Jollof Rice and Chicken -An easy yet tasty one pot meal that is enjoyed in West African Countries (Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra leone ) .
This recipe was inspired by my mini chef’s desire for chicken thighs and rice – No kidding.We were in the supermarket and he wanted me to pick up some chicken.
He specifically wanted chicken thighs. So I grabbed some and headed home, when we arrived home he wanted his favorite rice and chicken. You see, sometimes he says what he wants and there is no way around it. It sounds more like a Directive.
After making Jollof rice in the oven, and seeing a couple of recipes out there –especially this one here from one of my favorite blogs Recipetins. I felt it was doable. Combining this chicken here and this rice here would do the trick. This was one of those recipes that came out beautifully the first try. Getting a good picture of this is another story.
Since then I have made this a couple of times, just to make sure it works well. And of course, Desmond can’t get enough of it.
The chicken comes out tender, and the rice is light and fluffy. And because everything cooks together in just one pan, the rice is incredibly flavorful; the juicy of the chicken enhances the rice dish, making it really quite tasty.
It’s a bit of a long ingredient list, but nothing unusual or hard to find. The chicken thighs is seasoned and then browned. Then the rice is made with the browned bits of the chicken. Brought to a boil and finished off in the oven. The best part of this is that it doesn’t overcook nor stick to the bottom of the pan.
A characteristic so I so inherent in Jollof rice. Here I used a 12-inch skillet – one of my favorite utensils in the kitchen, because it can go from stovetop to oven. You can also use a Dutch oven for this.
You can skip my chicken rub and use your favorite chicken rub.
Enjoy!!!!
- 1 medium onion
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 cups uncooked rice I used basmatic
- 8- ounce Canned puree tomato sauce
- 3 cups Chicken Stock or Water.
- ½ -1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1- teaspoon salt
- 1- teaspoon paprika
- 1- teaspoon white pepper
- ½ pound or more vegetables carrots, peas, green beans
- Scotch bonnet pepper or hot pepper optional
- 2 1/2 3 - pound chicken thighs about 5-6
- 2- teaspoon salt
- 2- teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano
- 1- teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2- teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2- teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (you may replace with salt
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Wash chicken thighs, wipe with a paper towel. Combine spices and mix well.
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Sprinkle both sides with generous amount of the spice blend. Or you may use salt and pepper or favorite spice mix
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Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet or Dutch oven or oven safe pot/pan
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Brown chicken on both sides for about 3 minutes each, be very careful with the chicken, it shouldn’t burn.
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Pre-heat oven 350 Degrees
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Put the rice into a large bowl, cover with cold water and use your hands to wash the grains. Tip the water out then repeat twice until the water runs clear.
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Remove from the pan and set aside.
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Remove excess oil from pan and leave approximately about 2-3 tablespoons oil.
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Add onions, thyme, garlic and sauté until soft but not golden, about 2-3 minutes then add rice, stir for another 2minutes.
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Gently pour tomato sauce, and add all the remaining ingredients, Chicken stock, paprika, white pepper, salt and bouillon except the vegetables. Add chicken ,Bring to a boil.
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Place in Pre-heated oven and cook for about 20 minutes then throw in the vegetables, cook until cooked another 10-15 minutes.
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Remove let it cool and serve.
OMG! This was delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
No this is wrong this is all wrong – it does not have ANY paprika and it never cooked with carrots In an iron skillet ??? Nah I’m offended
What cooking vessel is the dish traditionally cooked on? I would sincerely like to know because Of appreciate African cusine and I would like to prepare it correctly.
Gonna be making this for a guy I’m dating once the scotch bonnet is in do I leave it in until serving? Or do I need to remove it at some point?
Thank you
Hi Sharlot!
You may leave it until serving or serve along with rice and chicken- some folks love the heat . So the smash the pepper with the rice for more heat and spice.
Simply Delish!!!! After 2 years of thinking Jellof rice was hard to make! Shalom and thanks for the easiest way I’ve seen to make this dish!!
Chanced on your website in 2018, my whole cooking is transformed my children love my food better and baking fantastic, you are a great person, thank you for all the lovely recipes, I can have effortless stress free cooking and still come out very well.
Thank you
Happy to hear . Thank you so much!!!
I have now made this a few times for an African French girl who lives with me. I don’t eat meat but I followed the recipe and she tells me it’s the best she has had. I must make a vegetarian one for myself
Sorry for my ignorance. But for how long should I pre heat the oven and in what temperature should I cook them. Thanks in advance Imma.
Hi Arnab. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F and cook in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes then throw in the vegetables, cook until cooked another 10-15 minutes.
I made this recipe tonight, and it was delicious! So intensely flavorful and savory. I will definitely make it again. I wanted to thank you for sharing this–much appreciated.
I don’t know if I was supposed to or not, but I covered my big skillet with heavy duty foil and a lid before putting the whole thing in the oven, and it came out perfectly. Blessings to you and yours.
Yaaay! Glad it turned out great for you Danni, although, I don’t cover it when I put it in the oven. Thanks for sharing, too, your results. 🙂
Hi,
I am planning on cooking this for a family event but i would like to use a whole chicken instead is this method still appropriate
Hi Lucy, I haven’t tried this recipe with whole chicken. But I guess it won’t be appropriate as whole chicken cooks longer than the rice. You might end up having dried or burnt rice.
I can’t wait to try this! My daughters are half Ghanaian, and love jollof rice and chicken. I actually spent a year in Ghana myself, but can never seem to get my jollof tasting the way my friends make it. I am hoping cooking it in the oven will do the trick. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Mary Kate. Your family would surely love this. Let me know how it turns out for you. 😉 Enjoy!
Hey what temperature do you put the oven on it sounds really good I cannot wait to try it
It’s 350 degrees F.
Thank you I was wondering the temp myself!!
Hi,
I plan on making this recipe this weekend. I have a quick question. When so I add the scotch bonnet? Is it Step 6 when I add the vegetables?
Hi, Rhonda.Yes, you add the scotch bonnet in Step 6. Have a great weekend!
Hi let me first and foremost say that I’m so happy to have found your blog! This is amazing! Just wondering would this work just the same if I used drumsticks instead of thighs? Thank you!
Hi Erica, Yes be sure to use the same quantity of chicken and fully cover rice.
What do you remove from the pan in step 2?
The chicken thighs – and any visible burns from the chicken.
I have made this rice n chicken a few times already n I’m making it again today my family loves it soo delicious thanks for sharing
I really want to make this, but would love to put scotch bonnet in it. how much would you suggest? Thank you!!
One has the perfect balance of heat- Hot but not too much . I just throw it in , pierce with fork for more heat.
I have made this dish before my family loved it soo delicious making it again today thanks for sharing
Awesome! So glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi. Just to clarify is it tomato sauce or tomato paste that you used? Confused by puree
Hi Chris! It’s tomato sauce not paste.
Hi. I had a related question – what is meant by tomato sauce? Is it just pureed whole or crushed canned tomatoes?
Hello. I used pureed tomato sauce for this recipe.
I am beginning to cook African food since my mom moved backed to Africa and I have to fend for myself lol. This was a great and easy recipe to cook especially for a beginner like me. Thank you!
Awesome! Am glad to hear it worked out well for you.
Very yummy … will keep doing this recipe
Awesome!!!
Made this today. Not like my mom’s jollof but just as good. I was so proud of making this I actually called her to let her know I found a recipe almost comparable to hers. Thank you for posting this. I will definitely be making it again.
What temperature was the oven preheated to when you put the rice into the oven?
350 Degrees
I am so making this. It looks delicious. Thank you for this!
Just wondering what temperature you have the oven set at when you put the skillet in there?
I usually bake it at 350 degrees F
Hi, Can I use canned chopped tomato and blend it?
You sure can.
I saw this a reference to the rice on twitter and then of course headed to pinterest. WHOA!! I’m in heaven!
Hi Jeri! Let me know how it works out for you
Do you cover the rice when u put it in the oven?
No, I don’t cover.
We LOVE this recipe. I make it every couple weeks. I make it with just 4 thighs, set aside the leftover rice, and then put poached eggs over the rice for lunch the next day. So, so good.
Hi Bethany! So happy to hear it is a hit in your household.And thanks for the feedback!
I am so on this one tomorrow… I have visitors and i hope it will come out well. I had plans of cooking chicken and rice, i was still figuring out how. Wondering if you have a recipe of East African Pilau rice? I miss it and i don’t know the perfect way to cook it, i used to eat it back home. I really like your blog #LoveFromBelgium
Hi! I am working on that, will have it up in a week or two. This rice is absolutely delicious do try it while waiting for the rice pilau
Hi! I love your rice and actually I’m cooking it.
Sorry for my writhing I’m French, is it possible
for me to have your blog or website cooking?
I love cooking and so far I like your rice, thanks much for sharing
Salut Ophelle! Je parle français. Tu peux écrit en français?
Totally sexy for you to reply in French!
Thanks deejay, I APPRECIATE YOU!!!
Meant to put 5 stars
Tried this recipe and it was awesome. Came out exactly same as picture and tasted real yummy
Looks soooo good!
Thanks Akua
Somehow it didn’t post my whole comment…I tried several recipes up till now and all worked out pretty well….thanks and I am looking forward for more
Hello from Germany!
I love your Blog. African recipes are so hard to find cause every Family or Tribe has their own way of cooking the same dish but ain’t write it down, just give the skill and what ingredients to use from mother to child…I am married to a Camer and now I am able to cook some of his favorite dishes without asking him or call his mum
Hey Kristin, I totally agree with you.Some great African recipes have been buried away. Hopefully now with the explosion of the internet, we can start documenting some of these recipes so it can be accessible to anyone. Thanks for taking the time to comment. So happy to hear you keep hubby satisfied with these recipes.
This looks so delicious! I cannot wait to cook this wonderful recipe!
Hi Angela, it taste even better. Please let me know how you like it. Thanks
You want us to place it in the oven for 20 mins but it doesn’t mention the degrees
Cook at 350 Degrees F.
Hi,
Great recipe! i am definitely making this for lunch today!
Quick question though, when did you add the browned chicken? step 5 or 6?
Thanks!
Hi Tamkara, after you add the stock.
please what sort of tomatoes sauce did you use. It’s not clear. Did you make the tomatoe sauce separately or was it from a jar? Thanks
Hi Mama Conrad, I used canned tomato sauce. Please let me know how it works for you . Thanks
I was wondering how the rice was being cooked but I see in the directions that you used chicken stock. I re-read because I didn’t see the stock in the ingredient list.
Is the rice already cooked or is it raw rice?
Hi, It is raw rice, I updated the recipe to be more explicit. Thanks for taking the time to comment.Let me know if you do make it
This is sooo funny. As soon as I saw this, I jumped on it – totally “my type” of midweek meal. Then I saw your reference to mine. Now you know I’m going to have to make this and reference back to YOU. We’re just going to bouncing back and forth between each others blogs!!
Oh, and OMG, I have been making your Jerk Chicken (oven version) repeatedly. I’m going to blog it on Monday!! I’m so excited, I am addicted! AND your Rice with Beans!! I did make it a bit differently though, I found drumsticks here in Aus aren’t juicy enough so they don’t drop much liquid. So I never had enough to make a sauce. So I found the best way was to use up all the marinade on the chicken, basting it on thickly. It doesn’t come out crunchy doing it that way, but instead you end up with a thick sticky coating. Am obsessed with it! Can’t wait for you to see it and tell me whether you approve or whether you scold me for toying with your recipe!!
I know what you mean Nagi. We keep bouncing from each other’s blog.I have cooked quite a few of your recipes and I am SUPER happy with them. Don’t think am stopping there. Can’t wait to see your Jerk Chicken and rice- I know it is going to be Drool Worthy !!!!
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I love it!!!!!
Awesome!