Nigerian Jollof Rice with Grilled Chicken

The photograph pairs orange-red jollof rice with browned chicken pieces. This Nigerian take on a West African favourite builds flavour by reducing the tomato-pepper base before the rice goes in.

Ingredients for four: 2 cups dry long-grain rice, 800 g chicken pieces, 4 tomatoes, 3 red bell peppers, 1 hot pepper, 2 onions, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, thyme, curry powder, 2 bay leaves, salt and seasoning.

Preparation — 65–80 minutes: season the chicken with onion, thyme, curry and salt. Grill or oven-roast until the thickest part reaches 74°C, keeping raw chicken separate from ready-to-eat food. Blend the tomatoes and peppers with one onion.

Fry the remaining sliced onion in oil, add tomato paste and cook briefly. Add the blended base and reduce for 15–20 minutes. Stir in washed rice, bay leaves and enough hot water or stock for your rice variety. Cover tightly and cook on low heat until tender, adding small amounts of liquid only as needed.

Rest the rice for five minutes before fluffing and serving with the chicken. Estimated cost to prepare: ₦11,000–₦15,000 total, about ₦2,750–₦3,750 per serving. Chicken is the largest cost; portioning a whole bird can be cheaper than buying selected cuts.

Costs are illustrative October 2026 Nigerian home-cooking budgets, not verified market quotes. They cover the ingredients used and a small cooking-fuel allowance for four servings, not equipment or full packs of pantry staples. Prices vary by location, season and protein choice. These are suggested recipes inspired by the photographs; the original recipes were not supplied.