The Best Nigerian Jollof Rice Recipe

A simple guide to cooking delicious, smoky jollof rice

Co-authored by Hema Agwu and Devin McSween

Last Updated: October 2, 2023 Fact Checked

Jollof rice is a spicy and savory West African dish that’s made differently from country to country. Nigerian jollof rice is prized for its delicious, smoky flavor and simplicity—to make it, you only need one pot! Follow along with us as we reveal how to whip up the best Nigerian jollof rice.

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers
3 plum tomatoes
2 white or red onions
1 scotch bonnet pepper
½ cup (118 ml) of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of tomato paste
1 teaspoon (2.4 g) of curry powder
½ teaspoon (0.5 g) of thyme
1 teaspoon (2.4 g) of white pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup (237 ml) of chicken stock
2 cups (400 g) of long-grain, parboiled rice (like Golden Sella basmati)
Salt to taste

Servings: 4

1

Wash the peppers, onion, and tomatoes.

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Rinse and cut the peppers, tomatoes, and 1 onion in quarters. Wash 2 red peppers, 1 scotch bonnet pepper, and 3 plum tomatoes under water, and then peel 1 of the onions. Then, roughly chop the red peppers, onion, tomatoes, and scotch bonnet into quarters.^{[1]
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- Using a white or red onion is up to your preference. White onions tend to taste milder, while red onions add a stronger flavor.
- Substitute fresh tomatoes with canned tomatoes if you prefer.

2

Blend the chopped ingredients together.

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Set the peppers, onion, and tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Simply puree the chopped ingredients until the mixture is smooth with no clumps in it. If the mixture is too thick to blend well, add ½ cup (118 ml) of water.^{[2]
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- For a smokier taste, roast the red peppers before you blend them. Halve the red peppers and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Then, roast them in the oven at 400° F (200° C) for 20 to 25 minutes.
- If you prefer more heat, add another scotch bonnet pepper to the blender.

3

Rinse the rice in water until it runs clear.

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Wash 2 cups (400 g) of rice in a bowl of cool water 4 to 5 times. Rinsing your rice in water gets rid of excess starch which prevents your rice from getting mushy or sticky. Just pour 2 cups (400 g) of long-grain, parboiled rice into a bowl and cover it with water. Stir the rice with your hands and then pour out the cloudy water. Simply repeat the process 4 to 5 more times, or until the water pours out clear.^{[3]
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- One of the differences between Nigerian jollof rice and other varieties is that it is traditionally made with long-grain rice, like Golden Sella basmati rice or white rice, that is parboiled. This is rice that is partially pre-cooked; it’s sometimes referred to as easy cook rice.
- Feel free to use raw Golden Sella basmati or long-grain white rice instead of parboiled rice.

4

Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.

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Pour ½ cup (118 ml) of vegetable oil into a pot on the stove. Nigerian jollof rice is so easy to make because it only requires 1 dish! Just get out a large pot or saucepan and add in your oil. Then, turn your stove burner to medium heat and place your pot of oil over it.^{[4]
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- Use a pot that you don’t mind burning a bit on the bottom. Slightly burning the rice and ingredients is what gives Nigerian jollof rice its tasty, smoky flavor.
- As an alternative, use sunflower oil or palm oil in place of vegetable oil.

5

Chop 1 onion and saute it in the oil for 4 minutes.

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Dice the onion finely and fry it over medium heat until translucent. Peel your other onion and chop it into fine, uniform pieces. Then, add the onion to the hot vegetable oil, keeping it at medium heat. Regularly stir and saute the onion until it looks translucent, which typically takes around 4 minutes.^{[5]
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6

Cook the tomato paste for 5 minutes.

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Scoop 2 tbsp (30 ml) of tomato paste and add it to the pot. Mix the tomato paste with the onions over medium heat. Frequently stir the ingredients until the mixture takes on a grainy, sandy appearance, which typically takes around 5 minutes.^{[6]
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- It’s okay if some of the tomato paste sticks to the bottom of your pot. This just adds to the authentic, smoky flavor of Nigerian jollof rice.

7

Add in the pepper puree and spices.

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Cook the puree and spices over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the blended red pepper mixture into the pot, followed by 1 tsp (2.4 g) of curry powder, ½ tsp (0.5 g) of thyme, 1 tsp (2.4 g) of white pepper, 2 bay leaves, and 2 crushed cubes of chicken bouillon. Stir the ingredients together, cover the pot with a lid, and heat the mixture over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until it’s thickened.^{[7]
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- Use beef or vegetable bouillon cubes instead of chicken if you prefer.

8

Add the rice, chicken stock, water, and salt.

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Bring the rice, stock, water, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Pour 2 cups (400 g) of washed rice, 1 cup (237 ml) of chicken stock, 2 cups (473 ml) of water, and salt to taste into the pot. Carefully stir the rice into the ingredients with a wooden spoon so the grains don’t break. Then, heat the mixture over medium heat until it begins to bubble.^{[8]
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- Feel free to use beef or vegetable stock in place of chicken stock if you prefer.

9

Cover and cook the rice for 20 min.

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Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir the rice after 20 minutes. Bring the rice to a simmer by lowering the stove heat to medium-low. Cover the pot with a well-fitting lid and leave it for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, give the rice a stir with a wooden spoon to prevent it from sticking and burning.^{[9]
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- If you don’t have a well-fitting lid, cover the pot with tin foil. Trapping the steam and cooking the rice over low ensures it has a soft, tender texture.
- Some of the rice burning is okay, as you want to infuse Nigerian jollof with a smoky flavor.

10

Simmer the rice for an additional 10-20 min.

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Cook the rice until it is soft and has absorbed all of the liquid. Continue to cover and cook the rice for an additional 10 to 20 minutes. Just give it a stir with a wooden spoon every 5 to 10 minutes to check its tenderness. When the rice is soft and all of the liquid is gone, turn off the stove and take the pot off the heat.^{[10]
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- For extra flavor, add 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter (or margarine) and slices of ½ an onion and 1 tomato into the pot when the rice starts to get tender.
- If you’re using raw rice that isn’t parboiled, it might take an extra 20 minutes until the rice is soft and done.

11

Fluff and serve the jollof rice.

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Fluff and stir the jollof rice with a fork and then dig in! Nigerian jollof rice is great to eat on its own, or fry up some plantains, pair it with fried chicken or beef, or whip up a delicious coleslaw or salad.^{[11]
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12

Store the rice in the fridge for 5 days.

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Place leftover rice in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. If you have excess jollof and you want to save it, simply place it into a glass or plastic storage container. Just set it in the fridge and eat it within 5 days of storing it.^{[12]
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- Or, freeze your leftover jollof and heat it up on a day you don’t want to cook. Just place it in a freezer bag or airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then, reheat it in the microwave for about 4 minutes.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What is the secret to making jollof rice?

Hema Agwu
Nigerian Chef
Hema Agwu, known as “The Suya Guy,” is a Nigerian Chef and the Co-Founder of Brooklyn Suya. A self-taught chef, he specializes in creating the perfect suya, a traditional Nigerian spice blend. Chef Agwu expanded his palette with flavors from Morocco, Eritrea, and the U.S. Over his career, he’s been featured in several publications and on The Cooking Channel’s The Spice of Life.

Hema Agwu

Nigerian Chef

Expert Answer

You need to use a special pot that can burn a little bit on the bottom. You want your dish to have a smoky flavor, and that comes from the burning at the bottom of the pot.

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What is Scotch bonnet?

Community Answer

Scotch bonnet is a type of Caribbean pepper. They are hot so, take caution!

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How do I make fried rice?

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Check out the article on How to Make Fried Rice.

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Tips

Other popular varieties of jollof follow a similar process as Nigerian jollof rice but use different kinds of rice and spices. For instance, Ghanaian jollof rice is typically made with jasmine rice and includes ginger, nutmeg, and garlic.^{[13]
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If your rice tastes undercooked, add a bit more stock or water and steam the rice over low until it’s tender.

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Make Nigerian jollof as spicy or flavorful as you want it. Feel free to add more scotch bonnet peppers, curry powder, bay leaves, or any of the other spices to get the rice to your liking.

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