Honey BBQ Chicken Rice (Printable Version)

A skillet packed with sweet smoky chicken, rice, and lots of veggies swimming in a honey BBQ sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Garnish (Optional)

01 - Sliced green onions, about 2-3
02 - Roughly 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
03 - A little extra BBQ sauce for drizzling

→ Seasonings

04 - A quarter teaspoon black pepper, add more if you want
05 - Half a teaspoon salt (toss in more if needed)
06 - Half a teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - A full teaspoon of onion powder
08 - A teaspoon garlic powder

→ Main Ingredients

09 - Two tablespoons oil (olive or veggie oil is fine, split between steps)
10 - Mixed vegetables, about 1 cup (use fresh or frozen, like corn, peas, bell peppers, carrots)
11 - A quarter cup of honey
12 - Half a cup of BBQ sauce—mesquite works great for smokiness
13 - 2 cups of chicken broth—grab the low-salt kind if you can
14 - 1 cup long grain white rice, give it a good rinse and drain
15 - One pound of boneless chicken thighs or breasts, chopped into pieces you can pop in your mouth

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Turn off the heat and leave everything covered for five minutes. Open up and fluff the rice so the veggies get mixed in. Add green onions, a handful of parsley, and maybe another splash of BBQ on top if you like it saucy. Now dig in while it's hot.
02 - Spread out your veggies right on top of the chicken and rice once it’s cooked for 15 minutes. Cover again and let it all cook for another 5 minutes. Check that the rice is soft, the veggies are warm, and your chicken’s cooked all the way through (hit at least 165°F or 74°C).
03 - Toss in the honey, BBQ sauce, and chicken broth to the pan. Give it a good scrape along the bottom to catch any tasty brown bits. Stir it up. Bring it to where it just starts to bubble, then drop the heat way down. Let your browned chicken join the party, cover it snug, and simmer for 15 minutes.
04 - Use the same pan and add in that second tablespoon of oil. Dump in the drained rice plus the leftover spices. Keep stirring to toast the rice for a couple minutes—stop when the grains look a little clear and start smelling good.
05 - Add 1 tablespoon oil to a big skillet or pot and warm it over medium-high. Sprinkle on half your spice mix over the chicken. Toss the chicken in, making sure the pieces have some space. Sear both sides for around 3-4 minutes so you get a golden color (don’t go all the way to cooked yet). Move it out of the pan for now.
06 - Chop chicken breast into bite-sized cubes (if you’re using thighs, keep them a bit bigger). Measure out everything else you’ll need. Rinse the rice till the water runs clear, then set it aside. Stir together your spices—onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper—in a small bowl.

# Additional Notes:

01 - If you're using brown rice, bump the broth to two and a half cups. You'll need to cook it for around half an hour before dropping in the veggies.
02 - To kick up the heat, toss in diced jalapeños with the rice, or add in some chili flakes or a splash of hot sauce while it cooks.
03 - Keep leftovers in the fridge for four days, or stash them in the freezer (airtight) for three months max.

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