Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1.5 lbs / 680 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 2 tsp / 6 g Cajun seasoning

• 2 tsp / 6 g smoked paprika

• 2 tsp / 6 g garlic powder

• 2 tsp / 6 g onion powder

• 1 tsp / 5 g salt

• 1 tsp / 5 g black pepper

• 2 tbsp / 30 ml vegetable oil (for coating)

• 1 tbsp / 15 ml vegetable oil (for searing)

For the Vegetables

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 bag / 12 oz / 340 g frozen corn (optional)

For the Rice & Base

• 2 cups / 385 g long-grain white rice, rinsed

• 3.5 cups / 830 ml chicken broth

• 2 tsp / 6 g no-salt Cajun seasoning

• 1 tsp / 3 g garlic powder

• 1 tsp / 3 g onion powder

• 1 tsp / 3 g smoked paprika

• 1 tsp / 1 g dried thyme

• 1 tsp / 4 g chicken bouillon powder

For the Sauce

• 4 tbsp / 55 g unsalted butter

• ⅓ cup / 80 ml hot sauce

• ⅓ cup / 80 ml honey

• 1 tbsp / 15 ml apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp / 3 g Cajun seasoning

Method

1. Season & Sear the Chicken

Season: Toss the chicken thighs with 2 tbsp of oil and all the chicken seasonings until fully coated.

Sear: Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 5 minutes per side until deeply browned, then remove from the pan and set aside — it will finish cooking later.

2. Sauté the Vegetables

Sauté: In the same skillet with the leftover chicken fat, add the onion, bell peppers, celery, and corn (if using). Cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.

Season: Stir in the garlic and all the rice base seasonings. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. Toast the Rice

Toast: Add the rinsed rice directly into the seasoned vegetables. Stir constantly for about 1 minute to toast the grains.

4. Simmer

Simmer: Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, place the seared chicken thighs on top of the rice, and cover tightly. Cook undisturbed for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steam, covered, for another 10 minutes.

5. Make the Sauce

Combine: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the hot sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, and Cajun seasoning.

Simmer: Cook for 3–5 minutes until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze, then remove from heat.

6. Finish

Glaze: Remove the chicken from the skillet and toss it in the warm honey butter sauce until fully coated.

Serve: Fluff the rice with a fork, place the glazed chicken on top, and serve.

Additional Notes

Rice: This came out great, but personally, I think it would've been a 10/10 if I'd just cooked the rice in a separate pot. One-pot rice tends to come out mushy and uneven for me — with everything else going on in the pan, it's hard to get it just right. I'm not knocking one-pot recipes, but if you're particular about your rice, you might want to cook it on the side.

Corn: I added frozen corn to mine — totally optional, but I wanted it. Looking back, I'd probably cut it fresh off the cob instead. I think the moisture from the frozen corn may have been another contributing factor to the mushiness, so fresh corn would likely be the move if you're going that route.