Jollof Rice Recipe is a true West African classic and here is my take on it! Fragrant rice is steeped in rich ingredients like meat stock, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and spicy chilies adding an incredible depth of flavor.
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I, of course, knew my roots could be traced back to Africa but finding out more specifics about where on this gigantic continent my ancestors were located was amazing. Discovering that a large amount of my heritage existed in Mali, Congo, Ghana, and Nigeria was enlightening. I wanted to start making recipes that reflected this revelation and connected me to my roots. This jollof rice recipe, which is a favorite of mine, seemed like a perfect one to start with.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Each spoonful is packed with subtle spice and ready to be shared!
- A flavorful change to rice for meals!
- Easy to make rice dish the whole family will love.
What is Jollof Rice?
Jollof rice is a delicacy that began in West Africa, but because of frequent cultural exchange amongst various regions, the recipe continues to spread far and wide. It is considered a celebratory dish and popular in West African nations like Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal.
Because there are so many variations, this jollof rice recipe is probably a combination of a lot of different interpretations. There are ongoing debates across West Africa that argue which region prepares the best version of jollof rice.
Rich in flavor and history, spicy jollof rice is considered pretty sacred amongst the African community so I knew I needed to give it great respect when trying to recreate a version for my website.
Ingredients in Jollof Rice Ghana
The base of this dish is fragrant rice steeped in rich ingredients that are fairly common and easy to find. Here’s what you need:
- Aromatics: Garlic, fresh ginger, and onions are sauteed at the start to give the rice an excellent flavor base.
- Tomatoes: I prefer using canned crushed tomatoes. They mostly cook into the rice leaving small pieces, rather than large chunks in the rice which I prefer. The tomatoes will add a bit of sweetness to balance out the heat of the chili.
- Spicy chilies: The rice is traditionally on the spicy side of things. I use habanero pepper for its unique fruity flavor but feel free to adjust the amount added depending on your preference for heat.
- Chicken stock. Gives the rice more depth of flavor though you can use a vegetable-based stock for a vegan version.
- Basmati rice: Cooks up nice and fluffy.
- Spices and herbs: We will use curry powder, dried thyme, smoked paprika, and a fresh bay leaf to deepen the flavor, making it warmer, smokier, and brighter
How to Make Jollof Rice
My easy jollof rice recipe is inspired not only by my personal background but by that of the many before me that stood over open fires and stoves stirring pots of jollof for their families, neighbors, and friends.
The flavors truly come together perfectly in this one-pot meal. It sort of reminded me of my Spanish Chicken and Rice as far as similar flavors.
- Cook the onions in the olive oil in a large pot until softened. Then add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds to release their fragrance. Stir frequently so they don’t burn!
- Add the rice and stir it in the pot to toast it.
- Add the stock, crushed tomatoes, seasoned salt, smoked paprika, curry powder, thyme, paprika, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir everything together and once it boils, cover it with a lid and cook until the liquid evaporates and the rice is tender.
- Turn off the heat and allow the rice to rest with the lid on. Remove the bay leaf and stir everything together. Serve it up garnished with parsley and bay leaves.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to allow the dish to rest after cooking. This gives it the time needed to not only cool down but also fully marry together each ingredient and allow all the flavors to meld.
- Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container.
- For a less spicy version, use less of the habanero. Don’t forget to also remove all the seeds and veins.
- Serve jollof rice with fried plantains, stewed goat, roast chicken, oxtails, or short ribs. It is absolutely perfect to serve with these dishes. Each bite is magical. You can see why it has existed for many centuries.
FAQs
The word “jollof” comes from the language of the Wolof people, originally meaning “one pot”. I learned in my research that apparently the Wolof people were a predominant race that operated a powerful empire between 1360 and 1549. Before their downfall, the Wolof succeeded in spreading their culture, including their beloved Jollof rice. Wolof people still exist in present-day Mali in West Africa. Today, jollof rice is eaten all over West Africa in Mali, Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Each grain of rice is laced with the heritage of wherever it’s prepared, and its irresistible taste is relished all over Africa.
No rivalry is bigger than between Nigeria and Ghana. They each offer a unique interpretation that is slightly different but both are sensational.
More Rice Recipes
- Jambalaya Skillet
- Mexican Rice
- Lemon Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Dirty Rice
- Savannah Red Rice
- Jamaican Rice and Peas
- Red Beans and Rice
- Spanish Chicken and Rice
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
Jollof Rice Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onions
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- ½-1 thinly sliced habanero pepper depending on your preference for heat
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 15 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp seasoned salt
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
- Chopped parsley and/or bay leaf for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onions to pot and saute until tender, cooking for roughly 5 minutes. Next add in minced garlic, ginger and habanero pepper and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant, making sure not to burn the garlic.
- Pour in rice and stir to combine with other ingredients. Allow the rice to toast in the pot for about 2 minutes. If you find any of the ingredients sticking to the bottom of the pan you can deglaze it by adding a little bit of the chicken stock and scraping up the bits with a spoon or spatula.
- Add in the rest of the chicken stock, then add the crushed tomatoes, seasoned salt, smoked paprika, curry powder, thyme, paprika and bay leaf and stir together then bring to a boil.
- Once it begins to boil, reduce heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Continue cooking rice for 20 minutes or until all liquids evaporate and rice becomes more tender. If needed, cook for an additional 2-5 minutes.
- Turn off heat and allow rice to rest for 10 minutes with the lid on. Once rice is completely tender, make sure all ingredients are stirred together. Remove bay leaves. Top with parsley and bay leaf for garnish and serve.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to allow the dish to rest after cooking. This gives it the time needed to not only cool down but also fully marry together each ingredient and allow all the flavors to meld.
- Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container.
- For a less spicy version, use less of the habanero. Don’t forget to also remove all the seeds and veins.
- Serve jollof rice with fried plantains, stewed goat, roast chicken, oxtails, or short ribs. It is absolutely perfect to serve with these dishes. Each bite is magical. You can see why it has existed for many centuries.
Nutrition
This post was originally published August 2018. It has been updated with new content and images.
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Hi Jocelyn,
Is there a promo code for the Ancestry.com offer?
Thanks,
Tyrone
Thanks for the explanation about the jollof rice! I’ve been wanting to know more about it and eat it again ever since I tried it in the UK. And how convenient it is that all the ingredients are available in the supermarket closest to me!
The history of your family is fascinating. I can only imagine the pain that you went through during that process. As an African woman, I was pleasantly surprised to see that many African Americans have retained their African cultural heritage ( especially from the mandé people , Yoruba and Bantu ). I really hope that one day, you get to vist some sub-saharan African countries.
You are 85% African !!! You definitely have the beauty of a central African woman, and you also look Malian. This DNA result was spot on !!
Wishing you the best for all of your beautiful family !!
This is native to my home country Nigeria and I love this food
Ohmygosh those FLAVORS! Yum!
This is a great side dish to have with any dish!
This looks so flavorful! Saving to make soon!
What a great recipe! I have to put this on my menu!
Looks so flavorful and delicious!
This is a new and different dish for me and I am very excited to try it! I love trying food from different places!