1
Cook the base
Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Fry the sliced onion until soft, then add tomato paste and cook until it darkens slightly.
Start sauce
06:00
Equatorial Guinea | Main dish
Jollof Rice Equatoguineano
A smoky Equatoguinean-style tomato rice cooked with peppers, palm oil, bay leaf, and a gentle Spanish paprika accent.
Country
Equatorial Guinea
Region
Central Africa
Time
65 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
This is tomato rice with one foot in the Gulf of Guinea and one foot in Equatorial Guinea's Spanish-speaking kitchen. Cook the sauce down until it tastes rounded before the rice goes in.
What the dish tastes like
A smoky Equatoguinean-style tomato rice cooked with peppers, palm oil, bay leaf, and a gentle Spanish paprika accent.
When to cook it
Best for Parties, celebrations, Sunday meals, with a medium cooking level and about 65 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
Fried plantains, grilled fish, roast chicken, or a crisp tomato salad
Follow the collection
One-Pot Wonders is the easiest collection to explore after this dish. One-Pot Wonders
Regional lane
Equatorial Guinea national table. A verified Equatorial Guinea dish in the AfroKitchen archive.
Chef watch-outs
- Adding too much liquid after the rice goes in.
- Stirring too often once the grains should be steaming.
- Overcooking the greens until the color and texture collapse.
How you know it is ready
- The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
- Greens should be cooked through but still look alive and glossy.
- The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Recipe photos
See the dish before you cook
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Chef board
Build the table around Jollof Rice Equatoguineano
Fried plantains, grilled fish, roast chicken, or a crisp tomato salad
Best route from here
Equatorial Guinea national table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
5 steps
65 min total
medium
2
Reduce the sauce
Add the blended tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, bay leaves, paprika if using, and scotch bonnet. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the oil begins to show.
The sauce should taste cooked before rice enters the pot.
Reduce sauce
15:00
3
Add rice
Stir in the rinsed rice until every grain is coated. Add hot water or stock and season with salt and black pepper.
4
Steam gently
Bring to a boil, then cover tightly and cook on low heat until the rice absorbs the liquid and becomes tender.
Keep the lid closed so the rice steams instead of drying out.
Steam rice
30:00
5
Rest and serve
Turn off the heat and rest the pot for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves, fluff gently, and serve hot.
Rest
10:00
Some cooks use palm oil for a deeper color, while others use vegetable oil and keep the tomato-pepper base lighter.