Description
A flavorful one-pan meal featuring tender chicken pieces simmered with long-grain rice in a bold honey BBQ sauce, creating a delicious and easy-to-make dinner perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, diced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Rice and Sauce
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (honey or smoky style)
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chicken broth (or water)
- Optional: 1 tablespoon honey or hot sauce for extra sweetness or heat
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Dice the chicken into bite-sized cubes and season them well with salt and pepper to enhance flavor.
- Sear the chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until they are golden brown on all sides, around 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté aromatics: In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Toast the rice: Stir in the uncooked rice to the skillet, allowing it to toast slightly for about one minute, which enhances its nutty flavor.
- Add liquids and deglaze: Pour in the chicken broth and stir well to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan for additional flavor.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Return the seared chicken to the skillet and stir in the BBQ sauce evenly throughout the mixture. Optionally add honey or hot sauce for extra sweetness or heat if desired.
- Simmer covered: Reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet. Let it simmer gently for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been fully absorbed.
- Rest and serve: Fluff the rice gently with a fork, then let the dish sit off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve warm with extra BBQ sauce on top if preferred.
Notes
- Using thighs instead of breast will add more moisture and flavor to the dish.
- Make sure to keep the heat low during simmering to prevent the rice from burning.
- You can swap chicken broth for water, but broth adds more depth.
- Adjust the BBQ sauce type according to your preferred flavor profile, such as smoky or honey BBQ.
- To make it spicier, add hot sauce or a pinch of chili flakes when stirring in the BBQ sauce.
- This dish reheats well and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
