Burkina Faso's "fat rice": rice simmered in a rich tomato-and-meat broth until every grain is stained red.

Where does Riz Gras come from?

Riz Gras is a Burkinabè dish from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Can Riz Gras be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Riz Gras recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Riz Gras take to make?

About 85 minutes total (25 minutes prep, 60 minutes cooking), serving 6.

Riz Gras — a Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso recipe

Name: Riz Gras
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Burkinabè
Ingredients: 2 lb beef or goat, cubed; 3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed; 4 tomatoes; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 2 onion; 1/4 head cabbage; 2 carrot; 1 eggplant; 4 cloves garlic; 1 tbsp ginger; 1 a scotch bonnet

Africa → 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso → Ouagadougou

Riz Gras

Burkinabè · medium · serves 6

prep 25 min · cook 60 min

~816 cal · 49g protein · 97g carbs · 24g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Red-stained rice with vegetables and braised meat

🇧🇫 Ouagadougou

Riz gras is the celebration rice of Burkina Faso, cooked the way jollof is across West Africa but with its own Ouagadougou character. The rice absorbs a deeply seasoned tomato broth and the fat of browned meat until it turns glossy and red — a single pot that feeds a crowd at any gathering.

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Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 6 —

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2 lb beef or goat, cubed

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3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed

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4 tomatoes

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3 tbsp tomato paste

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2 onion

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1/4 head cabbage

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2 carrot

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1 eggplant

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4 cloves garlic

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1 tbsp ginger

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1 a scotch bonnet

Instructions

1

Brown the meat (or mushrooms) with the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large pot.

2

Add the blended tomato and tomato paste and cook down until darkened and thick.

3

Pour in water to make a rich broth, add the vegetables, and simmer until the meat is tender.

4

Lift out the vegetables, stir the rinsed rice into the broth, cover, and steam until tender.

5

Return the vegetables to warm through and serve the red rice piled high.

Ouagadougou tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Ouagadougou. The capital where riz gras simmers in tomato and oil.

🗺️

Burkina Faso. Sahel country of millet, rice, and rich groundnut sauces.

🌍

Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →