Recipe
🥙 LUNCH
Jollof Rice
Long-grain rice steamed in a reduced, deeply spiced tomato-and-pepper stew until every grain is stained red and the base lightly caramelises.
Ghanaian · medium · serves 6
prep 20 min · cook 60 min
~590 cal · 36g protein · 70g carbs · 17g fat · 5g fiber · 8g sugars · 3g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Jollof rice is the signature party dish of Ghana, a one-pot of long-grain rice cooked in a thick, reduced stew of blended tomatoes, red pepper, onion, ginger and . The dish traces back to the Senegambia region and the Wolof people, whose name is the likely root of "jollof," and it spread across West Africa as a festive staple served at weddings, funerals and celebrations.
Ghanaian cooks are known for using fragrant long-grain rice such as jasmine or basmati, and for the ongoing, good-natured "jollof wars" with neighbouring Nigeria over whose version is better. The defining step is building the stew first: onions and tomato paste are fried until the oil separates, the blended tomatoes and peppers are added and cooked down to a rich, glossy base, and only then is the washed rice folded in so every grain takes on colour.
The pot is finished low and slow, often with a sheet of parchment or a clean cloth tucked under the lid to trap the steam. Many Ghanaian cooks prize the toasted, slightly smoky layer that forms at the bottom of the pot, and the rice is typically served with extra stew, fried , salad, and grilled or fried chicken, beef or fish.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
2 cups long-grain rice (jasmine or basmati)
1.5 lbs bone-in chicken pieces (or beef)
4-5 ripe tomatoes, blended
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 red bell pepper
2 yellow onions
3 cloves garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger
1-2 pepper
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1-2 seasoning/bouillon cube
2 cups chicken
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup frozen mixed carrots and peas
Instructions
1
Season the chicken (or mushrooms and vegetables), then brown the chicken in a little oil and set aside; wash the rice in cold water until it runs clear and drain.
2
Blend the tomatoes, red bell pepper, one onion, the garlic, ginger and Scotch bonnet until fairly smooth.
3
Heat the oil in a heavy pot, fry the remaining diced onion until soft, then add the tomato paste and cook a few minutes until it darkens and the oil begins to separate.
4
Pour in the blended sauce with the curry powder, thyme, bay leaves and crushed bouillon, and cook uncovered 15-25 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy and the oil rises to the top.
✎ Chef’s note
Do not rush the stew. It must be cooked right down before the rice goes in, or the jollof will be pale and watery.
5
Stir the washed rice into the stew until every grain is coated, then add the stock and the browned chicken and bring to a simmer.
✎ Chef’s note
Add the liquid a little at a time. Too much and the rice turns soft and clumpy; good jollof is moist but grainy.
6
Cover with a sheet of parchment or a clean cloth tucked under a tight lid, reduce the heat to low, and steam 25-30 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.
7
Fold in the carrots and peas in the last few minutes, then rest off the heat 10 minutes before fluffing.
✎ Chef’s note
For the prized smoky bottom, raise the heat for the final couple of minutes to lightly toast the layer against the pot.
Ghanaian party and Sunday-table tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Greater Accra. Kenkey takes days rather than minutes. Corn dough is left to sour, half of it is then cooked into a stiff paste and worked back through the raw half, and the balls are wrapped in corn husks and boiled for hours, which builds the sharpness that stands up to grilled tilapia and shito.
🗺️
Ghana. Ghanaian cooking is built on starchy staples, fufu, banku, kenkey, paired with richly flavored soups and stews thickened with groundnut or palm nut. Jollof rice, red-red bean stew, and grilled tilapia with shito pepper sauce define its bold, warming plates.
🌍
Africa. Much of what reads as timeless African cooking is younger than the Atlantic crossings. Maize, cassava, groundnut, chilli and tomato all arrived from the Americas after 1500 and pushed older crops aside; millet, sorghum, teff, yam and fonio are the ones that were already here, and the map still shows the join.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Ghana
Nkatenkwan (Groundnut Soup)A silky, gingery peanut soup simmered with chicken and chilies, eaten with soft rice balls.
Red RedBlack-eyed peas stewed in red palm oil beside caramelized fried plantains, named twice for its two shades of red.
Hausa Koko and KooseA spiced fermented millet porridge with koose, crisp black-eyed pea fritters, Ghana's classic Ghanaian breakfast.
Browse all Ghana recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Pot or saucepan, Steamer, Blender.
Storing it: Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within an hour. Keep up to 2 days and reheat until piping hot all the way through.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Jollof Rice?
Long-grain rice steamed in a reduced, deeply spiced tomato-and-pepper stew until every grain is stained red and the base lightly caramelises.
Where does Jollof Rice come from?
Jollof Rice is a Ghanaian dish from Greater Accra, Ghana.
Can Jollof Rice be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Jollof Rice recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Jollof Rice safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Jollof Rice take to make?
About 80 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 60 minutes cooking), serving 6.
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