The Trader Joe's sauce is smoke and heat cut with garlic and molasses, so it needs something quick to caramelize on and something soft to soak into. Chicken thighs and rice do both, and dinner is ready in half an hour.

Serves 2. 35 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 860 calories a serving, 42 g protein, 111 g carbohydrate, 27 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Start 2 cups [480 ml] of water in a pot over high heat and bring to a boil while you cook the chicken. Pat four bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high until the surface shimmers, then lay the thighs skin-side down and cook without moving them until the skin is mahogany brown and the fat has rendered, about 8 minutes8 min
2. Turn each thigh skin-side up, then pour 3/4 cup of the Trader Joe's sauce over them, making sure each gets coated. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and 1/4 of a minced onion to the pan and stir the sauce around the thighs. Lower heat to medium-low and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and darkened at the edges, about 12 minutes.12 min
3. While the chicken finishes, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of rice to the boiling water, stir once, and cover. Remove from heat and let sit until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. When the chicken is done, divide the rice between two plates and top with the thighs and all the sauce from the pan.

Note Swap bone-in thighs for boneless ones if you prefer, though they will not brown as deeply. Leftovers keep in the fridge for three days and reheat gently in a low oven. Serve with a green salad or steamed vegetables on the side.