Jollof Rice and Chicken
This JOLLOF RICE and CHICKEN is an easy yet tasty one-pan meal enjoyed in West African countries. It’s bursting with flavors from the tomato sauce, paprika, scotch bonnet, and the juices coming off from the well-seasoned chicken thighs. Serve it over regular nights or as a main course during the holidays!
This recipe was inspired by my mini chef’s desire for chicken thighs and rice. It’s a one-pan meal spin-off of the ever-popular Jollof Rice (recipe HERE).
And since we always love Jollof Rice with chicken, why not make them both in one pot? It saves so much time, and also lesser clean up. Not to mention that it’s family-approved!
In just a single pan, you’ll get an entire meal – chicken, rice, and veggies. What more would you ask for?
Jollof Rice and Chicken Ingredients
I have made this recipe a couple of times before it had its approval. The chicken must come out tender, and the rice light and fluffy. And because everything cooks together in just one pan, the rice is incredibly flavorful. The juices of the chicken enhance the rice dish, making it really quite tasty.
Now to make this remarkable chicken and rice recipe, you’ll need:
- onion and garlic
- dried thyme
- uncooked rice (I use basmati for this recipe)
- canned puree tomato sauce
- chicken stock or water
- white pepper
- scotch bonnet or hot pepper
- vegetables (carrots, peas, and green beans)
And we don’t just go with salt and pepper for our chicken. I make sure that it’s well-seasoned so its juice flavor is enhanced. We’ll be needing the following to create a spice blend for our chicken.
- salt and white pepper
- onion powder and garlic powder
- dried thyme or oregano
- smoked paprika
- cayenne pepper
- chicken bouillon (or you may replace with salt)
It’s a bit of a long ingredient list, but nothing unusual or hard to find. The chicken thighs are 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!
Recipe Variations
This one-pan recipe always works great all the time. Now, if you want to go a little adventurous with this recipe, you can check out these suggested variations below.
- You may swap chicken with beef stew meat, HOWEVER, you’ll have to use the tender ones like beef sirloin. And cook the meat first before adding to the rice.
- Don’t have chicken thighs on hand? You may use drumsticks, but just make sure they’re of the same quantity as stated in the recipe.
- You can also use fresh chopped tomatoes and just blend them until it is pureed.
- Aside from those veggies mentioned above, you may also add some corn kernels, bell pepper, and even shredded cabbage.
- If you don’t have basmati rice on hand, you may replace it with white long-grain rice with the same ratio of rice and water.
- This recipe isn’t that spicy. But if you have low-heat tolerance, you may omit the scotch bonnet or adjust the cayenne pepper in the chicken.
Storing and Making Ahead Instructions
For any leftovers, simply store cooled Jollof Rice and Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days. And when read to serve it again, just transfer them to a microwave-safe plate and heat up in the microwave until they’re piping hot.
More One-Pot Chicken and Rice Recipes
Love more easy family recipes like this? Check these other one-pan chicken and rice recipes below.
- Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice
- Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice
- Chicken Rice Broccoli
- Caribbean Jerk Chicken and Rice
How To Make Jollof Rice and Chicken
Wash chicken thighs, wipe with a paper towel. Combine spices and mix well. Sprinkle both sides with a generous amount of the spice blend. Or you may use salt and pepper or your favorite spice mix. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet or Dutch oven or oven-safe pot/pan. Brown chicken on both sides for about 3 minutes each. Be very careful with the chicken, it shouldn’t burn.
Pre-heat oven 350 degrees F (176C). 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. Remove from the pan and set aside. Remove excess oil from the pan and leave approximately about 2-3 tablespoons oil. Add onions, thyme, garlic, and sauté until soft but not golden, about 2-3 minutes. Then add rice and stir for another 2minutes.
Gently pour tomato sauce, and add all the remaining ingredients: chicken stock, paprika, white pepper, salt, and bouillon EXCEPT the vegetables. Add the chicken back and bring it to a boil. Place in a pre-heated oven and cook for about 20 minutes then throw in the vegetables and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Remove let it cool and serve.
Watch How To Make It
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This blog post was first published in March 2015 and has been updated with an additional write-up and a video.
Jollof Rice and Chicken
Ingredients
Jollof Rice
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) oil
- 1 medium onion
- ½ teaspoons (0.46g) dried thyme
- 2 teaspoon (10g) minced garlic
- 2 cups (370g) uncooked rice (I used basmati rice)
- 8 ounce (224g) canned puree tomato sauce
- 3 cups (720ml) chicken stock or water
- 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (2g) paprika
- 1 teaspoon (2g) white pepper
- ½ -1 teaspoon (1g-2g) chicken bouillon
- ½ pound (226.8g) or more vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans)
- scotch bonnet pepper or hot pepper (optional)
Chicken Thighs
- 2 ½- 3 pound (1133.98g-1360.77g) chicken thighs , about 5-6
- 2 teaspoon (10g) salt
- 2 teaspoon (4g) onion powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.46g) dried thyme or oregano
- 1 teaspoon (3g) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon (1g) white pepper
- ½ teaspoon (1g) cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon (1g) chicken bouillon powder (you may replace with salt
Instructions
Chicken Thighs
- Wash chicken thighs, wipe with a paper towel. Combine spices and mix well.
- Sprinkle both sides with a generous amount of the spice blend. Or you may use salt and pepper or your favorite spice mix.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet or Dutch oven or oven-safe pot/pan.
- Brown chicken on both sides for about 3 minutes each. Be very careful with the chicken, it shouldn’t burn.
Jollof Rice
- Pre-heat oven 350 degrees F (176C).
- 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.
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Remove excess oil from the pan and leave approximately about 2-3 tablespoons oil.
- Add onions, thyme, garlic, and sauté until soft but not golden, about 2-3 minutes. Then add rice and stir for another 2minutes.
- Gently pour tomato sauce, and add all the remaining ingredients: chicken stock, paprika, white pepper, salt, and bouillon EXCEPT the vegetables. Add the chicken back and bring to a boil.
- Place in a pre-heated oven and cook for about 20 minutes then throw in the vegetables and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
- Remove let it cool and serve.
Hi Imma,
My partner is Ghanaian and I made this for him! He truly loved it and was so happy. As I plan on making this in the future, is it possible to add beef stew meat instead of chicken? Please Advise.
Thank you.
Hello, Yes it is . However , you will have use tender beef like sirloin. Or cook the beef before adding to the rice.
Why not,,,use anything or meat,,,could even use shrimp and smoked sausage,,would almost be like a gumbo
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.
You do real MVP. I was just about to make a tomato rice bomb with 8 oz of straight tomato paste.
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!!!