No.31 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Jollof rice

Name: Jollof rice
Yield: 6 to 8
Ingredients: For the pepper base: 4 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped; 1 to 2 scotch bonnet chiles, stemmed (to taste); 3 ripe plum tomatoes; 1 large red onion, quartered (plus 1 more, sliced); 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral oil; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 bay leaves; 2 stock cubes (chicken or vegetable), crumbled, or 2 tsp bouillon powder; 1 1/2 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste; 3 cups (600 g) long-grain parboiled rice; 2 1/2 to 3 cups (600 to 720 ml) chicken stock; 2 tbsp butter (optional)

Made famous by Lola Osinkolu

Photo: Segun Famisa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From Chef Lola's Kitchen. Chef Lola's Kitchen is No. 27 on the Hot 100.

The party dish of West Africa, with a friendly Nigeria-versus-Ghana argument over who makes it best. Smoky, red and fragrant, it's one of the most searched rice dishes in the world.

6 to 8Makes

1 hour 15 minutesTime

Rice cooked in a rich pepper and tomato base. Fry the base until the oil rises, then steam the rice in it gently with foil under the lid. The bit that catches at the bottom is the prize.

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Ingredients

For the pepper base: 4 red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1 to 2 scotch bonnet chiles, stemmed (to taste)
3 ripe plum tomatoes
1 large red onion, quartered (plus 1 more, sliced)
1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral oil
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 bay leaves
2 stock cubes (chicken or vegetable), crumbled, or 2 tsp bouillon powder
1 1/2 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
3 cups (600 g) long-grain parboiled rice
2 1/2 to 3 cups (600 to 720 ml) chicken stock
2 tbsp butter (optional)

Steps

Blend the bell peppers, scotch bonnets, tomatoes and the quartered onion until smooth. Pour into a pot and boil 15 to 20 minutes, stirring, until reduced by about half and thick.
Rinse the rice in several changes of water until the water runs nearly clear. Drain.
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Fry the sliced onion until soft, 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and fry 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until it darkens to brick red.
Add the reduced pepper base, curry powder, thyme, bay, stock cubes and salt. Fry, stirring often, 10 to 15 minutes, until the oil rises to the top and the base is thick and glossy. This step is where the flavor is.
Stir in the rice to coat it completely, then add 2 1/2 cups stock. Taste the liquid; it should be well salted.
Cover the pot with foil, then the lid, and cook on the lowest heat 30 to 35 minutes. Don't stir. If the rice is still hard and the pot dry, add a splash of stock and keep cooking.
When the rice is tender and the grains separate, stir in the butter. For the smoky party flavor, raise the heat for the last 3 to 5 minutes to let the bottom catch slightly, without burning.
Fluff and serve with fried chicken, fried plantains or coleslaw.

Chef's tips

Parboiled rice holds its shape and doesn't turn mushy; it's what most Nigerian cooks use.
Foil under the lid traps the steam so the rice cooks evenly without stirring.

← No. 30Chicken adobo

→ No. 32Jerk chicken

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