Nothing compares to live fire, but even if you don’t have a grill, you can make chicken that’s burnished and sticky with barbecue sauce. To achieve a similar smokiness on the stovetop, paint boneless, skinless chicken with some barbecue sauce and sear it so the sugars in the sauce caramelize and char. The sauce here leans tangy and spicy, but adjust it as you like. Once the chicken is cooked, let the sauce bubble until glossy enough to slather onto the chicken.

Stovetop Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire or soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

• Salt and black pepper

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne.

Pat the chicken dry and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness, if necessary. Season all over with salt and pepper, then add to the bowl of barbecue sauce and turn to coat. (You can marinate the chicken, covered and refrigerated, up to 2 hours ahead.)

Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Shake the chicken to remove excess sauce, then add to the skillet. Cook until cooked through and charred in spots, 6 to 8 minutes per side. (Some sauce might collect and brown in the pan; that’s OK.) Meanwhile, stir 1/4 cup of water into the remaining bowl of sauce, scraping the sides to get every bit.

Transfer the chicken to a plate, pour the sauce into the pan and scrape any browned bits off the skillet. Boil until the sauce is thick and glossy, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the chicken and any juices from the plate and turn to coat. If you find the sauce is too thin to coat the chicken, simmer it over medium-low. If it’s too thick to coat the chicken, add a tablespoon of water.

Total time: 30 minutes, serves 3-4.