Crispy Chicken and Rice With Charred Scallion Sauce

This delicious one-pot chicken dinner is a study in big flavors and smart steps. After searing chicken thighs to get their drippings, you'll char scallions in the same pot for the dressing, and then toast grains of fragrant basmati rice. Finally, you'll nestle bok choy and the crispy chicken thighs into the rice and cook until perfectly tender. Pro tip: The key to well-seared chicken skin is to avoid crowding the thighs while browning. If you only have a smaller pan or one with rounded edges, cook the thighs in batches, or rotate during cooking to get an even browning on all four pieces.

Crispy Chicken and Rice With Charred Scallion Sauce Recipe
Photo: Caitlin Bensel
Hands On Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1½ lb. total)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon neutral oil, such as canola

  • 5 scallions, trimmed and cut in half crosswise

  • 1 ½ cups basmati rice

  • 4 heads baby bok choy, halved

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

  • 1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeds removed, finely diced

Directions

  1. Pat chicken dry and season with salt. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium-high. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook, undisturbed, until skin is golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to a plate. (Chicken will not be cooked through.) Drain all but 1 teaspoon drippings from pot, reserving drained drippings in a small bowl.

  2. Add scallions to pot; increase heat to high and cook until charred, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

  3. Heat 1 tablespoon reserved drippings over medium-high. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2¼ cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and place bok choy on top of rice. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in rice. Cover and cook until rice has absorbed most of the water and chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Turn off heat. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, finely chop charred scallions; stir with soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, and jalapeño in a small bowl.

  5. Remove chicken and bok choy from pot. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve with scallion sauce, chicken, and bok choy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

5g Fat
59g Carbs
28g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Sodium 1478mg 64%
Total Carbohydrate 59g 21%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 28g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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