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Jollof Rice and Chicken (One Pot)

This one-pot jollof rice and chicken recipe is a hybrid of my oven-baked version and my mum’s stovetop version.
You start by seasoning the chicken and frying it until golden on both sides. You then fry onions, lots of tomato purée and your stew base, before adding your seasonings, stock and washed rice. The chicken goes back in and the whole lot bakes until the rice is fluffy and the chicken’s perfectly tender.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Zena - Zena's Kitchen, adapted

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 1 kg (1.5 to 2lb) skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional

For the stew base:

  • 1 large red bell pepper roughly chopped
  • 2 medium vine tomatoes (such as Roma) roughly chopped
  • 1 red onion roughly chopped
  • 2 red scotch bonnet or habanero peppers quartered (use less for milder heat)
  • 25 g (1 tsp) fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped
  • 100 ml (~½ cup) water
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt

For the rice:

  • 150 ml (5 fl oz) vegetable oil
  • 1 red onion finely chopped
  • 150 g (2 to 3 Tbsp) tomato purée
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 500 ml (~2 cups) high-quality, low-sodium chicken broth (see notes)
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 600 g (2 cups) parboiled (or 'converted') long-grain rice (the standard for Jollof to ensure a non-sticky texture)

Instructions

  • Heat your oven to 180°C / fan 160°C (350℉)
  • Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl with the vegetable oil, curry powder, dried thyme, cayenne pepper (if using) and a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat and leave to marinate for at least an hour or overnight if you can. If short on time, just let it sit while you prep the stew base.
  • Blitz the red bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, scotch bonnets, ginger, water and salt in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the chicken skin-side down until browned, 3 to 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes, or until browned on the other side. Transfer to a plate, leaving the oil in the pan. Note: The chicken won’t be cooked through at this stage–it’ll finish cooking with the rice.
  • Turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the double concentrated tomato purée and cook, stirring frequently, until it darkens, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Pour in the blended base, stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by about a third and the oil begins to separate, 12 to 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the curry powder, dried thyme, chicken stock, bay leaves and water. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and bring to a boil.
  • Meanwhile, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well.
  • Add the rice to the sauce, stir in any resting chicken juices, then arrange the browned chicken thighs over the top. As soon as everything comes to a simmer, cover, transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  • Remove the pot from the oven and leave covered for 10 minutes to finish steaming the rice.
  • Optional but worth it: Heat your grill to high. Transfer the chicken to a baking tray, brushing off any rice. Brush lightly with oil and grill for 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned and crisping at the edges.
  • To serve, spoon the rice onto a large platter and top with the chicken. Fried plantain and salad on the side make it a proper feast.

Notes

The original recipe called for '3 chicken stock pot', which was an unfamiliar term for me. This is explained below:
When a recipe (especially one from a UK-based creator like Zena's Kitchen) lists a "stock pot," it is referring to a specific commercial product: condensed stock gel pods.
Instead of being a dry, hard cube or a powder, these are little plastic tubs containing a soft, highly concentrated gelatinous stock. The most globally recognized brand that popularized these is Knorr (often sold as "Knorr Stock Pots").

How to Substitute This in the US

Since the recipe calls for 3 chicken stock pots dissolved into 500ml of water (which is about 2 cups), you are essentially creating a very strong, deeply concentrated chicken broth.
To recreate that exact punch of flavor with standard US pantry items, you can substitute the 3 stock pots with any of the following:
  1. Better than Bouillon Paste (Best Match): Use 3 level teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon chicken base. Because it is a moist, concentrated paste, it mimics the rich, umami depth of a gel pod perfectly.
  2. Standard Bouillon Cubes: Use 3 standard chicken bouillon cubes (crumbled into the water so they dissolve completely).
  3. Bouillon Powder/Granules: Use 3 teaspoons of instant chicken bouillon granules.
  4. Canned or Boxed Chicken Broth: If you prefer using ready-made liquid chicken broth instead of water + bouillon, swap out the 500ml of water for 2 cups of high-quality, low-sodium chicken broth. Because ready-made broth is less concentrated than 3 whole stock cubes, you may want to add an extra pinch of salt or a splash of maggi seasoning to match the deep, intense savory profile Zena builds into her stew base.