Over Thanksgiving, I had a little fun in the kitchen and did a very untraditional Thanksgiving feast for myself, Clayton and the girls. It was a great way to distract myself from the fact that we weren’t able to spend the day with family this year like we normally do. One of the things I made was a delicious Miso Roasted Chicken!
Because it was just the four of us and the smallest turkey I could find was a beast of 20 pounds, I decided to just grab a whole chicken instead to serve my family. I simply spatchcocked (aka butterflied) a chicken then marinated it in a delicious, miso marinade for the whole day. I then threw it in the oven and roasted it to golden perfection — it was just so delicious! Lots of lovely, umami flavor came through and my whole family loved it!
I won’t lie to y’all, I still haven’t nailed down the exact recipe I created over Thanksgiving. To be completely honest, I was a little tipsy and I didn’t write it down. I can’t recall what I did differently but dang, it turned out so so perfect on Thanksgiving that I will continue to strive for that same perfection! But, this is very close and it’s really delicious!
In the meantime, this is a great rendition of the Miso Roasted Chicken I did for Thanksgiving for you to enjoy with your family!
Miso Roasted Chicken

Ingredients
- 1 [3.5 - 4 pound] whole chicken
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- kosher salt
- black or white pepper
Instructions
- First, spatchcock the chicken (this is when you remove the backbone of the chicken so that it cooks more evenly. Here is how: Using a good pair of poultry sheers, cut along the right of the backbone from the tail to the neck. Next, cut along the left side of the backbone, just as you did on the right side. Turn the chicken over and press down on the breasts so that the chicken lays flat.
- In a bowl, combine the avocado oil, miso paste, mirin, coconut aminos, fish sauce, and garlic, whisk until well combined. Brush the miso mixture all over the bird so that it is evenly coated.
- Lightly sprinkle the top of the bird with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate to marinade the bird for at least 4 hours, but up to over night.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast, uncovered until the chicken is cooked through, basting the chicken in the glaze about halfway through the cook time, 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. (My chicken took right around 30 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
15 Comments
Natalie
October 8, 2021 at 4:02 pmI accidentally ordered brown miso paste with my thrive order.. would that still work?
Alex
October 11, 2021 at 11:45 amyes! it’ll still be great!
Sandy
April 21, 2021 at 6:22 pmAbsolutely delicious!! Wasn’t sure what to expect with the miso flavor, but am totally pleasantly surprised by this recipe. Savory and full of umami. I marinated my chicken for 24 hours and flavor was great but next time I might leave it marinating for 2 days. A keeper recipe!
Marlene
April 12, 2021 at 12:40 amAbout to make it a second time. So juicy and delicious!
Amy
March 22, 2021 at 5:27 pmI’ve made this three times and the marinade is absolutely delicious. My boyfriend brought leftovers to work for lunch and everyone kept asking who cooked the food that smelled so good. I tried cooking this recipe as written the first time and my 3.5-pound chicken was barely cooked after 30 minutes. I had better luck cooking at 425 degrees for closer to 45 minutes.
Madison
July 21, 2021 at 1:14 amWe had the same problem! We ended up cooking according to the directions on her whole Greek chicken and potatoes recipe and it was perfect.
Ivonne
February 10, 2021 at 12:38 amCan you make this with chicken breasts as opposed to a whole chicken?
Courtney
December 30, 2020 at 6:28 pmMade this for Christmas dinner and it was delicious. Very tender and got rave reviews!
Amanda
December 17, 2020 at 12:01 pmThis sounds interesting and delicious. Did you serve it with traditional Thanksgiving sides? I’m trying to think what might taste good along side. Thanks.
Alex
December 17, 2020 at 1:08 pmOh no, we made all sorts of fun stuff that has nothing to do with Thanksgiving food! We made a fun noodle and cabbage stir fry, Chili oil pork dumplings, and a bok choy/mushroom stir fry! The chicken can be served with anything and doesn’t have to be Asian-inspired, but that’s what we did that particular night.
Laure
December 16, 2020 at 11:14 pmWhere do you find white miso paste? What kind do you use?
Alex
December 16, 2020 at 11:59 pmYou can find it in the fridge section at most grocery stores!
Susan
December 15, 2020 at 5:42 pmThis looks so delicious I can’t wait to try it! Is 325 the correct temperature for only 30 min?
Alex
December 16, 2020 at 1:45 amyes, mine was perfect at 30 mins, but if you have a bigger chicken you may need closer to 40. Spatchcocking a chicken also helps it cook more quickly.
Isabel
December 15, 2020 at 5:13 pmThis looks amazing and I can’t wait to try! Do you let the chicken come to room temp after marinading/before putting in the oven? Also, any sides/salads you’d recommend to go with?