Chicken Jollof-Style Rice
Dive into a vibrant bowl of Chicken Jollof-Style Rice, where tender chicken meets perfectly cooked rice infused with a delightful blend of spices and a hint of smokiness. With zesty tomatoes and aromatic onions bringing the dish to life, each bite is a celebration of flavor that fits effortlessly into your healthy eating plan. Get ready to savor a dish that’s not just a meal, but an experience!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(11)
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- Coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp coriander powder (5 ml)
- 6–8 garlic cloves, whole
- 4–5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice (5 ml)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- ½ tsp pepper powder (2.5 ml)
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 2 cups hot water (approx — check as it cooks) (480 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 1 zero salt chicken cube (optional)optional
- 1 no-salt chicken stock cube
- 500g boneless chicken thighs (1.1 lbs)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 1 cup basmati rice, soaked 20–30 min then drained (240 ml)
- 2 tsp honey (10 ml)
- A few sprays of oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste or 2 tbsp tomato puree (15 ml)can use tomato puree
🧂Spices & Seasonings(6)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp oregano (5 ml)
- 1 tsp peri peri seasoning (you can skip if you don’t have) (5 ml)optional
- Pinch of salt
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (1.25 ml)
📦Other(2)
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (5 ml)
- 4 dried red chillies, soaked in warm water 10 min then drained
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat a few sprays of oil in a pan over medium. Add the bell pepper, tomato, onion, whole garlic and drained chillies with a pinch of salt. Cook until brown and soft with some water. Cool, then blend with remaining spice paste ingredients and some water until smooth.
- 2
Cook one-third of the paste with the chicken and a few sprays oil. Cook 12–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is glossy, sticky and brown. Remove and set aside.
- 3
In the same pan, add a few more sprays of oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté 2 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add the remaining paste and cook a further 5 minutes to deepen the flavour.
- 4
Add bay leaf, hot water and a little salt and the stock cube if using. Stir in rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 15 mins until the rice is done.
- 5
Place the chicken pieces back over the rice, sprinkle coriander leaves, cover and cook 2 minutes and serve hot.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Char the bell pepper, tomato, and onion until genuinely brown and even slightly blackened at the edges before blending, since Maillard reaction compounds formed above 280°F create the deep smoky base flavor essential to authentic jollof.technique280°F+
- ✓Cook the raw paste for a full 5 minutes in step 3 rather than rushing it, because tomato paste contains raw acidic and enzymatic compounds that need sustained heat above 200°F to break down into sweeter, rounder flavors and cook off harsh acidity.timing5 minutes at 200°F+
- ✓Use long-grain parboiled rice rather than short-grain varieties, since its lower amylopectin content (around 20%) keeps grains separate and prevents the mushy, clumped texture that ruins jollof's signature fluffy structure.ingredient~20% amylopectin
- ✓Keep the rice covered and undisturbed during the full 15-minute simmer instead of stirring, since lifting the lid releases trapped steam that's needed to gelatinize starches evenly and can drop pot temperature by 15-20°F, leading to unevenly cooked grains.technique15-20°F drop
- ✓Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven for the rice simmering stage, as its thermal mass distributes heat evenly and helps develop a thin caramelized crust (the coveted 'bottom pot' layer) without scorching the rest of the batch.equipment
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Chicken Jollof-Style Rice
Dive into a vibrant bowl of Chicken Jollof-Style Rice, where tender chicken meets perfectly cooked rice infused with a delightful blend of spices and a hint of smokiness. With zesty tomatoes and aromatic onions bringing the dish to life, each bite is a celebration of flavor that fits effortlessly into your healthy eating plan. Get ready to savor a dish that’s not just a meal, but an experience!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(11)
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- Coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp coriander powder (5 ml)
- 6–8 garlic cloves, whole
- 4–5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice (5 ml)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- ½ tsp pepper powder (2.5 ml)
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 2 cups hot water (approx — check as it cooks) (480 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 1 zero salt chicken cube (optional)optional
- 1 no-salt chicken stock cube
- 500g boneless chicken thighs (1.1 lbs)
🫙Pantry Staples(4)
- 1 cup basmati rice, soaked 20–30 min then drained (240 ml)
- 2 tsp honey (10 ml)
- A few sprays of oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste or 2 tbsp tomato puree (15 ml)can use tomato puree
🧂Spices & Seasonings(6)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp oregano (5 ml)
- 1 tsp peri peri seasoning (you can skip if you don’t have) (5 ml)optional
- Pinch of salt
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (1.25 ml)
📦Other(2)
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (5 ml)
- 4 dried red chillies, soaked in warm water 10 min then drained
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat a few sprays of oil in a pan over medium. Add the bell pepper, tomato, onion, whole garlic and drained chillies with a pinch of salt. Cook until brown and soft with some water. Cool, then blend with remaining spice paste ingredients and some water until smooth.
- 2
Cook one-third of the paste with the chicken and a few sprays oil. Cook 12–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is glossy, sticky and brown. Remove and set aside.
- 3
In the same pan, add a few more sprays of oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté 2 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add the remaining paste and cook a further 5 minutes to deepen the flavour.
- 4
Add bay leaf, hot water and a little salt and the stock cube if using. Stir in rice. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 15 mins until the rice is done.
- 5
Place the chicken pieces back over the rice, sprinkle coriander leaves, cover and cook 2 minutes and serve hot.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Char the bell pepper, tomato, and onion until genuinely brown and even slightly blackened at the edges before blending, since Maillard reaction compounds formed above 280°F create the deep smoky base flavor essential to authentic jollof.technique280°F+
- ✓Cook the raw paste for a full 5 minutes in step 3 rather than rushing it, because tomato paste contains raw acidic and enzymatic compounds that need sustained heat above 200°F to break down into sweeter, rounder flavors and cook off harsh acidity.timing5 minutes at 200°F+
- ✓Use long-grain parboiled rice rather than short-grain varieties, since its lower amylopectin content (around 20%) keeps grains separate and prevents the mushy, clumped texture that ruins jollof's signature fluffy structure.ingredient~20% amylopectin
- ✓Keep the rice covered and undisturbed during the full 15-minute simmer instead of stirring, since lifting the lid releases trapped steam that's needed to gelatinize starches evenly and can drop pot temperature by 15-20°F, leading to unevenly cooked grains.technique15-20°F drop
- ✓Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven for the rice simmering stage, as its thermal mass distributes heat evenly and helps develop a thin caramelized crust (the coveted 'bottom pot' layer) without scorching the rest of the batch.equipment