Jollof Rice, a classic Nigerian rice dish flavored with tomatoes, peppers, and lots of seasonings.
Rice is in order! For those of you who don’t know; I am a rice fiend! I could eat rice 100 times a day and still not be satisfied. One of my all time favorite rice dishes is a classic Nigerian dish that I grew up eating called Jollof rice. Today I am going to be sharing with you how to make it in just 5 easy steps!
Jollof rice is a West African dish that’s a staple in most households. It definitely was a staple in my house growing up, and at parties, where you can rest assure that there will be pans and pans of it. This is the first reason I love attending Nigerian parties. Second would have to be for the music and dancing. It’s just too much fun!
MY COOKBOOK FLAVORS OF AFRICA
There are many different ways to cook Jollof Rice. It is a dish made with rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, red bell pepper, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, and spices. If it doesn’t have the above mentioned ingredients, then it’s not true Jollof. I make it the way my mum taught me, and I usually call it Nigerian Jollof because of the type of the rice that is used. Nigerians use the long grain rice that has been parboiled. Other versions i.e. Ghanaian Jollof will use basmati or jasmine rice.
There has been quite the debate on social media on whose Jollof is better (Nigeria vs Ghana), and I will have to say that honestly it just comes down to preference. I prefer Nigerian Jollof because I personally think that the basmati/jasmine rice is too sweet and soft of a grain to be used in the dish, but it does give the jollof a nice flavor!
Tips on cooking the BEST Jollof Rice
- It is key to use parboiled rice so that you don’t end up with mushy rice in the end.
- When cooking the tomato stew, you can tell when it is done because the oil will rise to the top. It will be a deep red color and the bitter taste of the tomatoes has been cooked out.
- Reserve 1/4th of the tomato mixture and add it at the end to help prevent the rice from burning. Also, it gives the rice that beautiful red color we all know and love.
- Cover the top of the pot with plastic wrap before putting the lid on to help keep all the steam in the pot.
MORE ABOUT FLAVORS OF AFRICA: I’m so excited to be announcing the release of my very FIRST cookbook Flavors of Africa! It’s always been a dream of mine to write my very own cookbook. I have such a special relationship with food because it allows me to express myself in ways that I cant always do with words. I love to cook for people. I love to share recipes. I guess you could call that my love language. #FlavorsofAfrica is a collection of recipes that I’ve gathered through family and friends and shows my love for African food and my culture! I don’t always see African food represented in the food space, and I wanted to highlight it and take you guys on a culinary journey though the continent. The recipes in here are bold, full of color, life, & spices and each ones tells a story. I poured my heart in this book, and I can’t wait for you guys to dive in and enjoy all the recipes. ♥️
The recipe is simple enough. I made it even more simple by cutting it down to just 5 easy steps. As long as you have the main ingredients and you season appropriately, then your jollof should come out perfectly. I usually serve it with some baked chicken, salad, and fried plantains. Enjoy!!
Jollof Rice
Jollof Rice, a classic Nigerian rice dish flavored with tomatoes, peppers, and lots of seasonings.
Ingredients
- 5 medium sized Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 medium sized onion, roughly chopped, set aside
- 2 scotch bonnet peppers (habanero peppers as they are sometimes called)
- 1/4 cup of groundnut oil
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups of parboiled rice
- 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp All purpose seasoning
- 1 Knorr stock cube
- 3 bay leaves
- Water, as needed
Instructions
- Blend your tomatoes, red pepper, scotch bonnet peppers in a food processor or blender for about 45 seconds, make sure that everything is blended well.
- In a medium sized pot, heat your oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated add the onions you set aside and fry just until they turn golden brown. Once the onions, have turned brown in color add the tomato paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add the blended tomato mixture (reserve about 1/4 cup and set aside) and fry the mixture with the onions and tomato paste for about 30 minutes. Make sure you stir consistently so that the tomato mixture does not burn.
- After 30 minutes, turn the heat down to medium, and add the chicken stock. Mix and add your seasonings (salt, curry powder, thyme, all purpose seasoning, and the Knorr stock cube). Continue to boil for 10 minutes.
- Add the parboiled rice to the pot. Mix it very well with the tomato stew. At this point if you need to add water so that the rice is level with the tomato mixture/chicken stock go ahead and do so. Add the bay leaves, cover the pot, and cook on medium to low heat for 15-30 minutes.
- When the liquid has almost dried up add the remaining tomato stew, cover, and let it cook for another 5-10 minutes heat until the liquid has completely dried up. Turn off the heat, mix thoroughly, and your Jollof Rice is ready to be eaten!
Notes
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 854mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 7g
sunshinemomma1017
August 4, 2015This looks so great. Can’t wait to try it!
evseats
August 4, 2015Thank you! Let me know how you like it once you try it!
Ambre Mahama
July 20, 2024I don’t know if you still see comments. But how do I use the angel hair spaghetti in this recipe instead of the rice?
Lindsay (@itssimplylinds)
August 4, 2015Looks so yummy!! And fried plantains sounds delicious, too. Thanks for sharing this.
evseats
August 4, 2015Thanks for reading Lindsay! I have to eat fried plantains with this dish. It just doesn’t feel right if I don’t, lol
Denise D Opuni
November 23, 2022What is borso seasoning used for?
Peter
January 6, 2023Thanks for the tips. In the absence of all purpose seasoning and knorr cubes what else can I use. Peter from Zimbabwe.
Evi Aki
January 17, 2023No problem! I would just use any chicken flavored seasoning.
RJ Suitor
February 12, 2023Hi Evi I have thousands of wonderful Nigerians follow me for years I qm.usa they gave me same recipe yours helped me. I teach them itlalian dishes they teach me Nigerian dishes. I added chicken. Was magnificent
shu
November 21, 2023WASSAAAAAAAA
Joscelyn | Wifemamafoodie
August 5, 2015I am a riceaholic, lol! I love any kind of rice but have never tried this Nigerian style before. It sounds similar to a Spanish rice, but with some additional flavors. Sounds so delicious and I can’t wait to give it a go..thanks for sharing!
evseats
August 5, 2015Lol, Me and you both! I do hear a lot that is similar to a Spanish rice, and I find that to be true too. I love Spanish rice!! Let me know how you like it if you try it!
Brandi johnson
December 4, 2015Which Knorr flavored cube did you use? tomato, beef, chicken?
evseats
December 5, 2015Hi Brandi! I used the chicken flavor cube, but you can use the beef or tomato too! It doesn’t make that much of a difference.
Joia
October 2, 2022I’ve never had jollof rice but wanted to make it for my Nigerian boyfriend. I served it with curry spiced grilled chicken, fried plantains and sauteed broccoli. He was very pleased! Now to try Gahnian jollof rice to see who does it better! Thanks for shairing!
evseats
October 12, 2022I LOVE that, and loved that you served it with curry spiced grilled chicken. That sounds delicious! Thanks for making my recipe
Lauren
October 8, 2016Hey! Thank you so much for making this recipe simple to make. I am an American woman married to a Yoruba man who LOVES Jollaf (of course)!!! I am surprising him with this and fried plantain when he gets home!! Yaaaaay!! Thanks again sis!! ❤️
evseats
October 16, 2016Thank you so much Lauren! <3 How did it turn out?! I can't wait to hear 😀
Tee
September 15, 2024Hello, I have been using this recipe for a very long time know. If I was to double the ingredients, can you let me know how the cooking times change?
Barbara
October 10, 2016Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it for a Nigerian friend’s birthday dinner. She was thrilled!!! The video was very helpful, too. : )
evseats
October 16, 2016Aw, thank you so much Barbara! I’m so glad you liked it and that it turned out nice. Thanks for coming back to tell me about the turn out. 🙂
Llhya Colbert
November 3, 2016Hi I miss my Nigerian friends that used to cook for me, so I’m on my own now so I’ll try your recipe, thanks so much
evseats
November 12, 2016Hi Llhya! Love that you’re missing Nigerian food! How did the recipe turn out?
Endee
February 9, 2017Hello am a near total novice in cooking. Need a miracle!
Pls when you refer to a cup, what really are you referring to? Could you describe the size of the cup?
evseats
February 14, 2017Hello dear! When I say a cup I mean the standardized measurement for 1 cup in the United States. If you follow the metric system than I mean 250 milliliters! Hope this answers your question 🙂 using measurement cups should help!
Jenn Adu
April 19, 2017Can you tell me how many servings are in this recipe and what a serving size is?
evseats
April 22, 2017Hi Jenn! This recipe serves 4-6 comfortably. I’m not sure what the standard serving size in your house is, but when I serve this it’s usually 2-3 scoops of rice. I also eat this with chicken and plantains so I would say to 2-3 scoops is enough. 🙂 Let me know if this helps!
Chnaghyun
August 2, 2017Unbelievably yummy!! Quite simple cooking process with very addictive taste!! Thank you
evseats
August 2, 2017I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 <3, Evi
Vinod
August 29, 2017Hi Evi. Thanks for your recipe. Looks really nice. I live in Paraguay (South America). Used to live in West Africa. Want to try cooking this Jollof rice but unfortunately we don’t get Groundnut Oil here. Can I use peanut butter instead and what quantity? The rest of ingredients are available
evseats
September 15, 2017Hi Vinod! If you don’t have groundnut oil vegetable works just fine! I wouldn’t use peanut butter in this recipe because it has a strong flavor, and it doesn’t really belong in jollof rice!
Deborah
October 20, 2022Thank you for this recipe especially the “tips on cooking the BEST Jollof Rice”, they golden!
evseats
November 4, 2022So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for making it.
Edie C.
November 4, 2022Google is featuring it today so I thought I’d check the recipe out. It sounds amazing. Yum! love spicy food anyway so I’ll give it a try. Sounds fairly easy. Just have to go buy some parboiled rice as you suggest.
evseats
November 4, 2022Thanks for checking the recipe out! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Annie
November 4, 2022This is the BEST rice recipe I have ever made! Thank you!!!
evseats
November 4, 2022thank you for trying the recipe!
Phil
December 14, 2022Just made this..amazing best jollof rice recipe I have tried. So tasty, can’t wait to cook it again.
Mark Johnson
December 19, 2022My nephew is from Lagos. Gonna make this for him on Xmas. Can’t wait to try it!!
luke
July 8, 2023To say this recipe is one of the best i can buy into is an understatement. it absolutely the best.
Nina
July 12, 2023Hi Evs, when you say parboiled rice, how long should I boil my rice for before following your instructions please?
Evi Aki
July 12, 2023Hi Nina! Here are my instructions on parboiling rice:
-Wash the rice in cold water (optional) and place in a pot.
-Add some water, about twice the level of the rice.
-Set on the stove and leave to cook until the water starts boiling. Once its boiling leave it to cook for more 5 minutes.
-Remove from the stove and pour the contents of the pot in a sieve.
-Place the sieve (with the rice) in a bowl of cold water.
-Rince the rice and leave in the sieve to drain off all the water.
-Once its drained you can use the rice to make your jollof.
Hope this helps. <3
Nicky Hansen
September 5, 2023I tried jollof rice for the first time this weekend and LOVED it so wanted to try making it! I found your recipe and enjoyed your write up, so I’m definitely going to try your recipe.
Evi Aki
September 10, 2023Thank you!! I hope you enjoy the recipe 😉
tony
September 14, 2023I’m confused, the recipe says to add the chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes before adding the rice but the video shows adding the rice to the reduced tomato mixture before adding the chicken stock. Does it matter which way it is done?
Rita
September 16, 2023I had this dish. It is a dish I want as a staple in my home. Can you clarify how the parboiled rice is prepared?
shu
November 21, 2023Make peruvian food 🙂
Evi Aki
November 25, 2023ooooh yes! I love peruvian food 🙂 What should I make? – Evi
Vinnie
November 24, 2023Looks delicious, Do the Habaneros mellow out a bit during cooking ?
Evi Aki
November 25, 2023Thank you! They do mellow out a little, but do still carry quite some heat.
Teni Ogunsan
December 2, 2023Hi! When you use chicken stock are you using stock made from boiling meat or regular chicken stick you can buy at the store? Do you have a recipe for how you make your chicken stock?
Evi Aki
January 20, 2024Hi Teni! Yes, I do have a chicken stock recipe. I will definitely share!
Teni Ogunsan
December 2, 2023The recipe says to blend the scotch bonnet, tomato, and bell pepper but it looks like you added some onion in your video to the blend. How much onion did you add?
Evi Aki
January 20, 2024Sometimes I add half an onion to the blend for extra flavor!
LaTrish
January 3, 2024I searched for an authentic recipe for Jollof rice and found yours! I am at work and it’s 2a.m., but when I get off I am going straight to the store for ingredients to make this recipe. I may have to omit the scotch bonnets though… or maybe use just one lol! Thanks for sharing!
Evi Aki
January 20, 2024LOL! I love it! I hope you enjoyed the recipe <3
Chef Luciano
January 21, 2024Jollof Rice as it is known today, was most possibly introduced to Senegal by the French in 1800s. During this time French were also in control of Pondecherry in South India. Pondecherry is in Tamil Nadu. French Traders have been
trading spices from India since 1700s. In Tamil Nadu this dish is called Thakkali Sadam (means Tomato Puree and Rice). This dish has been made in Tamil Nadu for hundreds of years if not thousands of years. Very similar recipe, however there in Tamil Nadu mixture of more complex spices are used – which brings wonderful aroma and taste.
Cashews are generally used in India. This dish very popular in India all over today. Mostly without any meats because very large portions of Indians are Vegetarians. In both cases this dish is delicious and today perhaps it is enjoyed by over one Billion people around the world.
Ebube Okorie
March 8, 2024Omg