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.