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
Units
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Equipment: Large heavy oven-safe pot or Dutch oven with lid
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 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 Maras 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 (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (about 1 1/2 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