Chicken thighs braise in a glossy steak sauce that's tart and spiced, turning simple pan-seared meat into something with real depth. The sauce does the heavy lifting tonight, and rice soaks up every drop.

Serves 2. 35 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 770 calories a serving, 57 g protein, 61 g carbohydrate, 32 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat 4 chicken thighs dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear them skin-side down until the skin is brown and crisp, about 5 minutes, then flip and sear 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
2. Chop 1 small onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Add them to the pan and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in 1/2 cup steak sauce and 1 cup water or chicken stock, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Nestle the chicken back into the pan skin-side up.
3. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced slightly. While it cooks, start the rice in a separate pot or bring it to a boil in any small pot you have.15 min
4. When the rice finishes (about 15 minutes from boiling), taste the chicken sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Spoon the chicken and sauce over the rice.

Note Swap bone-in thighs for a firm white fish fillet or pork chops if you like; reduce sauce time to 8 to 10 minutes for fish. Leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated and taste even better reheated. Serve with a sharp salad or quick-pickled vegetables to cut the sauce's sweetness.