This jollof rice recipe is an easy, one-pot chicken dinner that’s packed with flavor and perfect for any night of the week. This Ghanaian version of jollof rice features chicken and rice cooked in a rich tomato curry sauce with garlic, ginger, and warm spices — comfort food, West African style.
When jollof rice first landed on our dinner table, my family had never tasted it or even heard of it, yet it felt instantly familiar. It’s that comforting one-pot chicken and rice dish many of us know and love, the kind of meal cooked in kitchens all over the world — each version a little different, and each one wonderful in its own way.
How To Make Jollof Rice
This recipe is easy enough for a busy weeknight. Dinner will be on the table in about an hour.
Start by cutting the chicken into bite-sized pieces and marinating it briefly with garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper.
Next, heat oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven and brown the chicken in batches. Set it aside, then use the same pot to sauté the garlic, ginger, bell pepper, carrots, and onion until fragrant. Stir in the curry powder and let it toast for about 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste, broth, and rice, stirring so the grains are well coated.
Return the chicken to the pot along with the tomato puree and remaining broth. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and transfer to a 350ºF oven. Bake for 20 minutes, stir in the peas, and continue cooking for another 15–20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
So much goodness packed into one pot — and only one pot to clean at the end of dinner.
What to serve with Jollof Rice
Jollof rice is a complete meal on its own, but a fresh, crisp side is always nice with a hearty chicken and rice dish. I recommend this butter lettuce salad with citrus honey dressing or this healthy green salad. If you want something warm, sautéed spinach with garlic is a great choice.
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More chicken and rice dishes to try
If you love chicken and rice dishes, I have a large and growing collection of unique and delicious chicken and rice dishes from around the world.
- Tachin Joojeh: Persian Layered Chicken and Rice with Yogurt
- Chicken Plov
- Spicy Chicken Jambalaya
- Arroz Con Pollo
- Indian Chicken Biryani
And here's another wonderful Ghanaian recipe you don't want to miss: Peanut Stew with Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
A big thank you to Hippocrene Books for sending me The Ghana Cookbook, where I first discovered jollof rice. If you're interested in exploring more Ghanaian recipes, it’s a great resource.
If you’re curious about the lovely green pot I used for this recipe, it’s The Le Creuset 5-quart Round Braiser. It’s perfect for this type of one-pot dish and looks beautiful on the table for serving family-style.
If you make this Jollof Rice recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!
PrintRecipe
Jollof Rice with Chicken: West African One-Pot Dinner Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Description
West African jollof rice with chicken is a comforting one-pot dish with rice, vegetables, and tender chicken simmered in a rich tomato sauce with warm curry spices. It’s easy to throw together, even on a busy weeknight.
Adapted from a recipe in The Ghana Cookbook
Ingredients
Equipment: Large heavy oven-safe pot or Dutch oven with lid
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic, divided
- 1 tablespoon finely minced or grated ginger root, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or Maras pepper or crushed red pepper flakes)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil, such as light olive oil or canola
- 1 red bell pepper, trimmed of ribs and seeds, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder (such as Madras curry powder)
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 3-4 cups low-salt chicken broth, divided
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 2 cups tomato puree
- 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a large bowl, toss chicken with 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon salt, Aleppo pepper, and black pepper. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and sauté about 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly browned but not cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with 2 more tablespoons oil and remaining chicken.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add remaining garlic and ginger, bell pepper, carrots, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in curry powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, 1 cup broth, remaining salt, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
- Add rice and stir to coat. Return the chicken to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Pour in tomato puree and 2 cups broth. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat.
- Cover the pot, transfer to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in the peas. If rice looks dry, add ½ cup more broth.
- Cover and bake 15–20 minutes longer, or until the rice is tender.
- Serve hot with sautéed greens or a simple green salad.
Notes
- Bone-in chicken option: You can make this with bone-in chicken parts instead of boneless. Use about 3 pounds, remove the skin, and cut larger pieces in half with a sharp chef’s knife or cleaver.
- Rinsing the rice: Pour the rice into a fine-mesh colander. Set the colander in a large bowl of water. Swish the rice, then lift out the colander and pour off the starchy water.
- Tomatoes: For the best flavor, I like to use whole San Marzano plum tomatoes and puree them in a blender, but any good-quality canned tomatoes or tomato puree will still give you a delicious result.
- Nutrition information: We do our best to provide accurate nutrition values using an online calculator; however, the numbers should be considered an estimate.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Dinner, one-pot
- Method: oven-baked
- Cuisine: Ghanaian
Peter Greaves
I have no idea why people feel it necessary to "update" recipes from other countries with changes like boneless skinless chicken breast (which would never be used in this recipe in traditionally) rather than thighs and drumsticks. All you do is lose flavor and give a watered down version of a great dish.
LaToya
So make it with the cuts of chicken you prefer. Not that deep.
Wanda
I am dying to try this recipe but my diet requires long grain brown rice. Have you any recommendations on adjustments to the recipe to accomodate the substitute?
Ian
Hi Lisa, based on the Bay leaf and long grain rice, isn't this Nigerian rather than Ghanaian jollof? You don't want to get the two mixed up! ???? Love the website by the way!
Lisa
Hi Ian, I'm not an expert on Jollof rice but this recipe comes from The Ghana Cookbook. Perhaps there are similar variations of this dish that show up in both Nigeria and Ghana? Thanks so much for your comment and kind words about the website 🙂
B N
I was excited when I saw the recipe online, so I clicked on the link, but once the page opened and the picture of the dish was displayed, I was jarred because of the image of a "dirty, messy" pan of food with a garnish on the top. Confused!?! I want to try it, but I can't get past the dirty pot of food with a garnish on top. PLEASE, put the finished food into a CLEAN serving bowl or CLEAN pot and then take a picture of it and garnish it for publication. This will help attract your audience to following you and your recipes instead of repelling them and causing them to stop everything that they were doing to write this review. Wishing you only the best and just being blatantly honest because your picture is blatantly honest, but not with the desired outcome. Good luck!
Lisa
Wow, I had no idea that photo was offensive. I kind of liked the way the drips of sauce looked on the the side of the green pot. But it was an easy fix in Photoshop. Thanks for letting me know.
Nicole
This is the rudest comment I've seen on a recipe blog in a long time. How unnecessary! This looks amazing in ALL your pictures. I can't wait to try it tonight!
David G
Truly, a horribly rude comment in its expression, very disappointing.
The same sentiments can be expressed in a suggestion with a positive respectful attitude.
If a "dirty" pot - meaning, one containing food - is so very offensive, how will one ever consider cooking for themselves?!?
Amy Moffitt
I made this tonight & it was fabulous! Thanks for that beautiful picture that grabbed my attention.
Lisa
So great to hear you enjoyed the Jollof rice Amy! And the photo 🙂 Thanks for your coming back to comment.
Jeanne-Ann J Davis
I dont cook with curry. Is 1 tsp really enough?
thee nothing
hi lisa, thanks for sharing this delicious food, i really like rice , rice ball, fried rice, i think i can try this at home, thanks for sharing a good stuff. Nice to meet you
thee nothing
look soo delicious, hope i can try it at home, please give me more 🙂
thanks for sharing.
sahabatnesia
so delicious ... great post 🙂
gopena
looks like South Korean food.
laura@motherwouldknow
What a great weeknight dinner. I've heard of jollof rice, but never knew exactly how it was made. It sort of reminds me of arroz con pollo - when rice is baked with chicken and spices, it takes on such a lovely texture and taste. Thanks for opening my eyes to Ghanaian cuisine. Sounds like I should investigate it further.
Liz
Lisa, this was so delicious! My 15 year old enjoyed 3 big bowlfulls...A great recipe! Thanks...
Lisa
I'm so glad to hear that you and the family enjoyed the jollof rice Liz. Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Leslie Scherl
Lisa,
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Everyone loved it... We always love the recipes from your blog!
Leslie
Lisa
Leslie, I'm so happy you all enjoyed the Jollof Rice! thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
Alwib
Wow.. i've never heard about this food, Jollof
Do you have any post related to makloubeh rice from turkish or kebuli rice from arabic ? I love this rice food
regards,
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass
Hi Lisa, what a great dish. I love learning about different cultures and cuisines, and am never disappointed when I visit your site. What a great cookbook and I loved learning about the authors.
Lisa
Thanks so much Allie!
Lucy @ Globe Scoffers
I love anything with rice, this looks like the perfect meal for me. Thanks for sharing!