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| Nigerian Fried Rice with fried chicken fillets |
Nigerian fried rice is one of the most popular rice recipes in Nigeria. It has become a big party favorite and one of the most sought after delicacies in any festive gathering.
Unlike other Nigerian rice recipes, the Fried rice is prepared by stir frying seasoned precooked rice with a mixture of vegetables and cooked proteins(meat/chicken or prawns).
I love Nigerian fried Rice and know you would too☺
Video recipe here
Nigerian Fried Rice Ingredients:
- 500g long grain white Rice
- 500ml Chicken or Turkey stock/broth
- 100g Cow Liver (use beef as a substitute)
- 2 large Carrots
- 1 handful Green Peas or Runner Beans
- 1 large Green bell pepper
- 1 Onion bulb
- 2-3 tablespoonful Curry Powder
- 1 teaspoonful Garlic Powder
- ½ tablespoonful Black or white pepper (optional)
- 2- 3 Cooking spoonful Vegetable Oil
- 2 stock cube or bouillon cube for Seasoning
- Salt (to taste)
For serving the Fried Rice:
- 500g Chicken/Turkey thighs or drumsticks
- 1 teaspoon thyme(for cooking the chicken)
- 1 teaspoon curry (for cooking the chicken)
- 1 stock cube (for cooking the chicken)
- A few onion slices (for cooking the chicken)
Cooking Directions
1. If you don’t have stock, you can easily prepare a tasty stock by cooking the Chicken
Simply, Place the Chicken in a pot, add 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon curry, 1 stock cube and onion slices;
Add a little water and cook the chicken for 10 minutes. Then add more water and cook until done.
The liquid left after cooking the chicken, is your stock. Pour the stock into a Strainer to remove tiny chicken bones and any other particles in it; then set the stock aside for later use.
You can now go ahead and fry or grill the chicken.
2. Wash and place the cow liver in a pot, add seasoning cube and salt to taste; Cook the liver for 10 minutes, then when cooled, cut into cubes and set aside.
Liver can also be fried , before cutting into cubes.
Tip: If you can’t stand liver, you can use fried beef , chicken or shrimps as a substitute.
3. Parboil the Rice using the method HERE; then place in a sieve to drain out excess water.
Tip: Parboiling helps to reduce the starchy content of the rice which makes the grains to clump together when cooking.
The next step is to prepare the Vegetables
4a. Wash all the vegetables.
Dice the onion & set aside ;
b. Peel the carrots & cut into small cubes.
c. Remove the seeds of the green bell peppers & cut into small cubes. Tip: Although fresh veggies are the best for Nigerian fried rice, frozen vegetables can also be used(after thawing).
d. Place the carrots & green peas in boiling water for 5 minutes, strain out and place in a bowl of cold water, leave to cool in the water, then pour into
a sieve and set aside.
Tip: this method is called blanching. It helps to par-boil the vegetables without cooking it through, thereby cutting down the stir-frying process. It also helps to preserve the vibrant color of the vegetables.
5a . Place the reserved chicken stock into a large pot and bring to a boil. The stock should be at almost the same level as the rice, so that it dries up completely when the rice is done.
You can add some water if the stock won’t be enough to cook the Rice.
b. As the stock begins to boil, add the parboiled rice, seasoning cubes(stock cubes), curry powder, garlic powder, onions and salt to taste. Leave to cook on medium heat until it’s done.
TIP; The cooked rice should not be soggy or too tender and the grains shouldn’t stick together either.
You can Pour out the cooked rice into a wider pot and set aside.
6. Heat up the vegetable oil; add the carrots, peas, green bell pepper and diced liver/meat; then add a little white/black pepper, a garlic, curry &seasoning cube to taste.. stir fry for 1 min and pour into a bowl.
The Rice is going to be fried in small batches, so you’ll have to divide the stir-fried vegetables into equal portions. The size of your frying pan/wok will determine how many portions you will have.
7. Pour a portion of the stir-fried mix into the frying pan; add the cooked rice and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
Tip: Do not overcrowd the pan, make sure there is a little space in the pan so that you can move the rice around the pan for even distribution of heat.
Repeat this process for the remaining rice and veggie mix.
Now your Nigerian Fried Rice is Ready to be served with Moi- moi ,Fried plantains, Fried or grilled turkey/ fish/beef/Chicken or any meat of your choice. ENJOY!
You might also like these variation of fried rice:
Frequently Asked Questions About the Nigerian Fried Rice
Q1. While cooking the Nigerian fried rice, why did you fry the rice in batches?
A1: Frying the rice is what actually gave it the name ”Fried Rice”, so to make sure that all the grains get fried equally, it is best to fry in small batches. Frying in batches also helps to separate the rice grains and
gets all the ingredients and spices into every grain of rice, making it
taste better.
Q2. I have a very big frying pan, should I fry all the rice at once?
A2: If you have a big frying pan like the type used for cooking at big events ”agbari ojukwu” or ”Osi ite”, then you can try to fry it in
larger portions, but not all at once. The idea is to make sure that
every single grain gets fried.So for Nigerian Fried Rice, be patient and fry in small batches, your guest and family will thank you for your effort ☺.
Q3: Apart from the liver, are there any other alternatives meat that I can use for cooking Nigerian Fried Rice?
A3: There are several meat to choose from.You can usede-boned chicken, turkey or beef, that has been cooked and fried. I have tried each of these meat for making Nigerian Fried rice and they all came out delicious. So if you don’t like a particular meat, try using any of the above.
Q4: How do I preserve or store left over Nigerian Fried Rice,so that I can enjoy it again,without cooking from scratch?
A4: To enjoy your Nigerian Fried Rice over again, store it in an air -tight container, in the freezer(not fridge) within two hours of cooking the food. It will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer
– Don’t wait until the Rice has gone badbefore placing it into your freezer.
– Do not put a hot meal in the freezer, let the Nigerian Fried Rice cool completely before storing it.
So whenever you need it, just defrost and warm it up in the microwave.
I just said a silent ”thank you” to William Cullen and Percy Spencer for inventing refrigeration & Microwaving ☺.
Q5: Whenever I cook Nigerian Fried Rice, It always goes bad within 8 hours of cooking, How do I keep it from going stale before all my guest leaves?
A5: This is one question I get all the time, so I’ll share how I keep mine fresh for longer periods .
No matter how delicious your Fried rice turns out, it doesn’t stay fresh for too long.
The Nigerian Fried Rice does go bad quickly but you can still preserve it, so that you can enjoy it for longer hours.
– First, after frying the rice, do not place a lid over it immediately; Allow the steam to evaporate for a few minutes before transferring it into a food warmer.
– When serving the Nigerian Fried Rice, try to dish out the food from one side of the pot or food warmer ;don‘t stir the rice at every serve. From past experiences, I noticed that the side that doesn’t get touched, stays fresh for a longer period.
Hope these FAQs has been able to help you.
Enjoy your meal ☺
Related Recipes
* All Rice Recipes
* How to Cook Nigerian Coconut Rice
* Nigerian Rice and Beans: How to cook Nigerian Jollof Rice and Beans
* How to Parboil long grain white Rice(Nigerian method)
* Jollof Rice : How to Cook Nigerian Party Jollof Rice
Please leave your comments, doubts, questions and success stories below
☺Bon Appetit
By Nky Lily Lete
Please ma, can I add habanero pepper to my fried rice, and what type of Curry powder should I use?
Author
Hello Favour, yes you can add habanero pepper to you fried rice if you like a lot of heat
and I like to use ducross for the old skool taste, but tiger curry(euroma)
is also good for fried rice.
If you’re cooking for 8 people will you use the same amount of ingredients as listed
Author
Hi Joyce, this recipe will serve 5 adults
I followed the steps and it came out perfect. Thank you Lily for sharing. Everyone loved it ?.
Looking forward to trying more recipes here
Author
Hello Mary, thanks for taking the time to leave a feedback.
I am so glad to be of help and very happy you and your people enjoyed the fried rice recipe.
I’ll be looking forward to hear from you as you try out other recipes.
Compliments of the season 🙂
Thanks ma’am, i finally get to know how to cook my best food. My Wife and I tried making it on her birthday, we used your recipe and it came out perfect. tasted great.
Thanks you so much.
Author
Hello Baller Biola , you are so welcome
I’m glad that you can finally prepare fried rice.
It’s also one of my favorite food too-
Thanks for your nice feedback.
Thank you so much ma’am.
I used your recipe fewcminutes ago and it came out perfect. Though, I was being careful with the ingredients being my first time preparing the dish, it still tasted great.
Thank you so much. I am sure trying a new dish next weekend.
Author
Hi Yewande, I am so glad you enjoyed the fried rice recipe.
Now you have made it once, you will always prepare it without fear-
Thanks for your lovely feedback and hope to see more of you on the website 🙂
Thanks ma’am for dis wonderful step to step method
Pls can I add fried rice spice
Author
Thanks Honey Drop. The recipe is perfect as it is,
but if you would like extra flavour you can use your fried rice spice in place of the spices in the recipe.
Hi ma, I tried the fried rice on my Son’s birthday this week and lo and behold everybody eat , requested more, my husband even told me that “so I know I how to cook like this nd have not made me to savour this all this while”. Merci beaucoup and may God honor you. A question, do u have a restaurant in Lagos?.
Author
Hi Flora, thanks for your lovely feedback.I¡m so glad you all enjoyed it.
I live in Spain at the moment, so no restaurant yet 🙂
Hope to hear more from you and keep on surprising them with great food-
God Bless you too hun.
wow!sis,you're doing a great job here.i tried the pie and it was marvelous even my husband love it.but i have to turn the upper part so as to make it bake. please why or was it cos i use stove for it
Author
Thanks for the feedback Ceccy, as for the pie, you’ll have to check your oven settings. Some ovens come with both an upper and lower burner, maybe yours only has the lower type.
This was so helpful! Made my first ever solo attempt at fried rice yesterday, and I did not regret it. ? thank you!
Same here dear. Believe me it cam out so great
Author
Thanks for the feedback.
Nky can I add spring onions and green beans to my fried rice
Author
Of course Ogechi, you can add spring onions and green beans to Nigerian fried rice.
I find this method very resourceful… I am going to try and cook it for the first time, I just hope i don't burn the whole house down… Thanks though
Author
Lol..Trust me you won’t burn the house, just follow the recipe as it is.
Enter your comment…if I don't want to use chicken cn I use fish and wat makes d rice change its colour
Author
Ife you can use fish, the color changes due to the stock added.
Thank you… This 's really helpful.. But pls, when I cook the parboiled rice with D stock , must it be 100% cooked before I fry?
Author
Yes Anu, it should be 100% cooked before I stirfry.
Interesting,I so much love this and will try it soon,welldone ma'am.
Author
Thanks Wuraola.
Thanks dearie,u have been so helpful,I will sure try it this christmas
Author
You’re welcome Charity and hope you enjoyed your christmas.
can i use short grain rice
Yes ,as long as it is not the sticky type.
Kudos! My question is am I going to pour vegetable oil inside the pan whenever I want to fry the rice in batches?
No Joke, the stir fried veggies you made in step 6 already has enough oil. So whenever you pour in a little of the veggie, you're also adding some of the oil that was stir fried with it.
Kudos! My question is am I going to pour vegetable oil inside the pan whenever I want to fry the rice in batches?
You have made me an excellent cook.God bless you
I'm glad to be of help Anabel 🙂
I really enjoyed reading this. it's similar to how my mum cooks hers, buh I've learnt why some things are done the way they're done. My fiancé is coming to visit me soon nd he requested that I cook fried rice for him (like d one I cooked sometime ago), I was so happy, cos he is not "a food person", that request meant a lot to me.Ma I noticed u didn't mention Sweet corn nd Spring onions, hope it's OK if I include it in my own fried rice.
Yes it is ok, you can include it
I tried your method and the fried rice was very tasty. Thank you so much.
You're welcome
Thank you so much for your step-by-step fried rice recipe. I have been preparing fried rice forever but your method sure put all my other methods to shame! It turned out AWESOME and my kids could not get enough. Kudos to you on your wonderful tips to all of us!!
Thanks for your sweet feedback, I'm so glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
Thanks ma'am. Planning to prepare fried rice this Easter for the first time. I pray it comes out well..
I assure you, it will :)I'll be expecting your feedback
Tanks maam .i intend cooking fried rice for the first time dis Easter.. I pray ur method comes out well…
Hello. Am a Foodie and I love cooking. I always make my fried rice with tomatoes but tonight I am going to try your style. I hope to have a wonderful outcome. The article is well detailed and helpful. Thanks
Hiprimadonna, good have another foodie here. I'm sure you will have a wonderful outcome, go ahead and read all the feedback from people, its a full proofed recipe 🙂
wow!!! serious this your site dear is one in a million, i just came across this from Google and i never regret visiting, pls i want to prepare chapman but i dont know were to find orange bitters or angostura bitters, what should i use in place of them. tanx. …..Sam….
Thanks Sam, there are no EXACT substitute for angostura bitters, but you can make use of any other bitters you find, but prepare a little quantity first, if you like it, then go ahead and make as much as you want.
This site is wonderful I must commend.. I tried ur recipe and it tastes like i've been cooking for years. Thank you
Thanks for your lovely feedback Riskat 🙂
Thanks so much! i hope to give my parents a jolly suprise
🙂
I love the way you explained every step. I will cook it on christmas day. Thanks
You're welcome Joy 🙂 🙂
I`m a man that likes cooking. I have now learnt new cooking skills.Thanks to your site.
Yummy
please how can i make the fried rice without chicken……i want to make fried rice and sausages
Add the sausages after stir-frying the rice and veggies together.
Wooow Nky thanks love for sharing this in a step-by-step form. I will now try out my fried rice to impress "her" 😛 I hope it doesnt turn to "Flied Rice"…lol
You're welcome Timox, just follow the recipe as it is and you will surely wow her. And dont worry the rice wont be ''flied''.. lol
I tried your recipe on friday for my husband's birthday and it came our really nice. Thanks. I'm glad I discovered your blog. Will try my hands on other food recipes.
Thanks for your lovely feedback dearie 🙂
Thanks much,pls which is white or black pepper?
Ask the ladies that sell spices, they will point it to you.It always comes in powdered form.
I tried it on my bday nd it came out fine, tanchu very much. U rock gal
You rock too sweetie, thanks for the feedback 🙂
I've always wanted to make fried rice and i finally did following your steps and hola! people loved it and wanted more? You have no idea how that made me feel. Thanks alot
Thanks for your lovely feedback dearie, you are welcome 🙂
I've always wanted to make fried rice and I finally did following your steps and hola! people loved it and wanted more? You have no idea how that made me feel. Thanks alot
Do you know that you are one of the best cooks I've ever known, not only that, you are also a good tutor when it comes to cooking, the rice came out exactly as you said it would, and I was surprised at the turn out… I couldn't believe I could ever make something like that… Foe that, I'm very grateful.. Keep it up ?..
Thanks dearie, You just made my day with your lovely comment 🙂
Super cool!!! Off to try it now!
Keep me posted 🙂
Thank you so much for the recipes I always use them anytime I'm cooking especially fried rice and they are always coming out good. Thank you and God blwss you.
🙂
Thank you so much for these recipes, I really enjoyed using them anytime I want to cook those stuffs especially fried rice and they are always coming out very good.Thank you once again,God bless you.
You're welcome sweetie, thanks for your lovely feedback 🙂
I found this site very helpful and for the very first time I made fried rice following all the laid down procedures here….It was perfect. Thanks!
Hi Naomi, I'm so glad you enjoyed it, hope you tryout more recipes and keep me updated.
Great work. Preparing fried rice is now at anyone's finger tips.
Thanks 🙂
Oh thanks Nky! You're so good. God bless you and your family abundantly. now i can get my red cabbage and coloured pasta. May you continue to prosper in all you do.
Amen , I'm glad to be of help 🙂
I love ds site keep d gd work d Lord is ur strength
Thanks hun 🙂
I appreciate ur recipe.am gonna blow my wife's mind with this recipe dis xmas.many thanks and do v happy fried rice xmas.cheers.
I'm sure you would dearie. LOL, also wishing you a happy fried rice xmas 🙂
Good day and thanks so much for your good work. Please i want to find out something. I ate salad that was prepared with pink and green coloured spring macroni, purple coloured leaf, beef and the normal salad ingredients. Please help me. How was it prepared, i mean the pink and green macroni. Was the colour added or how is it prepared. Thanks and God bless you abundantly. Merry Christmas!
Hi dear, it's nothing out of this world :)The macaroni is known as ''colored pasta'' and can be found at the stores.The purple leaf is known as ''red cabbage'', which is the purple specie of cabbage.You boil the macaroni and add it to the remaining salad ingredients, and that's all 🙂
Pls ma, some add spices to it to make it green…witout spices can it work out well? Cos I notice spices wasn't among d ingredients
The curry and chicken stock is what gives the rice it's color.You can add extra spices if you like. You can also blend 2 large green bell peppers and add to the chicken stock, this will give the rice a greener color.
how do i add curry to my rice and when
Please read the recipe, you'll see how and when curry was added.
Nice recipe,eager to try it….
You¡ll surely love it 🙂
Why do I need to keep refrying? Can't I just put the veggies into the pot and cook it with the rest of the rice?
Hi dearie, that's why it is called '' fried rice'' 🙂
Why do I have to keep refrying? Can't I just put the veggies into the pot and cook it with all of the rice?
I love this…… cudos to you ma!
thanks dearie 🙂
Thank's Ma'am this will realy help me, pls oh can i had magarine and green colour to it.
You don't need to color the rice, add more curry if you need it colored and I have never added margarine to my fried rice, but feel free to experiment if you want to.
Really nice job, I commend your effort.
Thanks 🙂
Yummy
Thanks 🙂
I'l av to try ds out….tanx xo much 4 ds
you're welcome, I'll be expecting your feedback.
Just followed your recipe, very straight forward and outcome was delicious ?. I'm not a Nigerian but am taking my time to learn new recipes. I look forward to trying a few more. Thank you kindly madam.
Thanks for your lovely feedback dearie, and I hope to hear more as you try other recipes on our website 🙂
I'm so enjoying ur site. Well done!!!
Thanks Zezy 🙂
Good job Lily I noticed u didn't mention nor use onion…… Is it not necessary?
Thanks hun, the onions is optional, but feel free to add some if you want to. Spring onions is mostly used for fried rice because its give it a unique taste 🙂
WONDERFUL DEAR
thanks hun 🙂
Wonderful
Thanks 🙂
Thank you for this amazing post.
you're welcome dear 🙂
Nice one ma'am, but do you mean after the rice is parboiled, i just have to fry it with the veggie mix and no more further cooking/boiling cos i nid to try this, thanks.
Hi dear, check step 3 and 5. In step 3 the rice was first parboiled and then cooked thoroughly in step 5. Hope you are cleared now.
I just finish making this for the first time with your recipee….Thanks a lot and God bless you.
Thanks for your feedback dear, God bless you too 🙂
Nice one ma'am, but do u mean after the rice is parboiled, i just have to fry it with the veggie mix and no more further cooking/boiling cos i nid to try this, thanks.
Hi dear, check step 3 and 5. In step 3 the rice was first parboiled and then cooked thoroughly in step 5. Hope you are cleared now.
10ks dear Lily, 4 a job well done. More power 2 ya elbow! But I'll lyk 2 knw; Do I hv 2 add oil to stir-fry d veggie mix nd cooked rice? If yes, wot qty? Thanks nd God bless.-Ifeoma-
Hi Ifeoma, sorry for the late response. You have to add about a cooking spoonful of oil to stir fry the veggie mix, before adding the cooked rice.
HellllllLo,I just made a bootilicious,delicious,orgasmic(pardon dat) fried riiiiiiice!!! It turned out excellently superb.I can't believe it!! And everyone loved it.thanks,thanks,thanks. Oh' and I used diced hot dog instead of liver or meat
Lol..you're welcome dear 🙂
Nice
Thanks 🙂
Thank u very much for bringing out your time to teach us how to cook delicious food like this, but i think i can boil the liver with meat i will use in cooking inorder to save time
You're welcome dear and yes you can boil the liver with the meat or chicken 🙂
Thanks a lot ma……please i want you to guide me on how to make orange juice.
Orange juice is easy to make. A cheap manual or electric orange squeezer can do the job. Simply cut the orange into two equal parts and place on the squeezer, squeeze and your orange juice 🙂
Hi, really appreciate your effort, pls can i use frozen vegetable for fried rice? if yes how do i go about it? thanks
Hi Rose, you can make use of frozen vegetables for fried rice.Simply pour the veggies into boiling water(no need to defrost), parboil for 2 minutes and strain.
good evening!!i love ur receipt !!but i need ur help please!!can u let me know wich ingredient can i use if i dont have cocoyam paste??it is very difficult to find!! thank u!!
good evening !!love ur receipt!! i need ur help! what can i use if i dont have cocoyam paste??is very difficult to find it!! thank u so much!!
Hi Karol, I guess you mean the cocoyam paste used for bitter leaf soup and ofe owerri. Well you can easily get cocoyam flour at any African or Carribean store,use a written in the packet Thanks for stopping by dear 🙂
tanks i appreciate d recipe,once again a big tanks 2 web
You're welcome dear 🙂
tanks i appreciate d recipe,once again a big tanks 2 web
You're welcome dear 🙂
you are a God send. I'm not Nigerian but I'm married to one. I'm visiting Nigeria soon and I'm expexted to cook so this website is going to be my bible. Practice and practice till I am perfect! Please post something on how to fry a perfect meat, chicken etc for jollof and fried rice xx
Yes dear , practice make perfect. Feel free to contact me and ask any questions too… I will get those recipes up as soon as possible 🙂
My wife & I cooked fried rice this Christmas & you wouldn't believe it. I came out awesome.. Thanks for the tip.. We wish we could share the picture… Merry Christmas & a prosperous new year ahead
Thanks for the feedback dear, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe, please feel free to share you pics anytime on our facebook page or send by mail to me at [email protected] .Merry Christmas & a prosperous new year to you and yours
I cooked it today & it came out well. I am so happy. Thank u for this.
Thanks for your feedback Yetunde.. you're a darling, hope you try out more of our recipes :), God bless you dearie
Gat to try dis….am very sure dey would like it. Tanks to u maaam
Oh they would dearie. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Awsome resipie
Thanks 🙂
Thanks for this
You're welcome dear 🙂
awesome write up!. thank you
Thanks dear 🙂
Very useful can i use an alternative rice
Very useful . Can i be able to use alternative rice instead of parboiled
Yes you can use an alternative Rice but the long grain vaporized rice are my favorite. What Rice do you have at home dear?
I just came across ur blog through google n I must say I'm so glad I did.going 2 bookmark it now.pls keep d good work n I love cooking.Claire
Thank you so much Claire, well appreciated dear 🙂
My birthday is coming up soon, i think i find this post helpful cos i want to do the cooking myself and i don't want to ask my friends. For once since i have been surfing the net for our naija style fried rice,i found a step by step guide. Madam you too much. Can you post anything on cake baking naija style too? It will be much appreciated.
I'm so glad you loved it. I promise you will WOW your friends with this recipe. As for the naija cake, I will post the recipe in a few days…subscribe by email to get notifications.. thanks for stopping by 🙂
Madam, you are so sweet. Your effort is so much appreciated
Thank you so much 🙂
Pls can I add sweetcorn to my fried rice?
Yes dear, you can add it while stir frying the vegetables.
Nice one. Just seeing dis for d first time. Pls ao can I be getting dis directly into my mail without missing out @all? Thanks.
Yes you can dear, simply go to the top right hand side of the page, add your email address and submit. This way, you'll get them as I post 🙂
Great job I really appreciate this site
Thanks 🙂
thanks alot i appreciate the recipe
You're welcome 🙂