Description
Whipping up this one pan bold honey bbq chicken rice brings pure comfort straight to your dinner table. Tender chicken bathed in sweet and tangy sauce mingles perfectly with fluffy rice for a meal that’ll make your family cheer.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, diced
Starches:
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
Seasonings and Liquids:
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (honey or smoky style)
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon honey or hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Slice 1 lb chicken into 1-inch cubes, seasoning thoroughly with salt and pepper for deep flavor development.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet at medium-high (375°F), creating a sizzling surface for perfect browning.
- Sear chicken pieces until golden and crisp, approximately 5-6 minutes, rotating occasionally for even caramelization.
- Transfer chicken to a clean plate, keeping the delicious pan drippings intact for next steps.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium, adding chopped onions and cooking for 2-3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Add 2 minced garlic cloves, stirring quickly to prevent burning and release aromatic notes.
- Introduce 1 cup uncooked white rice, gently toasting for 60 seconds to enhance nutty undertones.
- Pour 2 cups chicken broth into the skillet, scraping accumulated browned bits from pan bottom.
- Return seared chicken to skillet, combining with 1 cup BBQ sauce and optional 1 tablespoon honey.
- Lower heat to low (simmer), cover skillet, and cook for 18-20 minutes until rice absorbs liquid completely.
- Remove from heat, let dish rest 5 minutes to allow final moisture absorption and flavor melding.
- Fluff rice gently with fork, serving immediately with extra BBQ sauce drizzled on top.
Notes
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control the saltiness and let the BBQ sauce’s flavor shine through.
- Choose a tangy, bold BBQ sauce for maximum flavor complexity in the dish.
- Avoid stirring the rice too much while cooking to prevent it from becoming sticky or mushy.
- For a gluten-free version, select a certified gluten-free BBQ sauce and ensure all other ingredients are gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 28-31 minutes
- Category: One-Skillet
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 457 kcal
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg