Delicious Jollof Couscous in 20 Minutes!

February 25, 2017 (Last Updated: December 23, 2019)

Inspired by one of West Africa’s favorite rice dishes, this Jollof couscous is a quick and easy recipe that you can whip up in less than 20 minutes!

Jollof Couscous in 20 Minutes! - Enjoy!

Hello people of the world! Today I have for you one of the most impressive, fancy looking but easy recipes to share. The world has recently begun to awaken to the wonder that is Jollof rice. Jollof rice, a dish that is traditional to West Africa and has multiple variations across different countries is one of the most famous food exports initially from Senegal’s Wollof tribe as thieboudienne. This legendary dish has evolved into different interpretations leading to a eternal, epic, yet fun rivalry between the Ghanaian and Nigerian versions, even resulting  in versions from Gambia and Liberia and even the controversial  Jamie Oliver interpretation. Our goal today isn’t to end that war, but instead to throw another interesting variation into the mix. For those who have had the privilege of experiencing the deliciousness that is Jollof rice, for those who have never had Jollof rice, but want to jazz up their meals, for those who don’t really care… for anyone who can eat food, this jollof couscous recipe is for you!

Jollof Couscous in 20 Minutes! - Jollof couscous garnished with grape tomatoes and green onions with a plate of goat meat on the side

Inspired by what might arguably be West Africa’s favorite rice dish: Jollof rice, this Jollof couscous is a mouth watering, quick and easy recipe that you can whip up in less than 20 minutes, and have all your guests (or just you, nothing wrong with making some good food for just yourself, I do that all the time) thinking that you are some type of kitchen genius… which you are of course. Just be careful to never claim that you have finally won the title of jollof champion, especially around West Africans. Their eternal defense of their beloved dish will not be trifled with!

Jollof Couscous in 20 Minutes! - Sauteing onions and tomato paste in a pot, adding peppers, onions and chicken broth to simmer, adding rice to complete dish

Jollof Couscous in 20 Minutes! - top view of Jollof couscous garnished with grape tomatoes and green onions and goat meat on the side

Jollof Couscous in 20 Minutes! - Enjoy!
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5 from 1 vote

Jollof Couscous

Inspired by one of West Africa's favorite rice dishes, this Jollof couscous is a quick and easy recipe that you can whip up in less than 20 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 510kcal
Author: Yummy Medley

Ingredients

  • 2 cups instant couscous
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 small bell pepper or 1/2 large bell pepper
  • 1 habanero pepper omit if you do not like spicy food
  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp chicken bullion
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Blend the bell pepper and habanero pepper till it is smooth and set aside.
  • In a deep pan on medium heat, heat up the oil for about a minute, and saute the onions until it is translucent. Add in the tomato paste and keep sauteing for two minutes or until the tomato paste is mostly broken down. Be careful not to burn the tomato paste (turn down the heat if you need to).
  • Add in the blended peppers, and keep sauteing the mixture until most of the water is evaporated, and the sauce resembles a loose paste (approximately 5 minutes).
  • Stir in the bullion, thyme and bay leaf and saute for another minute.
  • Pour in the broth, and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. At this point, taste the sauce for salt and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
  • Take the sauce off the heat and immediately pour in the couscous. Stir to make sure the couscous is covered in the sauce, cover, and set aside.
  • Let the couscous sit in the pan for about 5 minutes, and then fluff the couscous gently with two forks to distribute the mixture evenly .

Notes

While the couscous is still warm, you can fluff in green onions and grape tomatoes with it to add in extra freshness.

Jollof Couscous in 20 Minutes! - Jollof couscous garnished with grape tomatoes and green onions and goat meat on the top

Jollof Couscous in 20 Minutes! - hands presenting Jollof couscous garnished with grape tomatoes, green onions and goat meat

 

 

5 Comments

  • Reply
    KitKat
    February 28, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    Now, did you use store bought chicken broth or home made? I find there is a difference in taste. If store bought, what brand? And do you add your own spices to it as well to embody the flavor you are going for?

    • Reply
      Ms. Yum
      March 2, 2017 at 9:35 am

      I actually used store bought broth to simplify the process. I used the trader joes organic chicken broth and I didn’t fortify it with anything extra. You can always add more or less seasoning to your taste. Be careful of salt though, I will start with less salt and adjust as needed before adding the couscous.

  • Reply
    Yum Girl
    March 5, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    Welcome to Yum Goggle! We are following you on all your social media and hope you will follow us back. We will try our best to tag you each time we promote your posts. Kelli at YG!

  • Reply
    Danielle
    September 16, 2021 at 12:48 pm

    5 stars
    Salut, Lois! We cooked your recipe in my sixth grade French class today as we have been learning about Western Africa and couscous as a staple of cuisine. They loved the flavors and most students asked for seconds. Thank you for sharing!

  • Reply
    Loic
    January 31, 2022 at 5:04 am

    Hey, that looks so good. What’s the delicious meat recipe you served on top?

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