Liberia | Main dish

Liberian Jollof Rice

Name: Liberian Jollof Rice
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Liberia, West Africa
Ingredients: 3 cups long-grain rice, washed; 500 g chicken pieces; 250 g smoked turkey or smoked fish, chopped; ¼ cup vegetable oil; 2 large onions, chopped; 1 large bell pepper, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 3 tbsp tomato paste; 4 medium tomatoes, blended or crushed; 2 whole carrots, diced; 1 cup green beans, cut small; 1 cup shredded cabbage; 1 tsp dried thyme; 2 whole bay leaves; 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper, left whole or minced; 4 cups chicken or meat stock; salt and black pepper, to taste

Liberian jollof rice with chicken, smoked turkey, tomato stew, bell pepper, stock, thyme, bay, and mixed vegetables.

Country

Liberia

Region

West Africa

Time

90 min

Serves

Level

medium

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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Use this overview to check the occasion, serving ideas, regional context, and cooking commitment before you begin.

When to cook it

Best for Family rice meals. Plan on a medium cook and about 90 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Fried plantain, pepper sauce, boiled egg, or cabbage salad

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Regional lane

Liberia national table. A structured Liberia 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.
Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.

How you know it is ready

The grains should be tender but still distinct, with steam carrying the seasoning upward.
The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.

Recipe photos

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Liberian Jollof Rice recipe from Liberia — Liberian Jollof Rice finished dish

Chef board

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Fried plantain, pepper sauce, boiled egg, or cabbage salad

Best route from here

Liberia national table

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Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Ingredients

For 6 servings

Main dish

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Liberia

6 steps 25 min prep 65 min cook 90 min total medium

Cook protein

Season chicken with salt and pepper, simmer until nearly tender, and reserve the stock. Add smoked turkey or fish later so it does not break apart.

Cook chicken 25:00

Fry tomato base

Heat oil and cook onions and bell pepper until soft. Add garlic and tomato paste and fry until the paste darkens.

Fry base 10:00

Cook stew

Add tomatoes, thyme, bay leaves, chile if using, and some stock. Simmer until the sauce thickens.

Cook sauce 15:00

Add rice

Stir rice into the sauce, then add chicken, smoked protein, vegetables, and enough stock to cook the rice.

Steam rice

Cover tightly and cook on low until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Steam jollof 35:00

Rest and serve

Rest covered, fluff gently, and serve with fried plantain and pepper sauce.

Rest 10:00

Proteins vary by home: chicken, smoked turkey, beef, shrimp, fish, or a meatless vegetable version.

Liberian Jollof Rice

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Step-by-step method

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