How to make

What Makes Ghanaian Jollof Rice Special? It Starts with the Stew—and the Spices.

When it comes to Jollof rice, every West African country has its signature touch but Ghanaian Jollof is in a flavorful league of its own. What sets it apart? The rich, deeply spiced tomato stew base, built layer by layer with love, patience, and bold spices like anise seed (known in Ghana as Nikitikiti), bay leaf, garlic, and warm aromatics.

At the heart of a great Ghanaian Jollof is this stew. It’s not just sauce, it’s the foundation of flavor. And if your stew hits right, your Jollof will too.

Introducing Afromeals Ghanaian Spice Blend by Chef Gabi

Crafted by Chef Gabi, a Ghanaian-born culinary expert who understands the roots and rhythms of West African cooking, the Afromeals Ghanaian Spice Blend brings authentic flavor straight to your kitchen.

This all-natural blend features traditional Ghanaian spices including Nikitikiti (anise seed) that give the stew its distinctive aroma and depth. Whether you’re preparing your stew with chicken, beef, or going vegetarian, this spice blend instantly elevates your cooking and gives you that unmistakable Ghanaian taste.

Why the Stew Matters in Ghanaian Jollof

The secret to a winning Jollof isn’t just in the rice, it’s in the stew that seasons every grain. Ghanaian Jollof starts with a slow-cooked tomato base, enriched with onions, oil, and that magical spice blend. Once the stew is rich and flavorful, you add your rice and let it absorb all that goodness.

With Afromeals Ghanaian Spice Blend, your stew is already set up for success. It’s perfectly balanced to deliver the smoky, aromatic, slightly sweet and savory notes that define Ghanaian Jollof.

Ghanaian Jollof rice

My favorite rice, we looked forward to eating this delicious rice in Ghana during celebration and especially during Christmas with Chicken. Ghanaian Jollof rice is rice cooked in a delicious and flavorful tomato stew. The flavor of the stew seeps into the rice, giving the rice it’s bold reddish-orange color. This rice is Ghana is usually paired with meat, vegetables such as spinach stew (Kontomire) or salad. Enjoy making one of my all-time favorite rice dishes.

Ingredients

½ cup vegetable oil

3 Shallots (chopped)

1 red onions (chopped)

4 cloves garlic (whole)

2 scotch bonnet pepper or habanero pepper (optional)

5 Tomatoes (Chopped)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 Tablespoons (Chef Gabi’s Ghanaian spice blend)

2 Teaspoon Afromeals Jollof rice seasoning

1 Tablespoon Afromeals Curry

3 Maggie cubes or 1 tablespoon better than bouillon (chicken flavor)

2 cups Jasmine rice

2 cups Chicken broth

Directions

In a blender or a food processor, blend shallots, red onion, garlic, optional scotch bonnet pepper or habanero pepper and place it in a bowl. Blend fresh tomatoes separately and place that in a separate bowl. In a medium pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat, then add the blended onion and shallots. Stir over medium heat until onion shallot puree cooks down a bit for 5 minutes (talk about appearance). Add tomato paste and stir until it mixes completely with the onion puree. Continue to stir for 5 minutes or until the tomato paste starts to look grainy. Add the fresh tomato puree and stir to combine. Allow sauce to cook under medium low heat (dial 4 on cook top) for 15 minutes until tomatoes cook down. Add bouillon cubes, Ghanaian spice blend, Afromeals jollof rice seasoning and curry and allow stew to cook until there is a layer of oil on the surface of the stew, and the stick has thickened a bit. Taste for salt and adjust salt to taste if needed. Place jasmine rice in a bowl and wash the rice and drain the water from the rice. Repeat this process three times. Drain all the excess water from the washed rice. Use a spoon to scoop rice into stew and stir to combine. Add chicken broth, then stir to combine. Cover the pot with foil sheet to trap the steam in the pot. The steam cooks the rice. Once pot is completely covered with foil sheet, cover the pot with the lid and allow to cook under medium low heat. Check every 15 minutes to stir so that the top of the rice would cook as well. Make sure to cover the rice with the foil sheet and the lid after stirring. Allow to cook for another 35 minutes until rice is soft to bite. Serve with any preferred vegetables and or meat.

Note: If you would like your rice to cook a little longer, you can add 1 tablespoon to the bottom to the rice to create more steam to cook the rice even more. Once rice is done cooking. Remove turn of the heat or rice would over cook and become mushy.

Ghanaian Chicken Stew Recipe

Recipe Serves 5-6 people to pair with plantain

Ingredients

1 pound chicken Thigh (Bone out)

½ cup oil

4 Shallots

1 small red onion

6 plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 habanero pepper (optional)

4 cloves garlic

4 stalk fresh time

3 bay leaves

2 tablespoon Afromeals Ghanaian spice blend

1 tablespoon Afromeals Curry powder

1 star anise (optional)

2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (optional)

Salt to taste

Direction

 

Chicken Preparation

Rinse chicken thighs then drain water completely from chicken then cut it up into 1-inch pieces. Pat dry chicken with paper towel. Add salt or optional 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, then add 1 tablespoon of Chef Gabi’s Ghanaian spice blend to chicken then mix to combine. Allow chicken to marinate for 30 minutes, then sear chicken in a pan with ¼ cup vegetable oil over medium high heat. Sear chicken on both sides until brown on each side. (Note: chicken can be air fried or baked in the oven as well.). Once chicken is done remove it and place it in a dry bowl.

Stew preparation

In a blender blend, shallots, red onions, garlic, and optional habanero pepper and place in a bowl. Chop up plum tomatoes and blend as well and place it into another bowl. Using the same pan that chicken was seared in, add ¼ cup of vegetable oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add blended shallot and onion mix and stir for 2 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Stir until tomato paste becomes grainy. Add the fresh blended tomatoes and stir to combine. Cover pot and allow stew to simmer for 5 minutes over medium low heat. After the 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp of bouillon powder, 2 teaspoon of Chef Gabi’s Ghanaian spice blend, fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons curry powder, bay leaves and the (optional) star anise. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes over low heat, or until there is an oil layer on the surface of the stew. Add seared chicken and stir to combine. Allow stew to cook for another 5 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust with either salt or more chicken bouillon to taste. Serve with Waakye, rice, yam, potatoes or pasta.

Whether you’re cooking for Sunday dinner, a party, or just because you miss home, Afromeals Ghanaian Spice Blendmakes it easy to recreate the real taste of Ghana—with no shortcuts.

So next time you want to serve Jollof that tastes like Accra on a good day, start with the right stew, and make sure the spices are on point.

Start with Afromeals. Start with flavor. Start with Ghana.