Recipe
Miso Butter Crispy Chicken
About
Reinvent classic fried chicken with this extra-crispy Miso Buttermilk Fried Chicken, developed by the chefs at the ZWILLING Cooking Studio. This dish showcases a creative way to use Kikkoman’s best-selling Instant Tofu Miso Soup Mix—blending it directly into both the buttermilk marinade and the panko coating to pack deep, savory umami into every layer.
Boneless chicken thighs are tenderized with buttermilk and Kikkoman Gochujang Spicy Miso Sauce before getting dredged in a crunchy Kikkoman Panko crust. Fried to a golden crisp, each piece is drizzled with a homemade Sichuan pepper honey—infused with garlic, fresh Thai chilies, and citrusy, numbing peppercorns—and topped with flash-fried Thai basil leaves for a balance of sweet, spicy, and savory flavor.
Ingredients
- CHICKEN
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Neutral frying oil
- MISO BUTTERMILK MARINADE
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ¼ cup Kikkoman Instant Tofu Miso Soup
- 2 tablespoons Kikkoman Teriyaki BBQ Sauce- Gochujang Spicy Miso
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- CRISPY CHICKEN COATING
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup Kikkoman Panko, lightly crushed
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 10 g pack Kikkoman Instant Tofu Miso Soup
- SICHUAN PEPPER HONEY
- ½ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1–2 teaspoons chile oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 Thai chilies, thinly sliced
- Pinch of kosher salt
- TO FINISH
- 1 bunch Thai basil
- Flaky sea salt
Directions
- Cut chicken thighs into approximately 1½-inch pieces.
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the buttermilk marinade in a fresh and save bowl.
- Add chicken and coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight, vacuum-sealed.
- Toast Sichuan peppercorns in a dry skillet until fragrant. Cool slightly and coarsely grind.
- Warm the honey over low heat with the crushed peppercorns, sliced garlic, and Thai chillies for approximately 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in rice vinegar, chile oil, and a pinch of salt. Set aside to infuse.
- Combine Kikkoman Instant Tofu Miso Soup flour, panko, cornstarch, garlic powder, ginger, and white pepper.
- Heat frying oil to 350°F.
- Remove chicken from the marinade, allowing excess to drip away.
- Press each piece firmly into the coating.
- Fry in batches until deeply golden, crisp, and cooked through to 165°F.
- Drain on a rack rather than paper towels to preserve crispness.
- Carefully fry whole Thai basil leaves for several seconds until crisp. Drain immediately.
- Drizzle the chicken lightly with Sichuan pepper honey.
- Finish with crispy Thai basil, sesame, and flaky salt.
CHEF NOTES
Sichuan pepper contributes a floral, citrus-like aroma and characteristic numbing sensation rather than straightforward chile heat. Toasting it immediately before use makes an enormous difference.
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