Easy Jollof Rice + Instant Pot Version
This easy Jollof Rice recipe and Instant pot Jollof Rice is a spiced tomato rice served all across West Africa. Served during all celebrations like wedding, birthdays, Christmas and more.
Suitable for gluten-free and vegan diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
What can I say about Jollof Rice? Or is it Jellof Rice? Or Benachin? All across West Africa there are fierce debates about the origin of this dish, as well as about it’s ‘authentic’ ingredients. Whenever I cook this I tend to have a bowl of it for breakfast the next day, then lunch, then supper.
What is Jollof Rice?
The base of any Jollof Rice recipe is rice and tomatoes to which everyone adds in their own ‘authentic’ ingredients. Mine, well coconut. I love how the tomato and coconut flavors blend together to produce fragrant and gorgeous colored rice and that tastes divine.
Different countries add ginger, garlic, paprika, beans peppers, carrots, sweet corn, cabbage, curry powder, nutmeg. Some even put chicken and fish in it, but in Sierra Leone, it tends to be vegetarian. And it is then served with a stew as a side dish.
Wherever it originates, whatever is put in it, however it is cooked, we all agree on one thing. No special occasion is complete without this traditional dish. Firewood is lit well before dawn under huge pots whilst piles and piles of onions, chilies, and other accompaniment are prepared. 
Dozens of cups of Jollof Rice are cooked in anticipation of it being the main dish at festivities. Four dozen cups of rice to be precise in my childhood home on Christmas day and New Year’s Day too.
Why so much? Because during the celebrations, everyone visits everyone else’s houses, and when they leave, they’re always given some food to take back with them. So throughout the day, there are always take-away containers being filled to the brim with the rice, stew, fried plantains, coleslaw and more.
How to Make Jollof Rice
There are a lot of ways to make Jollof Rice and here I give you my simpler versions that anyone can make.
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Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry onion, garlic, bay leaves and 4 tbsp of water for about 5 minutes.
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Add in tomato puree and fry for about 30 seconds.
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Then add in rice and stir constantly until rice is coated with tomato puree.
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Transfer the rice mixture into a rice cooker and add in coconut milk, water, spices, and jumbo cube (if using, mix well and adjust seasoning.
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Cook according to your rice cooker instructions.
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About 10 minutes into cooking give the rice a very good stir to make sure all the tomato is well mixed in.
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When the rice has cooked and the rice cooker switches to the keep warm setting, let it rest in this setting for about 10 minutes.
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Then open the cover of the rice cooker, fluff up the rice and leave uncovered for about 5 minutes before serving.
How To Make Instant Pot Jollof Rice
Instant Pot fans, I’ve made an Instant Pot version of Jollof rice just for you. Here is how to make it (check the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredients).
- Step 1. Mix together stock, tomato puree, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and chili in a jug and set aside.
- Step 2. Select saute on the pressure cooker, once it reads “hot” add oil and onion into the insert and saute for 5 mins then press cancel.
- Step 3. Add in the garlic, stock and tomato mixture, rice and season with salt and pepper to taste and mix.
- Step 4. Lock the lid, set valve is set to “sealing” position, select pressure cook (or manual), high pressure, and 5 mins cook time.
- Step 5. When the cook time ends, turn the Instant Pot off and let the pressure release naturally.
- Step 6. Stir the Jollof Rice, let stand for another 5 mins then serve.
Recipe Tips
- Add in scotch bonnet or chilies if you would like some heat.
- Jumbo/Maggi/Dole cubes are stock cubes used to flavor food in West Africa and can be found in ethnic foods shops. You can use stock cubes plus water instead.
- You can add in veggies like sweet corn, carrot, and peas to your Rice Cooker Jollof but add these halfway through the cooking time to avoid overcooked veggies.
- Rice will stick a bit – decant rice from the inner pot immediately, soak inner pot for 5-10 mins and wash clean.
- You can try 4 mins for firmer rice or 6-7 mins for softer rice. Try and see which you prefer.
Prep Ahead and Meal Prep
Prep Ahead – Make ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Freeze – Follow the handy tips below on how to freeze this.
- Let it cool down, then transfer into these very handy Ziploc freezer bags.
- Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags.
- Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer.
- Store in the freezer for 3 months.
Recipe Variations
Sierra Leone Jollof Rice
Sierra Leone Jollof Rice is simple and is what is cooked here. We tend to use stock cubes like Maggi or Dole to make up our stock but if you don’t have access to these simple use some vegetable stock or chicken stock if you prefer and you are good to go.
You can cook it in the rice cooker, which is super easy. Or you cook it traditionally in a pot over the fire till almost done, then open the pot, cover the rice fully with a plastic bag, cover again and cook till the end. And done…….
Nigerian Jollof
Classic Nigerian Jollof tends to start with much more of a stew. The rice is added to a spiced (blended) tomato stew and some stock and cooked. A tip is that you can precook the stew and keep it in portions in the freezer. Then just defrost what you need, add it to the pot along with the rice and cook. Nigerians tend to add curry powder to their Jollof as well as use parboiled long grain rice for this dish.
Jollof Rice Ghana
Similarly to Nigeria, Ghanian Jollof Rice is also cooked in a tomato stew, most often a chicken gravy. Also, Ghanaians tend to add bell peppers, crayfish to their Jollof as well as use jasmine or basmati rice for this dish.
Serving Suggestions
You would need to serve a stew with this Jollof Rice. You can try one of the versions below.
- Meatball Jollof Stew.
- Black-eyed Beans and Sweet Potato Stew {vegan}.
- Fried Plantains {vegan).
More Instant Pot Rice Recipes
More African Recipes
If you are interested in African recipes, then you may be interested in
- West African Groundnut Spicy Chicken Soup {Keto, Gluten-Free}
- and Cassava Leaf {Sauce} + Tutorial – African Recipe.
Instant Pot Rice Recipe Video
Whilst this is not actually jollof rice, it is a video for how to cook Instant Pot Rice. To start you off cooking rice in the Instant Pot.
Reader feedback on this post
I learned something new today. I am on a deadline, yet I was sucked into your post because it was so incredibly different. Thanks for teaching me about a new culture today. I enjoyed every word! And now I want some Jollof Rice with chicken – yes, I went hunting for that recipe too. 
Weight Watchers Points
If you replace the oil with a calorie-controlled cooking spray and increase the servings to 8 servings, there are 5 Blue Plan SmartPoints per serving.
Thank you for reading this Jollof Rice recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for reading Recipes from a Pantry, food blog. Picture updated on July 30 2017. Post Updated March 2020.
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Jollof rice
Ingredients
Non-Instant Pot version:
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 tbsp tomato puree or to taste
- 600 g (3 ¼ cups) basmati rice
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 750 ml (3 ½ cups) water
- 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 jumbo cube optional, see notes
- Salt to taste
Instant Pot version:
- 470 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
- 3.5-4 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 0.5 tsp ground ginger
- 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or olive oil)
- 1 onion finely sliced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 370 g (2 cups) basmati white rice
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground white pepper (or black pepper)
Instructions
Non-Instant Pot version:
- Heat the oil in non-stick pan and add in onion, garlic and bay leaves and 4 tbsp of water, stir and fry for about 5 mins.
- Add in tomato puree and fry for about 30 seconds.
- Then add in rice and stir constantly until rice is coated with tomato puree.
- Transfer the rice mixture in to a rice cooker and add in coconut milk, water, spices and jumbo cube (if using).
- Mix well and adjust seasoning.
- Cook according to your rice cooker instructions.
- About 10 minutes into cooking give the rice a very good stir to make sure all the tomato is well mixed in.
- When the rice has cooked and the rice cooker switches to the keep warm setting, let it rest in this setting for about 10 minutes.
- Then open the cover of the rice cooker, fluff up the rice and leave uncovered for about 5 minutes before serving.
Instant Pot version:
- Mix together stock, tomato puree, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and chilli in a jug and set aside.
- Select saute on pressure cooker, once it reads "hot" add oil and onion into the insert and saute for 5 mins then press cancel.
- Add in the garlic, stock and tomato mixture, rice and season with salt and pepper to taste and mix.
- Lock the lid, set valve is set to "sealing" position, select pressure cook (or manual), high pressure and 5 mins cook time. (See recipe notes for additional cook time options.)
- When the cook time ends, turn the Instant Pot off and let the pressure release naturally.
- Stir the rice, let stand for another 5 mins then serve.
Video
Notes
Non-Instant Pot Version Notes
- Stock of your choice can be substituted for the water and or coconut milk.
- Add in scotch bonnet or chillies if you would like some heat.
- Jumbo/Maggi/Dole cubes are stock cubes used to flavour food in West Africa. They can be bought in shops selling ethnic foods. If you don't have these you can substitute the water with some stock.
Instant Pot Version Notes
- Add in scotch bonnet or chilies if you would like some heat.
- Jumbo/Maggi/Dole cubes are stock cubes used to flavour food in West Africa. They can be bought in shops selling ethnic foods. If you have access to these, you can use stock cubes plus water instead of the stock.
- Warm stock comes to pressure faster.
- Rice will stick a bit – decant rice from the inner pot immediately, soak inner pot for for 5-10 mins and wash clean.
- You can try 4 mins for firmer rice or 6-7 mins for softer rice. Try and see which you prefer.
Weight Watchers Points in Instant Pot Jollof Rice
If you replace the 2 tbsp oil with a calorie-controlled cooking spray and increase the servings to 8 servings, there are 5 Blue Plan SmartPoints per serving.Nutrition
