A weeknight shortcut using that seasoning blend as the whole sauce, coating quick-cooking chicken thighs over rice. The blend has sweetness and smoke built in, so you just add heat and let it caramelize on the pan. Supper in thirty minutes.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 1120 calories a serving, 60 g protein, 139 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat. From USDA figures for 78% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Start rice in a pot with 1 and 1/2 cups water, one clove of garlic halved, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 of a medium onion sliced. Bring to a boil, then cover and set heat to low.
2. While rice cooks, cut 12 ounces of boneless chicken thighs into three-quarter-inch pieces and pat them dry. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, cook chicken until golden at the edges, about two minutes per side, moving only once. Transfer to a plate and season lightly with salt and pepper.
4. Mince the second garlic clove and add it to the pan for thirty seconds, then stir in 3 tablespoons of the Kickin' BBQ blend and cook for one minute until fragrant.1 min
5. Return all chicken to the pan and toss to coat, stirring often until the seasoning caramelizes and tightens around the meat, about two minutes.2 min
6. When rice is tender and water is absorbed, after about fifteen minutes total, fluff it and divide between two bowls. Top with the BBQ chicken and any pan juices.

Note Swap chicken thighs for breasts if preferred, though thighs stay juicier at this pace. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge and taste good cold or reheated in a skillet. Serve with pickle spears or a fresh slaw on the side to cut the sweetness.