Do you know how to cook Nigeria Jollof rice in a way that the dish will be treasured for all that it represents? If yes, read on to enhance your skills and also verify if you have been using the best strategies, if no, then sit back and learn the entire process here.

This article is as descriptive as you can imagine, it contains everything you need to know to make your Nigerian jollof rice. It also contains the ingredients, cooking methods and other recipes.

Secret ingredients for Nigerian jollof rice and the things that make Nigerian jollof different from other versions of Jollof rice are equally elaborated here.

Do you want to be an expert in Nigerian jollof rice? Read further and do not forget to drop us a message in the section provided for comments, as our team at Chefsbase will be glad to entertain your opinions. The details are outlined below.

How to Cook Nigerian Jollof Rice

Blend roughly chopped red peppers, fresh tomatoes, onions and habanero peppers to make the base sauce. I use this sauce directly to prepare jollof.

If you have time and want to intensify the flavour, you can parboil the base to evaporate too much water to make the Nigerian pepper sauce. You can prepare this in a big batch and have it on hand almost all the time. If you go in this direction: use around 200 ml (80% of a cup) per 2 cups of rice.

Sauté some onions and bay leaves, then add the base sauce to fry the bay. Use a deep and wide pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add about ⅓ cup of vegetable oil (this looks like a lot but you’re going to fry off the sauce).

Add chopped onions and fry for one to two minutes. Then, add bay leaves and thyme and sauté for a minute.

Now, add the tomato paste, tomato base, and bouillon and fry the sauce. At this point, you can also add curry powder if you want to. But the basic is to get the base sauce well fried with the onions and spices. I cook this covered for one to two minutes to get the raw taste out of the pepper sauce.

While the sauce is cooking, rinse your rice very well. Not rinsing rice properly is one of the biggest mistakes that leads to mushy jollof! So, rinse the rice under cold water well (typically three times until the water runs clear).

Now, add the broth (if you’re using two cups of rice, use 1 and ¾ cups of broth) to the pepper sauce. Add salt, and if you want, black pepper or white pepper to taste. I use vegetable broth, but you can also use chicken or any other stock at your disposal. The broth usually has some salt, so watch how much salt you use.

Cover the lid increase the heat to a medium-high and boil. Typically, this takes about three to four minutes.

Add the rinsed rice to the pot and give it a nice stir so it’s evenly distributed. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook covered for at least 12 minutes.

Once the rice is rinsed, add this to the pot and give it a good stir so it’s evenly distributed. Cover with the tight-fitting lid and cook covered for at least 12 minutes.

Check at the 12-minute mark to see how fluffy your rice is, and give it a good mix again. Cook for another two to three minutes until the rice is fully cooked. Move it off the heat, open the lid and let it vent the steam for a few minutes. Serve hot!

Three Tips for Perfect Nigerian Jollof Rice

Wash the rice first! Extra starch can make the rice super mushy if you are not careful about it. Typically, I measure the rice into a mixing bowl, fill it with COLD water, and use my hands to wash the grains. I typically wash it twice before cooking it.

Use a 1:1 water-to-rice ratio, and cook on medium heat. Jollof rice uses steam infusion to cook – not boiling. You don’t wish to overcook the rice! Some people use aluminum foil in addition to a tight-fitting lid but this is necessary.

Check your rice halfway through the cooking time. I usually check my jollof rice halfway through and give the rice a good stir before closing the lid again. This makes sure that you are not burning any of the bottom rice. Fluffy, tasty jollof.

Do not overcrowd the pot. It’s imperative to give the rice enough room to cook evenly. If you overcrowd the pot, the rice will steam instead of fry, and it won’t be as delicious as it is supposed.

How Can I Make Jollof Rice without Burning it?

If your rice is starting to burn when you check on the 10-minute mark (i.e. there’s no water left, but it’s raw and not cooked yet) – then add a little boiling water, cover the pot with aluminium foil, turn the heat to high for a minute, and then take off the heat.

The residual heat will cook the rice without burning it further. I would say, use about ⅓ cup of water for every two cups of rice. Leave it covered for 10 to 15 minutes and check again.