Chicken thighs glazed in that sweet barbecue sauce while rice cooks alongside, everything ready in half an hour. The sauce brings enough honey and spice to coat the meat and flavor the pan, so there's nothing left to do but eat.

Serves 2. 35 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 1350 calories a serving, 74 g protein, 154 g carbohydrate, 46 g fat. From USDA figures for 75% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a pot, stir in 1 cup rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, lower heat to a bare simmer, cover, and set a timer for 18 minutes.18 min
2. While rice cooks, pat 4 chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season them on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the surface shimmers, then place the thighs skin-side down in the pan and sear without moving them for 5 minutes until skin crisps and releases from the skillet, then flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes.
3. Pour about 1 cup barbecue sauce from the jar over and around the chicken, tilting the pan so the sauce reaches the bottom. Reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid or foil, and set a timer for 12 minutes, stirring the sauce once halfway through.12 min
4. When the rice timer sounds, remove from heat and let it rest, covered, until the chicken is done. Check that the thigh meat near the bone reaches 165°F [74°C] with an instant-read thermometer.
5. Stir 1 tablespoon butter into the rice, divide between two bowls, set a chicken thigh on top of each, and spoon the pan sauce around it.

Note Swap chicken breasts if you prefer; they will need only 10 minutes under the sauce. Leftovers keep for three days and reheat gently in a low oven. Serve with a sharp slaw or greens on the side to cut the sauce's sweetness.