Nigerian Jollof Rice
Long-grain rice absorbs a smoky red pepper-tomato stew in the Nigerian branch of West Africa’s great jollof family.
About this dish
Jollof is a West African rice tradition with important national styles across the region. Nigerian jollof commonly begins with a blended tomato, red bell pepper and onion base that is cooked down with tomato paste and seasonings before parboiled long-grain rice steams directly in the stew. Party versions often pursue a deeper smoky edge.
Why this dish matters
Food Network’s Nigerian jollof recipe from Nigerian cook Gabi Odebode places the dish inside the wider West African jollof family and notes the Nigerian preference for long-grain parboiled rice and a tomato-red-pepper stew. The dish is central to celebrations, weddings and everyday arguments over whose jollof is best. This page keeps that national specificity while acknowledging the dish’s broader Senegambian and West African history.
Nigerian jollof varies by region, household and occasion. This is a tomato-and-red-pepper party-style home version, not a claim that Nigerian jollof has one fixed spice blend.
Preparation notes
If the blended peppers still smell raw before the rice goes in, the finished jollof will taste thin.
It holds its shape through the long steam better than many softer rice varieties.
Jollof finishes by steaming in a controlled amount of liquid; escaping steam can leave the top grains undercooked.
Ingredients & detailed method
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
- 3 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, divided
- 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero, optional
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp Nigerian-style curry powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups long-grain parboiled rice, rinsed
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, approximately
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
Method
- 1.Blend bell peppers, tomatoes, half the onion, Scotch bonnet and garlic until smooth.
- 2.Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Slice the remaining onion and cook 4–5 minutes until softened.
- 3.Add tomato paste and fry 3–4 minutes until it darkens slightly and the oil turns red.
- 4.Add the blended pepper mixture, thyme, curry powder, paprika and bay leaves. Cook uncovered 15–20 minutes, stirring often.
- 5.Checkpoint: the stew should become noticeably darker and thicker, with oil beginning to glisten separately around the edges and no raw-pepper smell.
- 6.Stir in rinsed rice until every grain is coated in the red stew. Add enough stock to sit just level with or slightly above the rice.
- 7.Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and reduce heat to very low. Steam 30–35 minutes, checking once near the end and adding only a small splash of hot stock if needed.
- 8.Checkpoint: rice should be tender and separate with almost all liquid absorbed. For a party-style smoky edge, leave over very low heat another 5 minutes without stirring before fluffing.
- 9.Rest covered 10 minutes, remove bay leaves, fluff gently and serve with plantains, salad, meat or fish.
Worth finding before you cook
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