and garlic create an added one-two flavor punch. It is absolutely delicious. Reserve half of it to serve at the table for those who just can’t get enough of it, like me!
Most of the ingredients for the marinade are items that you probably have in your pantry or fridge, especially if you like Asian cuisine. For those not familiar with miso-the star of this marinade, miso is a cornerstone in Japanese cooking. It is made from soybeans that is fermented and it is responsible for that salty, slightly funky flavor and umami. It comes in two basic types, white and red. White miso is milder and if I could only have one miso, this would be it. Here is a primer on miso from Spruce Eats. Look for it in Asian grocery stores and many of the larger supermarkets. There really isn’t a substitute so if your local markets don’t carry it, try online.
Improvising for the lack of asparagus, I grabbed a head of cauliflower from my crisper and I was in business. I prefer bone-in chicken so I slathered the marinade on bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and opted to roast it. Roast the chicken and cauliflower in a 425-degree oven for approximately 25-30 minutes until the chicken is crispy and browned, and the cauliflower is tender and golden. It would be tough to broil bone-in chicken and have it cook through, high-heat roasting works well.
Sheet-Pan Miso Honey Chicken with Asparagus
Ingredients
Marinade
- 3 tablespoons white miso
- 3 tablespoons mild honey
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely grated garlic
- 2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce or other hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil + 1 tablespoon water for marinade
The Stars
- 1 Pound large bunch asparagus trimmed
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil for asparagus
- 1½ to 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless (although I like leaving the skin on
The Garnish
- Salt and pepper
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Make the marinade: In a bowl, whisk together the miso, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, chile-garlic sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon water. Refrigerate half the marinade for serving.
- Place the chicken in a shallow dish or zip-top bag and pour the remaining marinade over the top. Toss the chicken until coated and let marinate in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes.
- When you are ready to cook, heat the broiler with a rack set 6 inches below it. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. * See notes for directions to roast chicken instead of broiling.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, scraping off and discarding any excess. Place the chicken in a single layer on one side of the baking sheet, with the flatter side up. Place the asparagus on the other side. Drizzle the asparagus with remaining oil, then season the asparagus; toss to coat.
- Broil until the chicken is cooked through with some charred spots and the asparagus is browned, about 10 minutes.
- To serve, top the chicken with a drizzle of the reserved marinade and a sprinkle of scallions.
- Serve with rice, if desired.