A quick pan sauce of teriyaki marinade glazes chicken thighs to a burnished finish while rice steams on the back burner. The gourmet version here does the work of balancing salty-sweet on its own, so dinner comes together in under thirty minutes.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 800 calories a serving, 42 g protein, 112 g carbohydrate, 19 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Start rice in a pot with 1 3/4 cups water and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil, stir once, cover, and reduce heat to low.
2. Pat four boneless chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then add the chicken skin-side down and cook undisturbed until the skin is golden and most of the fat has rendered, about 7 minutes; flip and cook until the second side is golden, about 4 minutes.11 min
3. While the chicken cooks, mince 2 cloves garlic and 1 small onion. Slice 6 scallions into 1-inch pieces, keeping white and light green parts separate from dark green tops.
4. Push the cooked chicken to the side of the skillet and add the minced garlic and onion to the empty space; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.1 min
5. Pour 1/2 cup gourmet teriyaki marinade into the skillet, tilting to distribute it around the chicken and aromatics. Bring to a simmer and cook, spooning the sauce over the chicken often, until the sauce has reduced by half and darkened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the white and light green scallion pieces in the last minute of cooking.5 min
6. Check that the rice is tender and has absorbed the water, about 18 minutes total from when it came to a boil. Divide the rice between two bowls or plates, top with a chicken thigh and its sauce, and scatter the dark green scallion tops over each serving.

Note Boneless, skinless chicken breast works too, but will cook faster; reduce the initial sear to about 3 minutes per side. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for two days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water to restore the glaze. Serve with steamed bok choy or a simple cucumber salad on the side.