This super-delicious one-pot Nigerian fried rice recipe will fill your belly with warmth and flavor! Enjoy this meal during special occasions, dinner or lunch.
Nigerian fried rice is a popular dish served during weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. Traditional Nigerian fried rice includes shrimp/prawns, liver, peas, carrots and sweetcorn.
It is usually served buffet style alongside jollof rice, moin moin, coleslaw, fried fish, swallow and more. Most people go for jollof rice only, others have half a plate of fried rice and half a plate of jollof rice (the best of both worlds) and some go for fried rice only. I must admit that I usually go for jollof rice but this recipe has completely changed my mind!
What is the Difference Between Nigerian Fried Rice and Fried Rice?
What’s the main difference between Nigerian fried rice and other types of fried rice? The main difference is that Nigerian fried rice uses thyme and curry and sometimes adds liver as the source of protein.
While you are free to make this dish in your own way, we encourage you to follow our recipe below so you can understand what makes Nigerian fried rice unique!
Ingredients Used to Make Nigerian Fried Rice
For this recipe you will need:
- White rice
- Tiger prawns/large shrimp which add a delicious fishy flavour
- Fried liver (diced) has a lovely meaty texture
- Onions for flavour
- Mixed vegetables (peas, carrots and sweetcorn) to add some freshness
- Chicken stock gives the rice a delicious chicken flavour
- Seasoning (curry powder, chicken stock cube, thyme, salt and pepper) to enhance the flavor of all of the ingredients
- Vegetable oil
How I Cook One-Pot Nigerian Fried Rice
There are lots of different ways to make Nigerian fried rice. I choose to cook all my ingredients in one pot. While others choose to part-boil the rice and add it in with the veggies, shrimp and liver at the end. I prefer cooking everything together because I find it easier and the results are always delicious!
- Firstly, heat a splash of vegetable oil in a medium sized saucepan. Once the oil is hot, add 2 cups of tiger prawns/large shrimp. Season with salt to taste, pepper to taste and cook on each side for 3 minutes or until done. Remove the prawns from the saucepan and set aside for later.
- Fry ½ a cup of liver in the same saucepan, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then cook for 4-6 minutes or until brown. Remove the liver from the saucepan and set aside for later as well.
- Add ½ an onion (chopped) to the same saucepan (add more oil if necessary). Add 2 cup of mixed vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then cook for 4-6 minutes (don’t let them get to soft). Remove the vegetables from the saucepan and set aside for later.
- Pour 2 cups of chicken stock into the same saucepan. Season the stock with, 2 chicken stock cubes (Knorr), 2-3 tsp of curry powder, 1 tsp of thyme, salt to taste, pepper to taste and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and then leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add 3 cups of washed rice to the chicken stock mixture and stir. Make sure that the rice is covered by the mixture (if not add some water). Cook for about ten minutes and check from time to time and add water if necessary. The rice should almost be done. Then add the mixed vegetables, liver, prawns and stir. Finally, leave to simmer for another 2-5 minutes or until the rice is soft. Serve as desired!
What to Serve with Nigerian Fried Rice?
Nigerian fried rice is traditionally served with protein e.g. chicken, beef or fish and sides such as moin moin, coleslaw or plantain.
Top Tips When Making Nigerian Fried Rice
- Nigerian fried rice is notorious for going off quickly because it includes so many vegetables. For this reason, it is important to make sure that it stays refrigerated and is not left out.
- Keep and eye on the rice while it is cooking and make sure there is always enough water so that it does not burn. However, you don’t want too much water because then the rice will be too soft.
- Make sure you clean and de-vein the shrimp!
Storage Options
You can store leftover Nigerian fried rice in the fridge for up to a week. If you want it to last even longer, you can put it in a freezer bag. When you go to thaw it out, you can add it to some hot water or slowly heat it up in your favourite pan.
Related Posts
- Nigerian Jollof Rice Recipe
- Moin Moin Recipe – Oven Baked and Foil Free
- How to Make Nigerian Puff Puff with Pepper
- Fried Plantain/Dodo From The Happy Foodie
One-Pot Nigerian Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups of white rice
- 2 cups of tiger prawns/large shrimp
- 1 cup of fried liver
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 2 cups of mixed vegetables
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 2-3 tsp of curry powder
- 2 chicken stock cubes
- 1 tsp of thyme
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Firstly, heat a splash of vegetable oil in a medium sized saucepan. Once the oil is hot, add 2 cups of tiger prawns/large shrimp. Season with salt to taste, pepper to taste and cook on each side for 3 minutes or until done. Remove the prawns from the saucepan and set aside for later.
- Fry ½ a cup of liver in the same saucepan, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then cook for 4-6 minutes or until brown. Remove the liver from the saucepan and set aside for later as well.
- Add ½ an onion (chopped) to the same saucepan (add more oil if necessary). Add 2 cup of mixed vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste. Then cook for 4-6 minutes (don’t let them get to soft). Remove the vegetables from the saucepan and set aside for later.
- Pour 2 cups of chicken stock into the same saucepan. Season the stock with, 2 chicken stock cubes (Knorr), 2-3 tsp of curry powder, 1 tsp of thyme, salt to taste, pepper to taste and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and then leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add 3 cups of washed rice to the chicken stock mixture and stir. Make sure that the rice is covered by the mixture (if not add some water). Cook for about ten minutes and check from time to time and add water if necessary. The rice should almost be done. Then add the mixed vegetables, liver, prawns and stir. Finally, leave to simmer for another 2-5 minutes or until the rice is soft. Serve as desired!
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