What is the secret ingredient in jollof rice?

Tomato paste is the secret to the signature reddy Jollof Rice colour. So, for every 3 cups of Jollof rice, you'll need 3 Red Bell Peppers, 2 Small Tomatoes and 70g of tomato paste.

Why is my jollof not tasty?

You are not using enough tomato/pepper blend You blend 2 pieces of tomatoes, 1 chili pepper, 1 red bell pepper and half an onion and hope to make enough rice for a small wedding. Ko le werk. The key to an awesome Jollof rice experience is that each grain of rice is saturated in the delicious Jollof sauce.

What makes jollof rice soggy?

Too Much Water and Soggy: If your rice looks like it might get soggy, DON'T leave it in the pot. You want to cool it down as fast as possible in order to stop the cooking process.

What are the 2 types of jollof rice?

Two other kinds of Jollof are popular, Party and Native Jollof . Party Jollof, also called Party rice, is imbued with smoky flavors and commonly cooked outdoors, over firewood.

What do Nigerians eat with jollof rice?

The dish is then served with the protein of choice (which in theory may be any meat but often beef, turkey, chicken or croaker-fish; much less commonly lamb, pork, etc.) and very often with fried plantains, moi-moi, steamed vegetables, coleslaw, salad, etc.

What does butter do in jollof rice?

While the white pepper and bay leaf give your Jollof rice a prominent flavour and taste, butter gives it a rich look and taste . Jollof rice needs steam and not liquid to cook perfectly. You'll need to trap in as much heat as you possibly can to achieve the perfect consistency.

What happens if you put too much stew in jollof rice?

Too much stew will make your jollof burn quick , too much water, though, will produce a soggy jollof. However, I also understand the importance of the process itself: the right amount and time of stirring, the type of pot, yes, the type of pot, steam generation, and cooking time.

How many minutes to cook jollof rice?

Cover and cook the rice for 20 min. 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.

Why do you cover jollof rice with foil?

Cover the pot with foil to soften your rice Lower the heat, cover the bottom of the lid with foil paper to trap the steam and the rice will get soft. Think of it like making moi-moi, the steam is what actually cooks it.

Why does my jollof rice keep burning?

Use the right pot: Use a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid . This will ensure even heat distribution and prevent the rice from burning at the botto.

Why is my jollof rice not red?

A tip is to make sure the pepper is more than raw tomatoes used . Using more raw tomatoes will water down the colour of your Jollof rice. Tomato purée is the secret to the signature red Jollof colour. Substitute the rest of the needed tomatoes for tomato purée.

What makes jollof rice unique?

Unique Flavors of Jollof Rice The rich and complex flavor profile of jollof rice is a testament to the range of spices and ingredients used . It is this diverse mix of spices, combined with a mastery of heat control, that gives the dish its signature taste.

What gives jollof rice its color?

Tomatoes give jollof rice its unique reddish colour . Fresh tomatoes are best used to prepare large quantities of jollof rice as they are cheaper than processed purees. Along with tomatoes, scotch bonnet also contributes to the colour of the rice.

What is the importance of butter in jollof rice?

While the white pepper and bay leaf give your Jollof rice a prominent flavour and taste, butter gives it a rich look and taste . Jollof rice needs steam and not liquid to cook perfectly.

Chicken Jollof Rice African Recipe - Recipes From A Pantry (2024)

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This easy Oven Baked Jollof Rice recipe with chicken is a spiced tomato rice served all across West Africa. Served during all celebrations like wedding, birthdays, Christmas and more.

You’ll also love fried plantains, Puff Puff, and Air Fryer Okra.

Chicken Jollof Rice African Recipe - Recipes From A Pantry (1)

I have been wanting to share this baked chicken Jollof rice for a long time. This easyJollof Rice recipe and Instant pot Jollof Rice is a spiced tomato rice served all across West Africa. Served during all celebrations like wedding, birthdays, Christmas and more.

Ok, 2 months which is super looooooooooooong in food blogger world. Here is the thing though. Every week I would plan the chicken Jollof rice recipe and buy the required amount of chicken and everything else.

Then the kids would walk in, see it and go ‘mama please can we have some chicken for supper’.

There are two things in that. One they ask so sweetly, I couldn’t say no. Second – anything to avoid having to feed them pancakes (erm three times a week), spaghetti bolognaise or plantains. And that would be that.

Peeps, I am embarrassed to say that I actually have a PHD. BUT it still took me two months to figure out that all I needed to do was to buy twice the amount of chicken needed. Half for them and half for the Jollof right? Ok the PhD was a long time ago, but surely, I should still have some of the brains in their somewhere. Hmmmmmmmm.

Jollof Rice

Jollof rice is one of those African recipes that is super easy to cook. The base is simply tomatoes and rice to which you can add a wide variety of things like meat, veggies and spices. In this case, I am adding sweet red peppers and chicken. Although you can put the chicken straight in, I suggest that you brown the chicken first as it makes such a huge difference.

Personally, I prefer my chicken Jollof rice lighter on the tomato puree than most. So, you can go with my version or add a little bit more tomato puree to your taste.

You can also try my baked jollof rice recipe or add veggies like in my sweetcorn Jollof rice. Alternatively you can check out my Jollof spaghetti recipe or Jollof rice from Immaculate Bites, and Jamie Oliver’s Jollof rice.

Chicken Jollof Rice African Recipe - Recipes From A Pantry (2)

Recipe Tools

Chicken Jollof Rice African Recipe - Recipes From A Pantry (3)

Recipe Tips

Add in scotch bonnet or chilies if you would like some heat.
Jumbo/Maggi/Dole cubes are stock cubes used to flavor food in West Africa and can be found in ethnic foods shops. You can use stock cubes plus water instead.
You can add in veggies like sweet corn, carrot, and peas to your Rice Cooker Jollof.

Prep Ahead And Meal Prep

Prep Ahead– Make ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Freeze– Follow the handy tips below on how to freeze this.

Let it cool down, then transfer into these very handyZiploc freezer bags.
Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
Label the bags and then lay them flat in thefreezer.
Store in the freezer for 3 months.

I always tell people that one of the best things about Jollof rice, apart from the taste and the ability to customise it to their heart’s content, would be the joy of whipping up a huuuuuuuge pot full of it.

So much so, that family and guests can take home a bowl or two for themselves. Sharing West African style, is what Jollof rice is all about.

Weight Watchers Points

If made with skinless chicken thighs, there are 7 Freestyle SmartPoints in a serving of this Baked Chicken Jollof Rice recipe.

More African recipes

Why not try my Okra Soup recipe or myWest African Groundnut Spicy Chicken Soup or thisCinnamon Jollof Ricerecipe?

More Chicken Recipes

Sheet Pan Chicken and Sweet Potatoes.
Instant Pot Chicken Thighs.
Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas.
Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Pasta.

African flavours – is the spot on my blog where I share traditional Sierra Leonean recipes, African recipes and African fusion recipes.

Thank you for reading myone Baked Chicken Jollof Ricerecipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you.

Get The Oven Baked Jollof Rice Recipe

Don’t forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Baked Chicken Jollof Rice! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I’d love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.

Print Recipe

4.89 from 17 votes

Baked Chicken Jollof Rice

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: African

Servings: 8

Calories: 327kcal

Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

▢ 6 chicken thighs or legs
▢ 2 tsp coriander, divided
▢ Salt
▢ 1 tsp White pepper, divided
▢ 2 tbsp vegetable oil , divided
▢ 1 small onion finely chopped
▢ 1 red bell pepper desseded and chopped
▢ Scotch bonnet chilli to taste (optional)
▢ 1 jumbo stock cube , crumbled
▢ 3.5 tbsp tomato puree
▢ 400 g (14oz) rice
▢ 925 ml (3.9 cups) warm water*

Instructions

Preheat oven to fan assisted 160C / 180C / 350F / gas 4.
Season the chicken with half the coriander, salt and half the white pepper and a tsp of oil and set aside.
Heat a frying pan with half the oil over medium heat and brown the chicken on all sides. Then remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onion for about 7 mins until soft.
Stir in the scotch bonnet chilli, coriander, pepper, jumbo cube for a min before mixing in the tomato puree.
Add in the rice and mix until well coated before pouring in the warm water before adding in the chicken.
Transfer the Jollof rice mixture into a baking dish, cover with some foil and bake in the oven for about 60-65 minutes or until the rice is soft and done.
When done take the rice out of the oven, fluff it and serve.

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Notes

*Jumbo cube is a stock cube use widely across West Africa. Replace water with vegetable stock if you don’t have a jumbo cube.

Baked Chicken Jollof Rice Weight Watchers Points

If made with skinless chicken thighs, there are 7 Freestyle SmartPoints in a serving of this Baked Chicken Jollof Rice recipe.

Nutrition

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Chicken Jollof Rice African Recipe - Recipes From A Pantry (5)

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