Chicken dishes that actually clear the 45-minute bar as complete meals

The threshold worth paying attention to isn't just total time but whether the dish functions as a complete meal without treating a side as optional. Chicken thighs braised with aromatics, a sheet-pan situation with vegetables already on the tray, or a quick stir-fry over rice all have a reasonable case. The interesting constraint is that chicken's carry-over cooking and resting time can quietly push a recipe past the limit if the official time is optimistic.