Nigerian cuisine is rich, diverse, and full of flavor. Many of the foods in Nigeria are easy to prepare; you just need to follow the recipes. Here's a guide to some popular and easy-to-make Nigerian dishes.
Rice Dishes
Rice is beloved all across Nigeria. Fried Rice is the second most popular rice dish in Nigeria; A must-have at parties and a staple in most homes.
Nigerian Fried Rice
Growing up, my mother always made such an effort with our Sunday dinners. Some nights we had Jollof rice, but most times it was Nigerian fried rice. We rarely had plain white rice, which was considered regular fare-and Sundays were far from regular. My mother learned this recipe from Auntie E., her younger sister and a chef. It consisted of long-grain, parboiled or (Golden Sella) basmati, cooked in a fragrant yellow stock and dried thyme, with mixed chopped vegetables folded in. If you wanted to take it up a notch, tiny pink shrimp (or prawns) and cooked, diced liver were the way to go.
The similarities between Chinese and Nigerian fried rice, other than the name, are few. Woks are great but they didn’t feature in my mom’s cooking. Her pots did, and in them, she cooked the rice in stock.
Note: Nigerian-style chicken or beef stock is built on fresh ingredients: onions, ginger, garlic, chili pepper and seasoned with curry powder, dried thyme, black or white pepper, turmeric powder, and is different from Western-style stocks with carrots and celery. The stock is what principally defines the flavor of Nigerian fried rice, but also does limit the rice's shelf-life, so leaving it to cool overnight, refrigerated-often recommended for Chinese fried rice-isn’t ideal.
Read also: Atlanta Nigerian Passport Services
This Ginger Coconut Rice is similar to the ever popular Nigerian Fried Rice with the main difference being incorporation of Coconut flavour and a potent Ginger accent.
Basmati Fried Rice is simply Nigerian Style Fried Rice made with Basmati instead of Long Grain Rice.
Jollof Rice
There's been a lot of buzz lately over which West African nation produces the best jollof rice, which is a shock to me since I was born and raised on the very best kind. Jollof rice, originated in Senegal and spread across West Africa to become regional staple recipe where rice is simmered in a simple red stew.
There are different types of jollof across regions and countries including Nigerian, Ghanaian, Senegalese, and Liberian. But the rice always cooks in one pot with a flavorful and fragrant combination of fresh vegetables, aromatics, and spices, so that each grain is infused with flavor. I like Nigerian jollof rice the best because I was raised on it but there's a little bit of science that helps make my case.
Whereas Ghanaians and Senegalese like to use jasmine or basmati rice for jollof, we Nigerians typically use long grain rice, which has a more sturdy texture and larger surface area. Now, despite Naija jollof being collectively superior (in many minds), it's highly personal and each individual makes theirs a bit differently.
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
Across Nigeria, jollof rice preparation varies. Simple One Pot Recipe - All the ingredients come together in one pot with no fancy tools or kitchen appliances needed. Layers of Flavor - Are you wondering what does jollof taste like? You'll taste rich savory tomatoes and other vegetables and aromatics along with fiery heat from peppers, meatiness, and even umami flavor. Customizable - Like so many family recipes, the exact measurements aren't written down anywhere. So you can adjust to your taste.
Key Ingredients for Jollof Rice:
- Parboiled Rice: A long grain type of rice that is considered the best rice for jollof rice in Nigeria, though you can use other types of rice--just note the flavor and texture will vary.
- Tomatoes, Onions, and Peppers: Pureed to create the liquid base for cooking the rice, including scotch bonnet peppers or habanero peppers. You only need one or two of these for decently spicy jollof rice, however Yoruba people love really spicy food so I tend to use three or four.
- Chicken and Beef Stock: Combined make for the best flavor, in my opinion but you can use one or the other depending on what you have available.
- Oil: I typically use either palm oil, avocado oil or olive oil for jollof rice but you can try a variety of oils in this recipe.
- Maggi Cubes: A type of bouillon or seasoning cube that are staple for many Nigerian dishes.
Vegan Option: While there's no meat in this recipe, there are meat derived products in traditional jollof rice. To make vegan jollof, use a vegetable broth or stock and vegetable bouillon instead.
Pro Tips for Cooking Jollof Rice:
- Pro Tip #2: Be sure to use a large enough pot so that the rice has room to fluff and expand as it cooks and absorbs all the liquid and flavor.
- Pro Tip #3: Jollof rice typically takes about 40 minutes to cook, in my experience but I find it best to stay nearby during the process, stirring often, and taste testing as you go.
- Pro Tip #4: Many people believe that jollof tastes best when a bit of it burns as this imparts a smoky flavor.
Cooking Instructions:
Read also: Philadelphia Food Truck
- Cut tomatoes, onion, and red bell pepper into chunks, discarding bell pepper seeds. Add all to a blender with scotch bonnet pepper and ½ cup of water then blend until completely liquified and uniform (about 2 minutes).
- Meanwhile, rinse the parboiled rice in plenty of warm water until water starts to run clear then drain.
- Add rice and oil to a large pot over medium flame, followed by blended tomato mixture, tomato paste and sauce, chicken and beef stocks, crushed maggi cubes, white pepper, curry powder, bay leaf, and thyme. Stir everything together until uniform.
- Cook for about 40 minutes or until rice is fluffy and cooked through and all liquid has dissipated, stirring (to help prevent sticking and burning) and taste-testing the liquid and rice as you go. See notes.
- It may be necessary to add more liquid along the way to prevent the rice at the bottom from burning excessively (see recipe notes). The bottom layer of rice in a pot of jollof rice often burns, which is where the smoky flavor comes from. Some believe that the rice tastes best when this happens.
Why is my jollof rice burning? Many people believe that jollof tastes best when a bit of it burns as this imparts a smoky flavor. But if your rice starts burning excessively or very early on in the cooking process, reduce the heat slightly and add more broth, water or oil.
Storage Instructions:
- Can I make this recipe ahead of time? You can cook jollof rice at home up to three days in advance, as long as it's stored properly.
- How to store homemade jollof rice? To store, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days.
- Can I freeze jollof rice at home? Cool the rice to room temperature then transfer to freezer safe containers or zip-top freezer bags and place in the freezer. Jollof rice will keep for up to six months in the freezer.
Is Nigerian jollof rice spicy? It depends on who is making it. Party jollof that you would enjoy at a large gathering is generally milder to suit a wide variety of tastes. You can adjust the spice level by using more or fewer scotch bonnet peppers.
When made properly, jollof is honestly delicious all on its own but is still technically a side dish.
I used to love fried rice but then I learned about salad sauce, afang soup, coconut rice, carrot stew, and like another 50 Nigerian foods.
Other Nigerian Rice Dishes
- Coconut Rice
Nigerian Soups
Visit this page to learn everything you need to know about Nigerian soups, I tried to compile a list of all the soups eaten in Nigerian with step by step guide on how to make all of them, I also made videos for most of them.
- Afang Soup: I love afang soup because of it’s health benefits; Click Here For How To Make Afang Soup
- Ewedu Soup
- Groundnut Soup
- Plain Okra Soup
- Seafood Okro Soup
Nigerian Stews
- Carrot Stew
- Garden Egg Stew
- Locust Beans Stew also known as Obe Ata Iru is one of my favorite Yoruba Style Fred Stew recipes. It’s very versatile and can be eaten with pretty much anything, well, excluding “Swallow”. I particularly love it with Boiled Yam.
- Nigerian Buka Stew recipe is one of the most viewed recipes on this blog.
- Nigerian Smoked Turkey Stew is a pepper based Stew recipe made with Smoked Turkey as its main protein.
- Palm Oil Stew
Sauces and Pepper Dishes
- Assorted Fish Sauce is simply a fried pepper based sauce I love to pair with Boiled or fried yam. This sauce is incredibly tasty yet easy to whip up.
- Nigerian Pepper Sauce is an incredibly versatile pepper sauce made with Sweet Bell Peppers. This sauce is so versatile, it can be paired with numerous dishes like Boiled rice, Boiled or fried Yam and Plantain, Potatoes, Pasta and even Bread.
- Ata Dindin
Other Popular Nigerian Dishes
- Ewa Riro (Stewed Beans)
- Gizdodo is simply peppered Gizzard and Plantain. It’s the awesome fusion of Chicken Gizzard, Fried Plantain and Spicy Tomato Stew, what’s not to love? Gizdodo is an increasingly popular dish in Nigerian homes and parties.
- Grilled Tilapia is my go-to quick Fish recipe. This recipe is pretty quick and easy but promises to deliver a very lush and delicious taste. The ingredients can be tweaked to suit individual preferences as well. Let’s begin!
Nigerian Snacks and Sides
- Chin Chin
- Nigerian Chicken Pies
- Nigerian Meat Pies
- Naija Scotch Eggs
- Plantains
Nigerian Drinks
There are hundreds of locally made Nigerian drinks. My list of drinks includes zobo, fruit juice, chapman; Click here for All Nigerian Drinks
Salads
- I love vegetable salad because of its health benefits; Click Here For How To Make Vegetable Salad
- Nigerian Salad, both the vegetable and fruit salads
Pasta Dishes
- This easy Mince Meat Tomato Pasta is my go-to Pasta recipe. It is simply Fusilli pasta tossed with a simple Tomato Sauce and Ground Beef.
This article list the top 7 popular Nigerian dishes and how to make them; Click here to compare Nigerian Dishes & Recipes
We want to be as comprehensive as possible, from the very popular Fried Rice to different kinds of Nigerian foods, rice recipes, Nigerian salads, both the vegetable and fruit salads.
You will also learn to make local Nigerian foods like the Yoruba Ewedu soup, groundnut soup, all the foods eaten by different Nigerian ethnic groups, this part will interest you if you are dating a Nigerian man and don’t know what to make for breakfast or dinner.
Someone once asked about my favorite Nigerian food, it is easy, well… I was confused.
I have a list of Nigerian food’s Questions and Answers
Browsing CategoryA collection of tasty Nigerian food recipes and Nigerian desserts (yes there are some!) featuring traditional and modern tips on how to cook delicious Yoruba foods, Igbo foods, Hausa foods, Ibibio/Efik and other delicious Nigerian ethnic dishes (you just got a 2 second lesson on five of the most prominent tribes in Nigeria of which they are about 650!).
It goes without saying since I’m Nigerian that this recipe collection will inevitably include some of my favorite meals of all time!
