Description
Okay, so picture this: It’s Tuesday night, you’re exhausted from work, and you’ve got about 30 minutes before everyone starts complaining they’re starving. Enter this absolute LIFESAVER of a meal. I threw this together one crazy evening when I had leftover BBQ sauce, some chicken thighs, and rice that needed to get used up. One pan, minimal cleanup, maximum flavor. My husband literally asked if I ordered takeout because it tasted so good. Nope, just me being a weeknight dinner wizard!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 6–8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (don’t use breasts – they’ll get dry and sad)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper (the basics, but don’t skip ’em)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika works but smoked is SO much better)
For the Rice:
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (jasmine or basmati work great)
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (the good stuff, not just water – this is where flavor happens)
- 1 medium onion, diced (don’t make it too small or it disappears)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or more, I don’t judge)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (adds color and sweetness)
- 1 cup frozen corn (straight from the bag, no need to thaw)
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (same deal)
For the Honey BBQ Sauce:
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (use your favorite – I like Sweet Baby Ray’s for this)
- 1/4 cup honey (the real stuff, not corn syrup pretending to be honey)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (adds that savory depth)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (balances the sweetness)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (secret ingredient alert!)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, but adds a nice little kick)
For Finishing:
- 2 green onions, sliced (for that fresh pop of color and flavor)
- Fresh cilantro if you’ve got it (skip if you’re team “cilantro tastes like soap”)
- Lime wedges (seriously, the lime makes it sing)