Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Recipe

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Complete 1 Not every healthy meal has to take hours to get on the table. Nor does it have to be bland and uninspired as so many have been taught to believe. A little imagination and some good ingredients can produce something delicious, nutritious, and even interesting to the palate in less than an hour easily. Much like these teriyaki chicken thighs with roasted eggplant!

This isn’t a teriyaki chicken that cuts corners by buying store-bought sauce, but one that includes a quick recipe for your own sauce that allows for tweaking of the ingredients to make it just right. Thighs are used over breasts to help the chicken stay succulent while being baked, not stir-fried in a pool of oil. Not to mention that that sauce coats the chicken in a sweet sticky glaze that caramelizes around the edges as it cooks to create a beautiful texture for your tongue to enjoy.

Not wanting to leave out a vegetable, roasted eggplant that has been tossed in a savory-sweet miso and mirin based sauce is included with this teriyaki chicken. Swiping the tops of the eggplant with some of that homemade teriyaki helps to pull it all together to make a cohesive meal that can stand alone or can include a scoop of sticky rice or a twirl of udon noodles.

Spicy Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Roasted Japanese Eggplant

Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • Teriyaki Sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 2 spring onions
  • 2/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2/3 cup mirin
  • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon wasabi powder
  • Chicken
  • 4 skinless chicken thighs
  • Teriyaki sauce see above
  • Eggplant
  • 6 Japanese eggplants
  • 2 tablespoons miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • ½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking pan and a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the spring onions and reserving the green tops.
  3. Pour the soy, mirin, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and wasabi powder into a small saucepan. Add the garlic, ginger, and whites of the spring onions to the pan.
  4. Place the saucepan on a burner over medium high heat and whisk well to combine and bring it to a rapid boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow it to simmer about 12 minutes, or until it has reduced by nearly half and has started to thicken. Turn off the heat.
  5. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the miso paste, mirin, rice wine, and sesame seeds together.
  6. Cut the tops off the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise before cutting them into 1 inch long pieces. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl along with the green onion tops and pour the miso mixture on top. Toss the eggplant with the sauce so that it coats all the pieces before placing them on the prepared baking sheet, skin side down.
  7. Bake the eggplant in the oven for 20 minutes. At that time, use the reserved teriyaki sauce to brush the top of the eggplant and allow it to cook another 5 minutes. Remove the eggplant and cover to keep warm while the chicken finishes cooking.
  8. Lay the chicken thighs on a cutting board and dab off any excess moisture with a paper towel. Transfer them to the lined baking pan and pour ¾ of the teriyaki sauce on top, turning the chicken to coat all sides. Cover the pan with another sheet of aluminum. Reserve the rest of the unused teriyaki for the eggplant.
  9. Bake the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes, remove the foil from the pan and use a basting brush to brush the teriyaki sauce in the pan on top of the chicken thighs. Return the chicken to the oven to cook another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and a thermometer reads 165Remove the chicken from the oven.
  10. Serve the chicken with the eggplant and any reserved green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

STEP ONE – PREPARE THE OVEN

Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut three sheets of aluminum foil and use one to line a baking pan, one for a baking sheet, and save the other.

STEP TWO – PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE TERIYAKI

On a cutting board peel and mince the garlic, peel and grate the ginger, and slice the spring onions into thin rounds, separating the whites from the green tops. Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 2 Prepare the ingredients for teriyaki   Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 2 15 

STEP THREE – MAKE THE TERIYAKI SAUCE

In a small saucepan, whisk together the soy, mirin, rice vinegar, sugar, and the wasabi powder.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 2 put the teriyaki ingredients in the pan

Stir in the garlic, ginger and the sliced white part of the spring onions.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 2 make the teriyaki 1

STEP FOUR – COOK THE TERIYAKI SAUCE

Heat the saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk again and bring the mixture to a boil.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 4 cook the teriyaki

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer as it reduces and thickens.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 4 cooked teriyaki

STEP FIVE – MAKE THE MISO SEASONING

In another clean bowl, whisk together the miso paste, mirin, rice wine vinegar, and sesame seeds for the eggplant.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 5 miso sauce ingredients Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 5 whisk the sauce

STEP SIX – PREPARE THE EGGPLANTS

Remove the tops from the eggplants and cut them down the middle lengthwise.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 6 cut the eggplants down the middle 1

Cut the eggplants into 1 inch long pieces and put them in a bowl, add in the green onion tops and pour in the sauce.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 6 cut the eggplants into 1 inch pieces

Toss the eggplant with the sauce and lay them out on the lined baking sheet.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 6 dress the eggplants

STEP SEVEN – COOK THE EGGPLANTS

Put the eggplant into the oven to bake for about 20 minutes. Brush the tops of the eggplant with a bit of the teriyaki sauce and let them cook another 5 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 2 14

Remove the tray from the oven and cover the eggplants to keep them warm.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 2 17

STEP EIGHT – PREPARE THE CHICKEN THIGHS

On a clean cutting board, lay out the chicken thighs. With a paper towel, dab the chicken to remove any moisture. This helps the sauce stick to the chicken.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 8 prepare the thighs 2

Transfer the chicken thighs to the lined baking dish and pour about 3/4ths of the teriyaki sauce over the chicken. Turn the thighs over in the sauce to make sure it’s well seasoned with the sauce.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 8 cover the thighs

Use the third aluminum foil sheet to cover the pan well.

STEP NINE – BAKE THE CHICKEN

Place the baking dish with the chicken into the oven and let it bake 20 minutes.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 9 bake the chicken 2

Remove the top foil, and brush any teriyaki in the dish on top of each thigh in a thick layer. Let it cook another 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 9 baste the chicken

STEP TEN – SERVE THE CHICKEN AND EGGPLANT

Remove the chicken from the oven and plate it with the eggplant and serve immediately.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Step 9 cooked chicken

While this recipe is geared for a low-carb presentation, a scoop of white rice or a few udon or ramen noodles would be perfect to accompany this teriyaki chicken! Remember to reserve a little extra of that homemade teriyaki or miso sauce to stir in with your carb of choice.

Teriyaki Chicken with Miso Japanese Eggplant Complete 2

How do you serve your teriyaki chicken? Do you prefer a dark meat version like this recipe, or chicken breast instead? Please comment and let us know!