A Blog about Adventures in Food, Creating Recipes, and Enjoying Life.
How to Make Jollof Rice in 5 Easy Steps
36 552.1K VIEWS
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
yield: 6
prep time: 15 MINUTES
cook time: 40 MINUTES
total time: 55 MINUTES
Jollof Rice, a classic Nigerian rice dish flavored with tomatoes, peppers, and lots of seasonings.Print
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
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. Also another way to tell that is done is when the bitter taste of the tomatoes has been cooked out. The reason why you reserve 1/4th of the tomato mixture and add it at the end is because we do not want the rice to burn. Also, it gives the rice that beautiful red color we all know and love.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
YIELD: 6 SERVING SIZE: 1
Amount Per Serving: CALORIES: 238TOTAL FAT: 12gSATURATED FAT: 1gTRANS FAT: 0gUNSATURATED FAT: 10gCHOLESTEROL: 4mgSODIUM: 854mgCARBOHYDRATES: 28gFIBER: 3gSUGAR: 7gPROTEIN: 7g
© evseats
CUISINE: African / CATEGORY: Dinner
Share this:
- Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
- 331Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)331
- Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
- Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
- Click to print (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
- Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
Like this:
Loading…
AFRICANDISHESCHICKENDINNERHABANERO PEPPERSJOLLOF RICENIGERIANIGERIANDISHESTOMATEOSWESTAFRICANDISSHES
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Raspberry Balsamic Bacon Jam Grilled Cheese
1.8K VIEWS
Berbere Chicken with Ethiopian Spiced Mung Beans
2.9K VIEWS
Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits
10K VIEWS
Creole Chicken Wings
2.6K VIEWS
Holiday Feast With Farmer John
2.7K VIEWS
Caribbean Sweet Potato Stuffing
3.5K VIEWS
Raspberry Balsamic Bacon Jam Grilled Cheese
1.8K VIEWS
Berbere Chicken with Ethiopian Spiced Mung Beans
2.9K VIEWS
Creamy Cajun Shrimp and Grits
10K VIEWS
Creole Chicken Wings
2.6K VIEWS
Holiday Feast With Farmer John
2.7K VIEWS
Caribbean Sweet Potato Stuffing
3.5K VIEWS
Leave a Reply
36 COMMENTS
sunshinemomma1017August 4, 2015This looks so great. Can’t wait to try it!
evseatsAugust 4, 2015Thank you! Let me know how you like it once you try it!
Lindsay (@itssimplylinds)August 4, 2015Looks so yummy!! And fried plantains sounds delicious, too. Thanks for sharing this.
Denise D OpuniNovember 23, 2022What is borso seasoning used for?
PeterJanuary 6, 2023Thanks for the tips. In the absence of all purpose seasoning and knorr cubes what else can I use. Peter from Zimbabwe.
RJ SuitorFebruary 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
Joscelyn | WifemamafoodieAugust 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!
Brandi johnsonDecember 4, 2015Which Knorr flavored cube did you use? tomato, beef, chicken?
JoiaOctober 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!
LaurenOctober 8, 2016
Hey! 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!!
Thank you so much Lauren! ❤ How did it turn out?! I can’t wait to hear
BarbaraOctober 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. : )
Aw, 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 ColbertNovember 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
EndeeFebruary 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?- Hello 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 AduApril 19, 2017Can you tell me how many servings are in this recipe and what a serving size is?
- Hi 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!
ChnaghyunAugust 2, 2017Unbelievably yummy!! Quite simple cooking process with very addictive taste!! Thank you
- I’m so glad you enjoyed it! <3, Evi
VinodAugust 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
DeborahOctober 20, 2022Thank you for this recipe especially the “tips on cooking the BEST Jollof Rice”, they golden!
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.
- Thanks for checking the recipe out! I hope you enjoy it
AnnieNovember 4, 2022This is the BEST rice recipe I have ever made! Thank you!!!
PhilDecember 14, 2022Just made this..amazing best jollof rice recipe I have tried. So tasty, can’t wait to cook it again.
Mark JohnsonDecember 19, 2022My nephew is from Lagos. Gonna make this for him on Xmas. Can’t wait to try it!!
My NEW Cookbook!
find recipes and reviews
Evi Aki
Hi there! Welcome to Ev’s Eats, my food and lifestyle blog! I’m Evi, a food lover, spice queen, and travel bug who started this blog to bring delicious recipes, travel inspo, and lots of delicious eats.
Follow Me!
Whats New?
Thai Basil Chicken Skewers
Hot Honey Prosciutto di Parma and Grana Padano Cheese Flatbread
Fried Catfish and Spaghetti
Spicy Roasted Cauliflower & Mushroom Toasts
Creamy Tuscan Salmon
Cajun Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
Bang Bang Shrimp
Chicken Parmesan Spicy Fusilli Pasta
Coconut Shrimp Curry
Saucy Jerk Chicken Wings
Thai Basil Chicken Skewers
Hot Honey Prosciutto di Parma and Grana Padano Cheese Flatbread
Fried Catfish and Spaghetti
Spicy Roasted Cauliflower & Mushroom Toasts
Creamy Tuscan Salmon
Cajun Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
Bang Bang Shrimp
Chicken Parmesan Spicy Fusilli Pasta
Coconut Shrimp Curry
Saucy Jerk Chicken Wings
Nigerian Pepper Sauce
Video Playerhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/eab7SA2TWFU?controls=0&rel=0&disablekb=1&showinfo=0&modestbranding=0&html5=1&iv_load_policy=3&autoplay=0&end=0&loop=0&playsinline=0&start=0&nocookie=false&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fevseats.com&widgetid=2
00:00
02:49
Latest Tweets
Video Playerhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/jxwL8B3kWM0?controls=0&rel=0&disablekb=1&showinfo=0&modestbranding=0&html5=1&iv_load_policy=3&autoplay=0&end=0&loop=0&playsinline=0&start=0&nocookie=false&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fevseats.com&widgetid=1
00:00
04:00
How to Make Jollof Rice in 5 Easy Steps36 COMMENTSJollof Rice, a classic Nigerian rice dish flavored with tomatoes, …READ MORE
Loaded Cauliflower Broccoli Casserole15 COMMENTSThis keto-friendly cauliflower broccoli casserole is the perfect side dish …READ MORE
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp4 COMMENTSJuicy prawns cooked in a garlicky buttery sauce, this Hawaiian …READ MORE
Never miss a recipe or review!
Subscribe today to receive new posts directly to your email
Subscribe
Ev’s Eats on YouTube
Copyrights © 2022 Ev’s Eats. All Rights Reserved.
African foods 
Leave a Reply