How to Make Jollof Rice (The Party Rice Method)
Jollof rice is a one-pot West African dish in which rice is cooked directly in a reduced blend of tomatoes, red peppers and onions, so every grain takes on the sauce and its deep red colour. It is the dish that appears at every wedding, naming ceremony and Sunday gathering from Lagos to Accra — and the one most argued over.
The version below is party jollof: cooked down hard, well seasoned, and finished with the faint smokiness that comes from letting the bottom catch. It is not a difficult dish. It is a patient one.
Prep 25m · Cook 50m · Serves 6
What you need
- 3 cups long-grain parboiled rice
- 6 large tomatoes (or 1 tin plum tomatoes)
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1–2 scotch bonnet peppers, to taste
- 2 onions (one for the blend, one sliced)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup groundnut or vegetable oil
- 3 cups chicken or beef stock
- 2 stock cubes
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt to taste
How to make it
- Blend the tomatoes, red bell peppers, scotch bonnet and one onion until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Add the sliced onion and cook until soft, then stir in the tomato paste and fry for 3–4 minutes until it darkens.
- Pour in the blended mixture. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes — this is the step most people cut short. It is ready when the sauce has thickened and the oil separates and rises to the surface.
- Add the stock, stock cubes, curry powder, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a simmer and taste — the sauce should be well seasoned now, because the rice will absorb it.
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear, then stir it into the pot. The liquid should sit just level with the rice.
- Cover tightly — foil under the lid helps — and cook on the lowest heat for 25–30 minutes without stirring. Steam, not boiling, cooks jollof.
- In the last 5 minutes, raise the heat briefly to let the bottom catch very lightly. That faint smokiness is the signature of party jollof.
- Turn off the heat, stir from the bottom up, and let it rest 10 minutes before serving.
What to serve with jollof rice
Fried plantain is the classic partner, alongside grilled or fried chicken, beef, or peppered fish. Moi moi turns it into a proper spread. A simple side salad and a cold bottle of malt completes the table.
Everything this recipe calls for lives on our shelves: rice, jollof seasoning and stock cubes, cooking oil and tinned tomatoes and purée.
Questions people ask
What kind of rice is best for jollof?
Long-grain parboiled rice. It holds its shape through the long simmer that jollof requires, which is why it remains the standard choice for party rice. Basmati cooks too quickly and easily turns soft.
Why is my jollof rice soggy?
Almost always too much liquid, or stirring during cooking. The stock should sit level with the rice, not above it, and the pot should stay covered and undisturbed so the rice steams rather than boils.
What gives party jollof its smoky flavour?
Letting the bottom layer catch very lightly at the end of cooking. Cooked over firewood at large gatherings this happens naturally; on a home hob you recreate it with a short burst of higher heat in the final minutes.
What is the difference between Nigerian and Ghanaian jollof?
Nigerian jollof usually uses long-grain parboiled rice and a tomato-and-pepper base cooked down hard. Ghanaian jollof often uses aromatic rice and includes more spice aromatics in the base. Both are the same dish family and the debate between them is affectionate and permanent.