Jellof Rice (Oven and Stovetop Method)

Jollof Rice – Easy, flavorful and perfectly cooked African classic dish Jollof rice both made
completely in the oven and on the stovetop. Perfect for regular nights or special occasions!

Course Main
Cuisine African
Keyword jollof rice

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 5 cups
Calories 559kcal
Author Imma

Ingredients
3-4 tablespoons (42ml-56ml) vegetable oil
1 medium onion , diced, (red or white onions)
2 teaspoons (1.6g) fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon (1g) dried thyme , optional
1 tablespoon (8g) minced garlic or (9.7g) garlic powder
3 cups (591g) rice , long-grain, uncooked rice (I used Basmati)
1 tablespoon (7g) paprika
2 teaspoons (4g) chicken bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
1 14-ounce can of tomato sauce or puree
4 cups (1000ml) chicken broth or water ( 5 1/4 cups for stove top)
1 scotch bonnet pepper or ¾ teaspoon hot pepper , omit if cooking for kids
1 pound (453.59g) vegetables (optional) (can be peas and carrots, green beans or corn)
parsley for garnishing

Instructions
Baking Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse rice through water. In a half sheet baking pan
2. In a half sheet pan (12-13/16" l. x 10-7/16" w. x 2-1/2”) combine all ingredients and stir so that
everything is fully combined.
3. Cover tightly with aluminum foil paper. Double if you can, it helps cook faster.
4. Gently place in oven and let it cook for about 70-80 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven
and check after 70 minutes.  Since posting, I have retried recipes several times and it works
best for my oven after 75 minutes. 
5. Remove carefully from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then carefully remove the
aluminum paper. Fluff rice with a fork, thrown in your add-ins and mix evenly. Serve warm.

Stovetop Method
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
 2. Next add onions, thyme, and garlic, cook for about 2 minutes or until onion becomes soft and
translucent.
3. Add rice, season with paprika, bouillon, salt, and pepper.
4.  Cook stirring often until fragrant, for about 30 seconds. and brown stirring occasionally, for
about 2-3 minutes.
5. Pour tomatoes sauce, chicken broth, and hot pepper, if using any into saucepan.
. Bring to a boil stirring once or twice. Reduce heat to low, cover saucepan and simmer until
rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, for 15-18 minutes.
7. Remove pan from heat, let it sit covered for 5 minutes then fluff rice with a fork or serving
spoon. Then throw in sauteed veggies and/or beef, chicken and shrimp and mix, if desired
. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Notes
Cookware

Use  5 1/4 cups of broth or water when making this stove top.
I have tried several cookware for this rice and my recommendation are as follows: any
shallow baking dish would work here, a Dutch oven is good, too and an aluminum baking
dish. 
Make sure they have a tight fitting lid or cover it tightly with an aluminum foil as show in the
video.
Tightly cover the pot or pan with foil paper or its corresponding lid. Double foil paper to retain
more heat.
Tomato Sauce Substitute

If you don't have a can of tomato sauce in your pantry, you may replace it with a can of
crushed tomatoes or tomato puree (thicker than tomato sauce), HOWEVER the consistency
will not be the same.
I would recommend, if you can, to use the can of tomato sauce if you can get your hands on it
because it’s a crucial ingredient to this dish.
Doubling the Recipe

To double the recipe, double everything EXCEPT the cooking time. You might have to add just
a few minutes more, depending on the baking dish. Start checking after 80 minutes.
Other Add-ins

If you want to add other vegetables in this dish like green beans and corn, sauté first the
vegetables and throw it in when it’s all done. It is vibrant and colorful this way, also this would
ensure that your vegetables are perfectly cooked.
One of our readers threw in shredded cabbage, carrots, yellow pepper and green onions into
the mix.
On the other hand, if you want to throw in shrimp, saute them first and add them as you fluff
the rice. The residual heat will warm them enough and they will not go rubbery.
Make sure your beef or any other meat is cooked before throwing it in the mix.
Rice

The rice was NOT PARBOILED before putting in the oven. All you need to do is RINSE the rice
with water.
I use Royal basmati rice for this recipe which is available at Walmart and Costco. I have tried
several variety and they work just as well.
 If you don't have basmati rice, you may replace it with white long-grain rice with same ratio of
rice and water.
As per some of our readers here, you can use brown rice but that would need a bit more water
(cannot give you the exact measurements because I never tried it) and it will take you two
hours since brown rice takes longer to cook.
Scotch Bonnet Pepper Substitute

Swap habanero pepper for scotch bonnet or replace it with ¾ teaspoon hot pepper. Omit if
serving it for the kids.
Using Bouillon Cubes

You may swap bouillon cubes with 1-2 teaspoons of Creole seasoning. That should add more
flavor to it.
When using bouillon cubes instead of the powder, simply dissolve it completely in liquid
before adding.
Paprika Substitute

You may leave out completely the paprika, or swap it with curry. It would slightly alter the
taste, but not that much if you love curry.
Other Notes

To avoid a mushy rice, reduce the liquid by 1/3 cup.

You can also cook this in a rice cooker. 
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on
products used.

Nutrition
Calories: 559kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1443mg |
Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5685IU | Vitamin C: 19.9mg | Calcium: 69mg |
Iron: 3.1mg