Do you love chicken wings? You’re going to need this Garlic Miso Chicken Wings (ガーリック味噌チキン) recipe! Coated in a punchy, garlicky, and umami-packed sauce, these wings come out of the oven with a crispy exterior and perfect juiciness within. Every bite is so flavorful that you won’t want to stop eating. My kids love them for our Friday movie night, but they also make an absolute winner to serve at a party, game night, or just a regular dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A crowd-winning and fun staple for any occasion—you could never go wrong with these wings! Minimal preparation and make-ahead friendly—it’s really as simple as mixing the 4-ingredient sauce and marinating the chicken wings ahead of time. Then pop them into the oven until brown and crispy. The easiest yet surprisingly addictive dipping sauce. The chicken wings alone are super flavorful, but this dipping sauce truly elevates your experience!

Pairing Miso with Garlic

It’s a no-brainer that the main flavor comes from miso (Japanese fermented soybean paste) and a copious amount of garlic, as both impart the wings with an aromatic, bold, and deeply savory punch. Such a simple pairing, but you’d be amazed at the result. I use my favorite miso, Hikari Miso‘s Kodawattemasu in this recipe, but you can use any red miso, which has a bolder flavor profile.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Chicken wings — I used 5 flats and 5 drumettes; you can use any parts of the chicken Garlic — Add more garlic, if you prefer. Miso — I used this miso. Japanese soy sauce — I use organic Kikkoman soy sauce. Mirin — The Japanese sweet rice wine helps tenderize the chicken wings and lends a mild sweetness. More about it in this post. Dipping sauce (optional) — Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice)

Substitution Tips

Chicken — Chicken thighs and drumsticks can be used. Adjust the cooking time. Mirin — You can use sake, or Japanese rice wine, but you will need to add sugar to replace the mirin in this recipe. You can use this non-alcoholic mirin.

How to Make Garlic Miso Chicken Wings

Cooking Tips

Prick the chicken skin with a fork – It helps marinate better. Marinate the chicken for 6 hours or more, especially if you use drumsticks or other parts of the chicken. Remove the marinade from the chicken to avoid burning. Miso burns easily, so be sure to scrape off the best you can. As you see in my pictures, even though I tried my best, some parts got burnt.

How to Store

To Store. Refrigerate leftover Garlic Miso Chicken Wings in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month. To Reheat. For the best results, reheat leftovers in the oven at 350ºF (175ºC) or microwave until heated through.

What to Serve with Garlic Miso Chicken Wings

Rice – Japanese Corn Rice, Japanese Mushroom Rice, Yaki Onigiri Soup – Kakitamajiru (Japanese Egg Drop Soup) Salad – Japanese Potato Salad, Green Salad with Japanese Onion Dressing, Asian Cabbage Salad Sides – Kinpiara Gobo, Tamagoyaki, Japanese Spinach Salad

Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on August 5, 2011. It was updated with new images and more helpful content on December 11, 2023, and republished on June 19, 2024.

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