This Nigerian Fried Recipe is unlike any fried rice you’ve ever tried. It has healthy meat, vegetables, grains, and the best herbs and spices! This can also be served with breakfast, main dishes, and stews.
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Don’t miss out on this healthy African side dish! Give it a try and realize how delicious it is.
How to Make Nigerian Fried Rice
Enjoy the rice with your favorite meat and vegetables for a delectable and nutritious meal!
Ingredients
Basmati rice
You may use other rice variants, but I highly suggest basmati rice. It has a loose, soft, and tender texture when cooked. I love using it for Jollof Rice!
Liquid stock
If you haven’t cooked rice with liquid stock before, then this is the perfect recipe to start with. Liquid stock is rich in flavor because of the meat or chicken used.
This has been my go-to ingredient for High-Protein Beans and Couscous!
Cow kidney
If you want to bite into something meaty and soft, then don’t forget to add cow kidneys. In fact, you can also use chicken, beef, or turkey for savory goodness.
Coconut oil
Fry the rice in oil with a high smoke point for better flavor. On the other hand, you may also consider cooking Coconut Fried Rice. It certainly tastes delicious!
Red onion
Use red onions to include pungency and spice in the rice. It also adds fragrance and texture for better quality. Moreover, remember to use leftover red onions for Breakfast Wraps!
Carrot
Carrots are certainly healthy, appetizing, and sweet vegetables that are perfect for fried rice for a tender texture. Did you know that you can make homemade carrot oil and powder?
Green beans
Green beans are fresh, crunchy, and starchy vegetables. Furthermore, they pair well with other rice toppings. I also use these as a garnish for Chicken Fried Bulgur too!
Garden peas
Green peas are savory juicy, and vibrantly colored ingredients that will also make the dish healthier and more tantalizing.
Asparagus
Asparagus has an earthy and mildly bitter flavor. In fact, it neutralizes the sweetness of the other ingredients.
Spring onions
Spring onions have a mix of sweet fresh, and pungent flavors. You will surely love the flavor they can add to the Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry!
Sweet corn
Sweet corn is a juicy and saccharine ingredient that gives fried rice a buttery and sweet flavor. Get the best fried rice with sweet corn from Corn on the Cob!
Bell peppers
Bell peppers are aromatic and sweet vegetables that can add crunch and fragrance to fried rice. Additionally, these always taste better in One-Pot Spaghetti and Moi Moi!
Scotch bonnet
The scotch bonnet can add a kick of spice to the fried rice. It balances all of the flavors and offers a richer taste. Store scotch bonnet properly so you always have something to add to fried rice!
Seasoning
I highly recommend mixed herbs, stock cubes (or all-purpose season), curry powder, bay leaf, and sea salt for the seasoning.
With these ingredients, you can ensure that you are cooking and serving only the best, tastiest, and healthiest fried rice ever!
Directions
Cook the basmati
- Boil assorted meat liquid and bay leaf in a pot over medium heat.
- Rinse the basmati rice with water several times until clean.
- Then, add the rice to the boiling stock.
- Season it with a stock cube, and leave it to steam until tender.
- Make sure to check the rice at regular intervals.
- After 15 minutes, check its texture and taste.
- Add more water if preferred, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Set it aside.
Fry the rice
- Heat oil in a pan or wok over medium fire.
- Saute the red onions and scotch bonnet using a spatula.
- Then, add the diced and cooked turkey, meat, or seafood of your choice.
- Allow it to fry for about 4 minutes or until the kidney turns slightly brown.
- Toss in the diced carrots, garden peas, and chopped asparagus.
- Season them with mixed herbs, curry powder, stock cube, and sea salt.
- Add in the mixed bell peppers and spring onions.
- Then, add in the cooked basmati rice.
- Finally, add the sweetcorn and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
By now, you have probably realized that fried rice is easier to make than it sounds. It really has all of the fried rice ingredients you could ask for, so it’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
Tips
How to Select and Store Fresh Ingredients
Carrots
Selection. Purchase carrots with vibrantly colored skin without cracks or splits. Moreover, fresher or larger carrots are likely to be sweet. The carrot tops should also be green.
Storage. Carrots can last up to 2 weeks at room temperature if you remove the tops. Refrigerate the carrots in mesh bags or freeze them for several weeks.
Onions
Selection. Onions should feel firm. Also, the skin should be dry and free from soft spots or discoloration.
Storage. Store the onions in a cool, dry area of your kitchen, away from sunlight.
Green beans and garden peas
Selection. Green beans are readily available in grocery stores. Fresh once will have a firm and smooth texture that you can easily snap into two.
Storage. Refrigerate the unwashed green beans in a resealable bag and use them within one week.
Asparagus
Selection. According to All Recipes, the asparagus stalks should feel plump. For fried rice, I recommend thin asparagus stalks.
Storage. Slice off the ends of the stalks and place them in a jar with water. Loosely cover the jar with a resealable bag and refrigerate. Also, remember to replace the water daily to keep them fresh. Asparagus is best used as soon as possible.
Spring onions
Selection. Spring onions should have a glossy and bright green color. You should also smell a mildly pungent aroma.
Storage. Store these at room temperature for several weeks. To extend their shelf life, you can also refrigerate them in resealable bags.
Sweet corn
Selection. You can go for canned and ready-to-use sweet corn. But for fresh corn, purchase ones that are inside bright green husks.
Storage. Whole corn can be stored in the fridge. For sweet corn kernels, store them in airtight containers or resealable bags within a week.
Bell Peppers
Selection. Bell peppers should have smooth, clear, and shiny skin. They should also feel heavy to the touch.
Storage. Preserve the bell pepper in mesh bags in the fridge.
How to Make and Store Liquid Stock
- Place the meat parts in a pot over medium heat.
- Add the onions, garlic, curry powder, thyme, stock cubes, salt, or another seasoning of your choice.
- Then, mix them with a spatula and cook for 30 minutes.
- Check the tenderness of the meat before separating the meat from the stock.
- Freeze the stock in ice cube trays.
- Transfer it into freezer bags to last up to several weeks.
How to Cook Kidney or Liver (meat)
- First, boil the kidney in water with seasoningd for about 15 minutes.
- Fry the kidney in a preheated pan with oil.
- Then, you can season it with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Finally, store this in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Nigerian Fried Rice Variations
You can replace the basmati rice with other rice variants available to you. However, I would suggest purchasing rice with a tender and loose texture once cooked so that it will be easier to stir-fry and mix.
Meanwhile, you can also use stock from chicken or vegetables or just water to cook the rice. kidney or liver meat can be substituted with chunks of chicken, fish, shrimp, beef, frankfurter, or seafood.
You can use plenty of other vegetables, herbs, and spices. Be creative with the additional ingredients. Add scrambled eggs, butter, oyster sauce, chili powder, and other ingredients to make it more flavorful.
Recommended Tools
- Wok: Fry the rice in a wok.
- Pot: Pre-cook the rice in a pot.
- Glass bowl: Rinse the basmati in a glass bowl.
- Knife: Peel and slice the ingredients with a knife.
- Wooden spatula: Mix the rice, meat, and vegetables using a wooden spatula.
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How to Serve Nigerian Fried Rice
Nigerian fried rice is packed with meat and vegetables and is almost a complete meal. You can also serve it with:
Meanwhile, juices and drinks for this dish can include:
This is best consumed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can also use this for weight loss meal prep.
Storage Tips
- At room temperature: This is best consumed within 2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the secret to good fried rice?
Good fried rice is about quality rice, fresh ingredients, and the right seasoning. There’s no perfect recipe for this dish, but you can always make it your own by incorporating the ingredients you want.
How to make fried rice simple?
Any fried rice recipe can be made simple. You can cook new rice or leftover rice. Just pick the protein and vegetables and fry them together until well mixed.
What gives fried rice its flavor?
Fried rice gets its flavor from the herbs and spices used. For instance, you can use oyster sauce, butter, soy sauce, and other flavoring agents. It also coats the rice, meat, and vegetables!
Rich Fried Rice (VIDEO)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the rice
- 1½ cup Asli Basmati rice
- 2 cups assorted meat liquid stock
- 1 bay leaf
For frying
- Cooked rice (as shown above)
- ⅔ cup kidney or liver (meat) (cooked and diced)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 red onion (small-sized)
- 1 carrot (diced)
- 3 tbsp green beans
- 3 tbsp garden peas (chopped)
- 2 tbsp asparagus (chopped)
- 2 tbsp spring onions
- 3 tbsp sweet corn
- 5 tbsp mixed bell peppers (red, green & yellow) diced
- 1 red scotch bonnet (small-sized)
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- 2 cubes knorr chicken
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ½ sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the rice.
- Boil assorted meat liquid and bay leaf in a pot over medium heat.
- Rinse the basmati rice several times until the water is clear.
- Then, incorporate the rice into the boiling stock.
- Season it, with a stock cube, and leave it to steam until tender.
- Make sure to check the rice at regular intervals.
- After 15 minutes, check its texture and taste.
- Add more water if preferred and leave it to simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Set it aside.
Fry the rice.
- Heat oil in a pan or wok over medium fire. Saute the red onions and scotch bonnet.
- Next, add the diced and cooked turkey or other meat or seafood of your choice.
- Allow it to fry for about 4 minutes or until the kidney turns slightly brown.
- Toss in the diced carrots, garden peas, and chopped asparagus.
- Season them with mixed herbs, curry powder, stock cube, and sea salt.
- Add in the mixed bell peppers and spring onions.
- Then, add in the cooked basmati rice.
- Finally, add in the sweetcorn and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Purchase and store quality fresh ingredients to make the rice extra tasty.
- Pre-cook the rice or use leftovers for cooking.
- There are plenty of substitutes you can try for the different ingredients.
- The rice should be cooked before stir-frying it, so you’ll find it easier to fry it with the kidney or liver (meat) and vegetables.
Nutrition
