Smokey Chicken Thighs on Glazed Rice

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on (About 1.5 lb; coat with grill sauce, including under the skin)
• 2 tbsp Honey (For drizzling over the chicken)
• 0.5 cup Store-bought grill sauce (Smoky brown; any dark, smoky BBQ sauce works. Alternatively, use one batch of the optional homemade grill sauce. Use 2 tbsp for the rice as well.)
• 3 tbsp Ketchup (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 1 tbsp Brown sugar (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 1 tsp Smoked paprika (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 1 tsp Garlic powder (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 1 tsp Onion powder (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 0.5 tsp Cayenne pepper (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• 0.5 tsp Mustard (For optional homemade grill sauce)
• Salt (A pinch; for optional homemade grill sauce)
• 1 cup Rice (Jasmine or basmati; rinse until the water runs clear)
• 2 tbsp Grill sauce (Stir into the rice before cooking; use store-bought or homemade sauce)
• 1 tbsp Honey (Stir through the warm rice to finish)
• 1.5 cup Water (For the rice; the stated rice-to-water ratio is 1:1.5)
• Salt (A pinch, for the rice)

Steps

1. 1

   If making the optional homemade grill sauce, combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, mustard, and a pinch of salt. Stir until combined.

2. 2

   Coat the chicken thighs generously with grill sauce, including underneath the skin.

3. 3

   Marinate the coated thighs for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if possible.

4. 4

   Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.

5. 5

   For a rice cooker, add the rinsed rice and water as usual, then stir in 2 tablespoons of grill sauce before cooking. For the stovetop method, combine the rinsed rice with 1½ cups water, 2 tablespoons grill sauce, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan.

6. 6

   For stovetop rice, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 12–15 minutes, until the water is absorbed.

7. 7

   For stovetop rice, turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 5 more minutes.

8. 8

   Cook the rice in the rice cooker according to its usual cooking cycle, if using that method.

9. 9

   Stir 1 tablespoon honey through the warm rice.

10. 10

    Place the marinated thighs in the air fryer and drizzle 2 tablespoons honey over the pieces.

11. 11

    Air-fry at 390°F (200°C) for 15–20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes, until deep golden and caramelized. Adjust the temperature or cooking time for a stronger or weaker air fryer as needed.

12. 12

    Check that the thickest part of each thigh, next to the bone, reaches 165°F (74°C).

13. 13

    Serve the glazed rice on a plate with a whole chicken thigh on top, letting the glaze drip over the rice.

Notes

The homemade grill sauce is optional; the author also recommends a dark, smoky store-bought BBQ sauce. Use either the rice-cooker or stovetop method. The source does not specify a rice-cooker cooking duration or separate the amount of sauce allocated for coating the chicken from the amount used in the rice.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• air-fryer
• chicken
• rice
• gluten-containing
• dairy-free
• BBQ