My Dad’s Chicken & Rice is a chicken and rice recipe that you will want to have in your back pocket for busy nights. Fancy mixed vegetables, crispy chicken, mushrooms and crunchy water chestnuts make this a delicious dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes!

Name: My Dad's Chicken & Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken tenderloins (cut into chunks); 1 cup instant brown rice; 2 cups chicken stock; 1/2 Tbs butter; 8 ounces sliced mushrooms; 1 small yellow onion; 1 tbs vegetable oil; 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts (chopped); 1 14-ounce can fancy mixed vegetables; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 cup flour; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/4 cup soy sauce

I’m serious when I say that I have been eating this meal most of my life. It’s a recipe that my dad invented, thus the name ‘My Dad’s Chicken & Rice’. He cooked it for us growing up and when I was old enough he gave the recipe to me and I’ve been making it myself for about 20 years now.

My dad is a great cook! He makes the most unbelievable grilled chicken. My mouth is watering a little right now as I’m thinking about it. I want to think that he got his skills from my grandmother. On Sunday’s growing up, we would have big dinners of lamb, creamed spinach, and croissants.

Dessert was almost always chocolate pudding with whipped cream. I loved those Sunday’s and I try and keep the tradition alive in our house. Sunday’s here usually start with Swedish Pancakes and end with a big comforting meal like Crock Pot Ranch Pork Roast.

For quick weeknight dinners though, I look to this chicken and rice recipe. It’s full of chicken, meaty mushrooms, and crunchy water chestnuts. Perfect when you want a one-dish meal that goes from stove to table with little cleanup.

How to make My Dad’s Chicken & Rice:

First, take the chicken and cut into cubes. On a plate, put the flour, garlic powder, and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the mixture coating all pieces.

In the bottom of a large pan, I use a covered stockpot, heat about 1 tbs. of oil in the bottom of a pan.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook until all the chicken is nice and crispy around 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally to make sure all parts are browned. *Look at that! Again, this is what makes this dish amazing.*

Once the chicken has cooked take it out of the pan and set aside. In the same pan add butter and let it melt. Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped onion. Cook until the mushrooms start to shrink and the onions are browned.

To the pan add the chicken back in. Now add the wet ingredients: chicken broth, fancy mixed vegetables (do not drain liquid), water chestnuts (do not drain liquid), and soy sauce.

Finally to the pot add the rice and stir it all together. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes check to see if you need to add any additional chicken stock so that the rice doesn’t dry out and stir so the rice doesn’t stick to the pan.

If there’s still plenty of liquid allow to cook another 5-8 minutes covered.

Taste to make sure that the rice has cooked thoroughly and then add salt, pepper, and more soy sauce to your taste. I always end up adding more but please add at your discretion. Top with some crunchy noodles.

Tips for making My Dad’s Chicken & Rice:

The key to really good chicken and rice is making sure the chicken in really crispy. In order to do that it means cooking the chicken separate from the mushrooms and onions.

And here you are……

From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!

Originally published March of 2016. Updated photos & recipe July of 2018.

*Affiliate links are included in this post. Please read my Discloser Policy.