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jollof rice in a light green round Dutch oven with a sprig of parsley on top, plus a small white plate with a portion of jollof rice on it

Jollof Rice with Chicken


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4.7 from 3 reviews

  • Author: LIsa
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6-8 1x

Description

A one-pot chicken and rice casserole with a deliciously mild tomato-based curry sauce that's great for the whole family. (gluten-free, dairy-free)

Adapted from a recipe in The Ghana Cookbook 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic, divided
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced or grated ginger root, divided
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 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 (1 1/2 cups)
  • 4-5 carrots, scraped and sliced into thin rounds (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder (I use Madras Curry Powder)
  • 1 6-oz can tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3-4 cups low-salt chicken broth, divided
  • 2 cups long grain raw long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 2 cups tomato puree (I use San Marzano plum tomatoes and puree them in a blender)
  • 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

  1. In a large bowl, toss chicken with marinade ingredients: garlic (1 teaspoon), ginger (1 teaspoon), salt (1/2 teaspoon), Aleppo or crushed red pepper  (1/2 teaspoon), and black pepper (1/2 teaspoon). Leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
  2. Heat oil (2 tablespoons) over medium-high heat in a large heavy oven-ready pot or Dutch oven, with a lid. Add half the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned but not cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pot and repeat with the rest of the chicken.
  3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil, add the rest of the garlic (2 teaspoons) and ginger (2 teaspoons), the bell pepper (1 1/2 cups), carrots (1 1/2 cups) and onion (1 cup). Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes until slightly softened and fragrant. Add the curry powder (1 teaspoon) and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or so. Add tomato paste, 1 cup of chicken broth, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the bay leaf. Stir to combine. Add the raw rice (2 cups) and stir well so all the grains are coated. Add the chicken back to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. Add tomato puree (2 cups) and chicken broth  (2 cups). Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Cover the casserole bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven briefly, add the peas and stir through. If rice looks dry, add another half cup of broth. Cover and return the pot to the oven for 15-20 minutes longer, or until the rice is tender.
  4. Serve hot with a side of sautéed greens or a simple green salad.

Notes

[This post first appeared on Panning The Globe in April 2016. It was updated in May 2020 with added nutritional information, clarifying details in the written post and clearer instructions in the recipe.]

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Category: Dinner, Casserole
  • Method: Oven baked
  • Cuisine: Ghanaian