Jollof Rice

By: Lola Osinkolu

Published: Dec 27, 2022 - Last updated: Feb 21, 2023

Jollof Rice: I can’t think of a more popular West African dish than Jollof rice.
It’s popular for good reason — it is delicious!
Jollof Rice Recipe
There are hundreds of different dishes in the world, but there is only a handful
that has enough flavor for me to eat alone. A bowl of Jollof rice is one of those
dishes. You know, the kind where you can taste the spoon or fork after you’re
done with the food? I mean, you’d want to lick it clean. Jollof is deliciously
addictive.

Jollof rice is a staple in West African cuisine. It’s made from rice, tomatoes,
onions, peppers, and other seasonings. The dish is cooked in one pot. It’s
simple and easy to make at home—and the end result is absolutely delicious!
What is Jollof rice?
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jollof Rice (Jellof rice) —it is a rich
and incredibly rich, aromatic, tasty West African one-pot Meal. It’s similar to
Jambalaya but with distinctive African spices. It consists mainly of cooked rice
and tomato stew flavored with spices such as thyme, scotch bonnet pepper,
onions, and garlic.

The dish is a staple of West African cuisine, particularly that of Ghana, Nigeria,
Senegal, and Gambia often eaten and enjoyed during holidays, weddings,
birthdays, and other special events.

It is a very versatile dish, and it is usually made from scratch using rice,
tomatoes, pimento peppers, tomato paste, scotch bonnet, onions, salt, and
other spices.

Geographical range and variants

Jollof rice is a delicious royal dish originating in West Africa. It is one of the
most common West African dishes eaten in the regions of Nigeria, Ghana,
Togo, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Cameroun, and
Liberia. Although it is believed to have originated from the Wolof people in
northwestern Senegal.

The recipe varies from country to country, region to region of the continent, but
it always starts with a tomato base.

Versatile!
This recipe for jollof rice can be customized in many ways to suit your tastes
and preferences, you could add any of your favorite vegetables (diced carrots,
green beans, sweet peas, or sweet corn). It can be enjoyed with chicken, beef,
lamb meat, goat meat, or fish. I love pairing mine with some fried Plantains,
coleslaw, and baked chicken!
Ingredients
The ingredients required for making jollof rice are pretty basic. You probably
already have them in your kitchen.

The main ingredient in jollof rice is, of course, rice. I used long-grain
parboiled rice for this recipe, but you can also use basmati. I have a recipe
for that here – (basmati Jollof with beef).

Next up are the canned tomato, fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch
bonnet, onions, garlic, and ginger—each of which adds a unique flavor and
texture to your dish!

You’ll also need oil for frying your sauce—any kind of vegetable oil will do.

Stock—Chicken, beef, or vegetable stock are great choices here for adding
depth of flavor.

And lastly, there’s the seasoning and herbs—curry powder, salt, black/white
pepper, bouillon powder, thyme, and bay leaves.

How To Cook Jollof Rice

When cooking Jellof rice, building a flavor base is very important. Don’t be in
haste to dump your ingredients in the pot otherwise, you will end up with what
we call a ”concoction.” Each step counts, so try to do each of the steps in
detail.
The inevitable foundation for building up the flavor in this meal is to start
by sauteeing the Onions. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes. The next
thing is to stir in the tomato paste. This adds a deep and rich tomato flavor;
I simply fry this for another 5 minutes or thereabout.

Add the ginger and garlic and cook along with the tomato paste for another
two minutes; Actually, by the time this is ready, you will notice it in the
smell. If you keep it cooking any longer, you might risk burning them.

Add the blended peppers. Usually, there is no particular time frame for
frying this pepper. I often stop when the sauce becomes really thick, and
the oil literally floats on top of the sauce. At this point, most of the water is
gone, and the sauce no longer smells raw. Trust me, you will know, but just
in case you are still in doubt, I would say maybe 15 to 20 minutes
depending on the quantity of water in your blended pepper.

Finally, in building my flavor, I add the thyme, curry powder, salt, white
pepper (good but optional), and seasoning cubes. Adjust the seasoning at
this point if there is a need to.

Once the flavor is on point, then, I stir in the Rice. Make sure you stir the
rice properly until you cover each grain of rice with the sauce.

Now add the chicken stock. Give it a brief stir and cover it up with a tight-
fitting lid. If your lid is not fitting enough, simply cover the rice with foil
paper before covering it with the lid. This is because Jollof needs a lot of
steam in order to turn out well.

Once the rice comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low immediately

and continue to cook until the rice is done, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve with Fried Chicken, Spicy Grilled Chicken, Grilled Tilapia

Fish, or Gizzards and plantains.
Nigerian Jollof Rice or Ghanaian Jollof Rice?
Who’s Jollof rice is better?

I don’t even want to go into the issue of the trending Jollof wars, especially
between Nigeria and Ghana. All I know is that a good cook will make a good-
tasting Jollof Rice. In my own opinion, I think it has to do with the cooking
abilities of an individual and not a country. Let me know your opinion. 🙂

What type of rice is best for Jollof Rice?

Though quite a lot of rice types can be used to make Jollof rice. I have used
the long grain parboiled rice for this recipe – This rice is soaked, steamed, and
dried. Then the hull is removed to make parboiled rice. The steaming enables
the rice to absorb nutrients and changes the starch so that it cooks into a
firmer, less sticky dish of rice than regular white rice. I also have a beef jollof
rice recipe that I prepared using basmati rice. You may want to check it out.

If living in the united states, I will recommend using the parboiled rice from the
African store or Uncle Ben’s parboiled rice (converted brand). It doesn’t stick
or clump up like most other rice brands. It cooks up grain for grain. Some
stores like Walmart also carry a similar brand for a fraction of the price.

Wiki has a very good article on Jollof Rice that might interest you. I enjoyed
reading it, you might as well. 🙂

How to serve Jollof Rice

We usually serve Jollof with Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Goat Meat,  Fish, or moi
moi and sometimes with a side of fresh creamy Coleslaw or Nigerian salad. In
west Africa, a party such as a wedding ceremony or a naming ceremony is not
complete without this meal. It is a sure party pleaser.

My final thoughts on making a great Jollof Rice

I have another Jollof rice recipe that I made with beef and basmati rice. It’s
party style! I took it a step further by roasting the bell peppers before blending
and cooking to create the much-desired smoky taste. I’m sure you will love it!

If you are not a fan of this stovetop method, or you simply want to be
adventurous, or perhaps you just like to vary the way you cook Jollof rice. Then,
you can try it out. Oven-baked Jollof Rice. You can also check for
more delicious Nigerian recipes here.

Other Rice recipes you might want to try:

Coconut Fried Rice– Rice cooked in broth and coconut milk. Simply delish!

Easy shrimp pineapple fried rice – Ready in about 30 minutes

Basmati Beef Jollof rice – Made with roasted bell peppers

Nigerian fried rice – Readers’ favorite

Dirty Rice with Sausage and Ground Beef – tasty and delicious

One-pot chicken and Rice – Another one you need to try

Chicken fried rice – So easy and delicious!

Hearty mushroom rice – Not your average mushroom Rice

East African Pilau – You will love this!

Baked Seafood Jambalaya – a twist on the tradition Jambalaya

Homemade Chicken And Rice Soup – a comforting meal for all seasons

Nigerian Jollof Rice

Jollof Rice is a rich and incredibly tasty west African one-pot Meal. This meal
is one of the most common West African dishes. However, each of these
countries has its variation of this meal.

4.70 from 122 votes

Print
Pin
Rate

Course: Lunch/Dinner Cuisine: African

Keyword: homemade, jollof, jollof rice, rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 People

Calories: 568.5kcal
Author: Lola Osinkolu

Ingredients
For the sauce
3 red bell pepper
3 Plum tomatoes
1 medium onion
2 scotch bonnet/habanero use less if you don't like it spicy
1/4 cup water

For the Jollof

1/2 cup oil
1 medium onion sliced
 4 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tablespoon ginger grated
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon curry Powder
1 teaspoons salt or add to taste
white Pepper or black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder or 3 cubes
4 cups long grain rice rinsed and drained
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 large tomato sliced
1 medium onion sliced
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature – optional
US Customary – Metric

Instructions
1. First, make the tomato-based sauce by blending together the red bell
peppers (pimento), tomatoes, onion, and scotch bonnet.
2. Heat the cooking oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add the diced
onions and let them cook for about 3 minutes or until they are soft.
3. Next, add the tomato paste and fry for about 5 minutes. Then stir in garlic,
ginger, and bay leaves—leave to cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add the blended sauce and allow the pepper to cook until the water is
reduced and the sauce become thick —about 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Season with thyme, curry powder, bouillon cubes, salt, and pepper to taste.
Cook for another 2 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the rinsed rice to the sauce and stir until it is well coated with the
sauce. Then add the chicken stock, stir briefly, cover with a tight-fitting lid,
and bring to a quick boil over high heat.
7. Once it begins to boil—after about 3 to 5 minutes, reduce the heat
immediately to low and steam until the rice is done—about 30 minutes.
8. Add the butter, sliced tomato, and onions, stir together briefly and turn off
the heat. Cover it immediately so that the heat remaining in the rice can
steam up the vegetables a little.
 9. Serve with sweet fried plantains, roasted chicken, or salad.

Video

▶
Notes
Remove the bay leaves once the rice is done. However, if you can’t find it,
don’t be tempted to dig through it since over-stirring will cause the rice to
break. Just leave it and remove it whenever you find it.

Nutrition
Calories: 568.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 88.1g | Protein: 10.8g | Fat: 19g | Saturated
Fat: 3.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.4g | Trans Fat:
0.2g | Cholesterol: 10.3mg | Sodium: 665.5mg | Potassium: 557.4mg | Fiber: 4.1g
| Sugar: 7.3g | Vitamin A: 1982.6IU | Vitamin C: 69.4mg | Calcium: 60.6mg | Iron:
2mg
LET’S CONNECT!

You can find me on Facebook and Instagram … I love keeping in touch with all
of you. 🙂

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pictures of your creations on Instagram
and Facebook.#cheflolaskitchen
Related Posts:

How
How to
to make
make NATIVE
NATIVE JOLLOF
JOLLOF How to make
Jollof Couscous
Couscous -- RICE
RICE –
– IWUK Jollof Spaghetti -
A
A nice
nice couscous
couscous EDESI/PALM
EDESI/PALM OIL Jollof Spaghetti Jollof Rice
Rice - Oven
Oven
Recipe
Recipe RICE Recipe baked
baked

Basmati Jollof
Rice
Rice recipe
recipe (The Chicken Fried 22 Rice Recipes
Recipes
West
West African
African Party
Party style
style with Rice With Mixed Everyone
Everyone Will
Coconut
Coconut Rice
Rice Beef)
Beef) Vegetables Love

Easy and
Easy
Easy Shrimp
Shrimp Delicious
Pineapple
Pineapple Fried
Fried Nigerian
Nigerian Fried
Fried Vegetable East African
African Pilau
Pilau
Rice
Rice Rice
Rice Recipe Couscous - Kenyan pilau

How to Cook Rice

Peppered
Peppered Gizzard
Gizzard - Perfect Results Rice and Beans
and
and Plantain
Plantain Shrimp
Shrimp Fried
Fried Rice Every Time recipe
recipe

By Lola Osinkolu
 ← African Christmas Recipes You Need To Try

Air Fryer Lamb Chops – Easy, & Delicious →

Recipe Rating

Mary-Ellen
Tuesday 7th of February 2023
Hello, I was surprised that you called for 6 cups of rice and only 4 cups of
broth, and to let it simmer for only 30 minutes. However I did what you
said.
The rice is very hard and uncooked, even though I added plenty of
hot water throughout the cooking process when I saw there was not
enough liquid to cook the rice.
Do you have any suggestions on how to
save my rice? I have so much now, and it's all hard. The flavour is good but
texture of the rice is very unpleasant.

Ron
Thursday 5th of January 2023

Hello,

The chicken in this image (https://cheflolaskitchen.com/wp-

content/uploads/2018/10/Jollof-Rice-15-427x640.jpg). Do you have a
recipe for it? If so would you be able to provide a link?

Thank you.

Lola Osinkolu
Thursday 5th of January 2023

Yes, Ron, I used spatchcock chicken. I have the recipe here:

https://cheflolaskitchen.com/easy-spatchcock-chicken-recipe/

Dano
Thursday 29th of December 2022
Trying this recipe once more... Only using 2 cups of rice this time. I am
determined to make this because I know it is going to be yummy!

Lola Osinkolu
Thursday 29th of December 2022

Please let me know how well it turns out for you.

Dano
Thursday 29th of December 2022

I am all done with this recipe and I am having to throw it out because the
rice is crispy. I did 6 cups of stock in the rice and let it cook for 30
minutes... This was smelling so great! Can't believe the rice is this hard
and crispy! I am so hungry too... Starting all the way over and I will only
use 2 cups of rice.

Lola Osinkolu
Thursday 29th of December 2022

Sorry about that Dano. Did you reduce the heat after allowing the
rice to boil for a few minutes? Cooking on high heat will cause
the rice to burn before it softens. Please let me know how else I
can be of help.
 Dano
Thursday 29th of December 2022

I am making this right now! I had the recipe on the left side of my screen
and your video on the right... One thing that kept messing me up is that
your video on this recipe does not match the recipe. I did follow the actual
recipe and took hints from the video. I did not make the beef and that part
was not in the written up the recipe. I just wanted to share that part but my
home also smells delicious and I can't wait to share this new rice with my
family today! I will share more feedback once we eat it! Thank you for this
recipe! I have been searching trying to find the best Jollof rice recipe to
make and yours was the one I decided to go with.

Lola Osinkolu
Thursday 29th of December 2022

My apologies Dano. The video is for another method of cooking

jollof rice using another type of rice (basmati). I have removed it
to avoid any further confusion.
Hello !
 

Hi friends, so glad to have you

here.  My name is Lola, I’m a
wife, a mom, and a classically
trained home cook. Read More

Watch on YouTube
 Privacy Policy

Accessibility Policy

National Taco Day

Mergers

Copyright © 2023 Chef Lola's Kitchen