National Dish of Nigeria

“what is the national dish of Nigeria”?

I get lots of questions about Nigerian dishes daily and I try my best to answer them. Someone asked and lots of people have given appropriate answers below.
What do you think? Do we have a national dish? I thought every food in Nigeria counts.
National Dish of Nigeria

Tell us your thought on this. I love Nigerian dishes and love to talk about them.

Most of the comments below suggest it is jollof rice. I don’t think they are wrong. Read them and drop your own comment too.

I think jollof rice is really the national dish of Nigeria since different Nigerian ethnic group makes it in different ways. Everyone loves the rice recipe and almost every Nigerian know just how to put together a pot of jollof rice.

So what is your opinion? Which is the national dish of Nigeria? Drop your answer using the comment form below.

Here is a better photo of Jollof rice, the Nigerian version. We serve with chicken most times.

 

Jollof rice recipes

National Food of Nigeria – Jollof Rice

Jollof rice is considered a national dish of Nigeria because it is easy to prepare and most of the required ingredients can be sourced from any part of the world. Also, varying recipes exist across Nigeria's numerous ethnic groups. Hence the reason we consider it a national dish in Nigeria.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Lunch
Servings 8 Persons
Calories 521 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups of rice
  • 1 kg beef
  • 1000 ml of Ground Fresh tomatoes your blender is calibrated 1000ml = 1 liter
  • 50 ml Ground Fresh peppers
  • Spices Curry Thyme, Delice, Nutmeg, Chicken spice
  • 3 Seasoning cubes
  • 2 cups of sliced onions
  • 300 ml Vegetable oil
  • Salt to taste.
  • 2 Cloves of garlic and
  • 2 Fingers of ginger

Instructions
 

  • Start by precooking your meat with the listed spices (a teaspoon each of thyme, curry, and salt; two seasoning cubes and sliced onion) Allow the meat to cook till tender.
  • Peel of the outer back of the ginger/garlic, pound or grind.
  • Parboil 4 cups of rice, wash and set aside in a plastic bowl.
  • Once the meat is tender, separate from the stock and deep-fry.
  • Fry the ground tomatoes until it is turning day (about 20-25 minutes) stir continuously to avoid burning it.
  • When the tomato is well fried, add the chicken stock (meat water).
  • Add the blended ginger/garlic, a teaspoon each of curry and thyme, two teaspoons of salt.
  • Add 4 cups of water also, taste, add salt to taste.
  • Add one seasoning cube. Stir and taste, you want it overly spiced. The rice will take some of it away.
  • Allow to boil before adding the parboiled rice.
  • Add the remaining half of the tomato that you removed initially.
  • Then just cook till the rice is soft.
  • Turn evenly and serve with the fried chicken.
  • NOTE: If you don’t want your jollof rice to start burning before it is well cooked, you need to remove some fried tomatoes before adding the rice. Then add it later.

Notes

The national dish of Nigeria is jollof rice.
Read the comments below.
Keyword Jollof rice recipe, National dish of Nigeria, Nigerian Foods

38 Comments

Rosemary Okeli
Reply

Well, it is Nigeria rice and it’s a yummm meal

August 16, 2022
Tosin
Reply

Rice all the way

December 27, 2019
Vicky
Reply

I think GARRI is. There’s no Nigerian home without garri. Its also affordable for both the rich and the poor, making it more accessible to all.
#myopinion

September 13, 2018
Vicky
Reply

Jollof rice is the most common in all parts of the country. I believe if there is any national dish, it is Jollof rice.

December 13, 2017
dauda funmi
Reply

jollof rice and eba with egusi soup

November 7, 2016
Oluwaseun
Reply

ofcourse rice in any form, be it jollof, fried, coconut, concotion etc becos there is no home in Nigeria that don’t cook rice.

November 1, 2016
foluke adekunle
Reply

It’s jollof rice oo because witout it occasion is not complete

October 24, 2016
RUTH
Reply

It’s joll of rice and eba,because it cut across all tribe.My opinion.

October 23, 2016
RUTH
Reply

It is joll of rice and eba.Because it cut across all tribe.My opinion.

October 23, 2016
joy okwechime
Reply

Nigerian dish is rice,be it jollof rice,fried rice,white rice with sauce or stew,etc

October 22, 2016
Favy
Reply

I agree wit dos that said jollof rice.I think is quiet popular to every tribe in nigeria

October 22, 2016
hafsat
Reply

I think it is rice and stew

October 20, 2016
ESTHER
Reply

its jollof rice, coz does not require much ingredients, people for any class can afford it,without any due process nd it makes every bdy happy

October 20, 2016
Debbie
Reply

Huh tough one Chidi but I think its egusi and pounded yam.

October 20, 2016
ife
Reply

I think it is rice cause it’s cooked by all.

October 19, 2016
star
Reply

Nigerian dish is jollof rice and pepper soup is the favorite i know of.

October 19, 2016
Omowunmi
Reply

Nigerian dish is absolutely jolly for rice. It is available in every occasion.

October 18, 2016
Joseph
Reply

swallow and egwusi soup coz almost if not all tribes eat it

October 18, 2016
Folasade
Reply

The National dish of Nigeria is jollof rice any day anytime.

October 18, 2016
Rozy
Reply

I agree that it is jollof rice because it is present in all occasions in anywhere in Nigeria, whether small or big party

October 18, 2016
Amina
Reply

I think jollof rice or any dish with rice as the main ingredient.let just say rice.there is no ethnic group in Nigeria that doesnt eat rice.

October 18, 2016
Blessing
Reply

Rice, anytime of rice, jollof, fried, white etc, but preferably JOLLOF RICE, is Nigerian National Food. My opinion.

October 18, 2016
YHEMISI
Reply

Its definitely JOLLOF RICE, reason been that there is absolutely no party you will go to here in Nigeria that they wont prepare jollof, to the extent that Nigerians and Ghanaian s are still arguing on whose jollof rice is the best. I LOVE JOLLOF RICE.

October 18, 2016
patricia
Reply

well, we have alot of national dishes ranging from the one, the only jollificate, then we have egusi, amala, egufe and the bean soup,gbegiri, October and ofada. at most occasions these meals, maybe not all, are a plenty. Hmmm… yum! now am hungry. great job doll face.

October 18, 2016
Legbel Eja
Reply

I think rice is a general most eaten cereal in Nigeria, so it can go as the national food. It could be prepared differently depending on ethnic groups or regions. It is eaten by every body who calls him/herself a Nigerian.

October 18, 2016
Ruth
Reply

The food every Nigerian will reach out for first is jollof rice, then white rice and stew

October 18, 2016
Alika
Reply

I think is rice generally, it can be in any form, jellof, fried white rice, kwuskwus, tuwo rice etc. But rice it is in any occassion or event in Nigeria.

October 18, 2016
Rita
Reply

I think i will go with dose dat said jollof rice bcos dat s a food dat almost all Nigerians cooks in every occasion. Every other one has particular pple dat love it more than d other

October 18, 2016
Okoro
Reply

I would go with jollof rice too but EBA plus egiusi is a lot more popular in Nigerian homes.

October 18, 2016
ADEKOYA
Reply

I think it’s actually jollof Rice, every part of Nigerian tribe cooks it either as concoction or richly flavoured

October 18, 2016
EHITA
Reply

oh my it’s so JOLLOF RICE without controversy

October 18, 2016
William Lewis
Reply

Akara.

October 18, 2016
Malvina
Reply

Definitely `JOLLOF RICE’ every region cooks JOLLOF rice with their own special twist which is indigenous to them.

October 17, 2016
Rita
Reply

I will think its EBA and eguisi soup. Its loved and cooked by all ethnic group in Nigeria. So,i’ll go with it.

October 17, 2016
Osondu joy
Reply

Nigerian national delicacy is Jolof rice, reason being dat there’s hardly an occasion in all parts of d country without jolof rice. So I tag it Nigerian national delicacy! #myopinion.

October 17, 2016
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

I suppose you are right. Jollof rice is the national dish of Nigeria. I would love to hear what others have to say.

October 18, 2016
Nelson
Reply

I love a Nigerian dishes and I don’t think there is a national dish. If there is, it would probably be fried rice and salad

October 16, 2016
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Nelson, thanks for your opinion, I would like to read what other are thinking.

October 17, 2016

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