By Josephine Agbonkhese

From time immemorial, two nations in West Africa have proudly claimed their culinary superiority in the preparation of the popular jollof rice—a staple in West African cuisine made from rice, tomatoes, pepper, onion and other seasonings. Both countries have boasted with utmost pride about their version being the best.

But a new debate surfaced recently during a masterclass at the Guaranty Trust Holding Company, GTCO, Food and Drink Festival 2025 in Lagos, bringing a new dimension to the question of the jollof’s superiority.

The masterclass, facilitated by award-winning Chef and Food Network champion, Tamra “Chef Tam” Patterson, explored the connection between West African and Southern cuisine ‘Jambalaya’—a dish popularly associated with the U.S. state of Louisiana, which consists of meats diced into tiny bits, seafood of various kinds and is cooked with vegetables, stock, rice and various seasonings.

“I’m going to say, without a doubt, that Nigerian jollof is better. Now, if you’re talking preference, I prefer Jambalaya and I only prefer it because the meat is already in it. I don’t want the meat on top of it; I want it inside because I’m a lazy eater,” Chef Tamra said as she stood before a cooking pot filled with Jambalaya rice while the audience craved a taste of her Southern American cuisine.

As the crowd sauntered out of the hall after the one-hour masterclass, the question on everyone’s lip became: Which is better? Nigerian or Jambalaya Jollof? We hope you find that out yourself with this Jambalaya rice recipe. By the way, Jambalaya simply means “All Mixed Up.”

How to Make Jambalaya:

INGREDIENTS

*1 tablespoon oil (vegetable or canola oil)
*1 pound andouille sausage cut into ¼ inch thick slices
*1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
*2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
*2 tablespoons butter
*1 yellow or white onion, chopped
*4 green onions, chopped
*4 cloves garlic, finely minced
*3 ribs celery, chopped
*1 green bell pepper chopped
*1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
*1 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
*1 teaspoon salt
*½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
*1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
*14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
*2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
*1 1/4 cup long-grain white rice

Method
*In a large skillet with a fitted lid, add the oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook, flipping once or twice until all sides turn brown (don’t cook chicken through). Remove to a bowl. Add sausage and cook until browned on both sides. Add to the bowl with the chicken.

*Reduce heat to medium and add butter and flour to the pan and stir well, scraping up any leftover browned bits from the pan. Add onion, garlic, celery, and bell peppers and sauté for 3 minutes.

*Add basil, cajun seasoning, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Add chicken broth and rice. Bring mixture to a gentle boil. Add reserved meat to the pan. Reduce heat, cover pan with fitted lid and cook for 20 minutes. Note that Jumbo, uncooked shrimp could be added in the same time as the rice and cooked with everything together. Or you could cook the shrimp separately (or thaw frozen cooked shrimp) and add it at the end.

*Remove from heat, and rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. Then gently fluff with a fork and rest again for 5 minutes before serving.