Nigerian fried rice is a party staple, usually paired with smoky party Jollof rice at big events. It is pretty straightforward to cook but you find out that it never really tastes right at a lot of parties, it lacks a depth of flavour. A lot of people struggle with cooking it in large quantities.
When next you need to make Nigerian fried rice for a large family or friends get-together, like during Christmas, birthday parties etc, you will not be stressed guessing quantities and proportions. I have made the information you need available here.
There are certain things to bear in mind when cooking Nigerian fried rice for 100 people or more, it is not the same as cooking for a family or even cooking for 20 people.
Even though it is an adaptation of Chinese fried rice, for Nigerian fried rice, you will need to infuse as much flavour as possible into the rice before turning it with the vegetables.
Equipment
When cooking Fried rice for the family, the quantity is small, but for a crowd of 100 people or more, it is a totally different ball game. You will need the right equipment, this is not the job your regular stove top or gas cooker can handle.
The right equipment is also important because for commercial cooking, speed is essential and it helps in making the rice evenly cooked and not soggy or mashed up.
The Rice
Usually, 1 cup of rice should serve two people if you are going to serve it with a side of moi moi, plantain, salad etc. For 100 people, I will typically cook 60 cups bearing in mind you will need a safety net, some will burn etc. so an extra 10 cups are necessary. If there are no sides, cook 70 cups. Usually, the added vegetables help bulk up the quantity of Nigerian fried rice.
Long grain par-boiled rice is best for Nigerian fried rice. Be careful when adding water, less is best. You can always add more if needed because too much water will produce soggy rice. One of the hallmarks of well cooked fried rice is that the rice does not stick together.
Easy spoilage of Nigeria Fried Rice
Fried rice is notorious for spoiling very fast. This is because of its low oil content and the number of water-containing ingredients used in cooking it. For commercial or large cooking purposes, you need to choose what ingredients to add. Most water-containing ingredients e.g. Cabbage, and broccoli can be cooked as sides and added when serving. Also, the rice frying stage is very important. You have to be very patient and give it enough time.
IMPORTANT: Read the Notes at the end of this post for tips.
Equipment for Nigerian Fried Rice for 100 people
Size of Pot
You will need a large pot, at least a 20-gallon or 75-litre pot. It must have enough room for the rice to swell if not, it will not rise well and some of the grains will not cook well.
Frying pan
A large frying pan is necessary for frying both the vegetables and the rice, it has a large surface area so the vegetables will fry well instead of boiling. Also, the rice will not break into bits when being fried.
Large slotted spoon
A large long-handled slotted spoon will be used to fry the meat and scoop it out of the hot oil. It is also needed for frying both vegetables and rice.
Size of heat
An industrial cooker or firewood is perfect for large-scale cooking of Nigerian fried rice, both distribute the heat over a wider area of the pot which is necessary for even cooking. It speeds the evaporation of the water so that the vegetables will fry and not boil.
Large basins and sieve
Large basins and sieves are very useful in the large-scale cooking of Nigerian fried rice. They are used for washing excess starch out of the rice and straining boiled and fried meat.
IMPORTANT: Read the Notes at the end.
How to make Nigerian Fried Rice for 100 people
MEAT 100 pieces Chicken or 200 beef 20 seasoning cubes 5 Tablespoons chicken powder 3 Tablespoons curry powder 3 Tablespoons dry thyme 2 large onions (sliced) 3 bulbs of garlic 3 ginger root fingers 5 litres vegetable oil (for frying) RICE 60-70 Cups Rice 40 Seasoning cubes 100g Chicken seasoning 2 Tablespoons Curry Powder 1 teaspoon Tumeric 32 litres meat stock + water salt 2 medium onions (chopped) 1 cup vegetable oil VEGETABLES 2 Litres Vegetable oil (Part of the oil used in frying meat) 20 cups cubed Hotdogs, liver or beef 3.5 kg Carrot (20 cups cubed) Onions 1 Garlic head (minced) 1 Ginger root (minced) 14 Tins (2kg) Fresh peas (Drained) 1.5 kg Green beans 14 Tins (4kg) Sweet corn (Drained) 1.5 kg Green Pepper 10 Seasoning cubes 100g Chicken seasoning powder
MEAT
Wash meat, and place it in a large pot.
Sprinkle seasoning cubes, chicken powder, curry powder, dry thyme and onions.
Peel, wash and grind garlic and ginger, pour into the meat, Stir well.
Cover and place over medium-high heat.
Boil for 5 minutes to release some of its juices, add some water and continue cooking until softened.
Using a large slotted spoon, scoop meat into a large sieve. Strain the meat stock into a bowl and set aside.
Pour vegetable oil into a large dry frying pan. Place over high heat.
Add a few chunks of onions to flavour the oil.
When hot, add meat and fry until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the oil.
Strain into a large sieve and set aside.
Leave the oil to cool down, and strain.
THE RICE
Pour rice into a large basin, and add enough water to cover it well.
Mix and rub between your hands to wash off the excess starch on the surface of the rice.
Strain out the cloudy, starchy water.
Add fresh water and repeat up to 5 or 6 times until the water is almost clear.
Strain out as much water as possible, set aside.
Place a large pot over high heat.
Add strained meat stock, water, seasoning cubes, chicken seasoning, turmeric, chopped onions and vegetable oil.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Pour in your washed rice, taste and add salt.
Cover and boil until almost done. Take off the heat and set aside.
VEGETABLES
Place a large frying pan over high heat.
Pour in 1-litre vegetable oil, when hot, add hot dogs (boiled liver or beef) and fry for 5-7 minutes.
Add onions and keep frying until onions have softened.
Add Carrots, garlic and ginger and fry until you can smell them.
Pour in the fresh peas, green beans, sweet corn and green pepper. Keep stirring and frying for 5 minutes.
Add seasoning cubes and seasoning powder, stir and fry, and take off the heat. Transfer into a large bowl.
NIGERIAN FRIED RICE
Into a large frying pan, add 1 cup vegetable oil, when hot scoop in some cooked rice, stir and fry.
Add some fried vegetables and stir and fry very well, up to a minute.
Taste, if the seasoning is not quite right, correct the seasoning of the fried vegetables.
Keep adding rice and vegetables alternatively into the frying pan, frying and stirring after each addition until the frying pan is full.
Scoop into a large container but do not cover well.
Repeat this process until all the rice and vegetables have been fried.
Note (Tips for making a good pot of Nigerian Fried Rice)
- It is particularly important that you sieve your meat stock before adding it to your rice. This is more for aesthetics. Particles from the stock will make your rice look untidy.
- If you are using canned peas, add them at the end of cooking, to avoid them getting broken up.
- When boiling your rice do not get it very soft because it will still cook further when fried with vegetables.
- Make sure to fry your vegetables well, besides cooking them, you are also trying to dehydrate them to reduce water and spoilage.
- Fry your rice very well in order to impact flavour and dehydrate it to avoid spoilage.
- Do not rush the frying processes, it helps add flavour and dehydrates the fried rice to avoid spoilage.
- It is not really advisable to keep Nigerian Fried Rice in a cooler.
If you enjoyed my Nigerian fried rice for 100 people (Step-by-Step) recipe, you will also enjoy my Nigerian Smoky Party Jollof Rice for 100 people (Step-by-step), Soft moi moi for 100 people, Nigerian Stir fried rice, Basic Chinese fried rice, Easy one pot Nigerian fried rice and Cabbage Fried rice.
How to make Nigerian Fried Rice for 100 people
Equipment
- 20-gallon (75 litres) Pot
- Large Frying pan
- Large slotted spoon
- Industrial cooker
- Large basins and sieve
Ingredients
MEAT
- 100 pieces Chicken or 200 beef
- 20 seasoning cubes
- 5 Tablespoons chicken powder
- 3 Tablespoons curry powder
- 3 Tablespoons dry thyme
- 2 large onions sliced
- 3 bulbs garlic
- 3 ginger root
- 5 litres vegetable oil for frying
RICE
- 60-70 Cups Rice
- 40 Seasoning cubes
- 100 g Chicken seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons Curry Powder
- 1 teaspoon Tumeric
- 32 litres meat stock + water
- salt
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 1 cup vegetable oil
VEGETABLES
- 2 Litres Vegetable oil Part of the oil used in frying meat
- 20 cups Hotdogs (liver or beef) cubed
- 3.5 kg Carrot 20 cups cubed
- Onions
- 1 Garlic head minced
- 1 Ginger root minced
- 14 Tins (2kg) Fresh peas (Drained)
- 1.5 kg Green beans
- 14 Tins (4kg) Sweet corn (Drained)
- 1.5 kg Green Pepper
- 10 Seasoning cubes
- 100 g Chicken seasoning powder
Instructions
MEAT
- Wash meat, and place it in a large pot.
- Sprinkle seasoning cubes, chicken powder, curry powder, dry thyme and onions.
- Peel, wash and grind garlic and ginger, pour into the meat, Stir well.
- Cover and place over medium-high heat.
- Boil for 5 minutes to release some of its juices, add some water and continue cooking until softened.
- Using a large slotted spoon, scoop meat into a large sieve. Strain the meat stock into a bowl and set aside.
- Pour vegetable oil into a large dry frying pan. Place over high heat.
- Add a few chunks of onions to flavour the oil.
- When hot, add meat and fry until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the oil.
- Strain into a large sieve and set aside.
- Leave the oil to cool down, and strain.
THE RICE
- Pour rice into a large basin, and add enough water to cover it well.
- Mix and rub between your hands to wash off the excess starch on the surface of the rice.
- Strain out the cloudy, starchy water.
- Add fresh water and repeat up to 5 or 6 times until the water is almost clear.
- Strain out as much water as possible, set aside.
- Place a large pot over high heat.
- Add strained meat stock, water, seasoning cubes, chicken seasoning, turmeric, chopped onions and vegetable oil.
- Stir and bring to a boil.
- Pour in your washed rice, taste and add salt.
- Cover and boil until almost done. Take off the heat and set aside.
THE VEGETABLES
- Place a large frying pan over high heat.
- Pour in 1-litre vegetable oil, when hot, add hot dogs and fry for 5-7 minutes.
- Add onions and keep frying until onions have softened.
- Add Carrots, garlic and ginger and fry until you can smell them.
- Pour in the fresh peas, green beans, sweet corn and green pepper. Keep stirring and frying for 5 minutes.
- Add seasoning cubes and seasoning powder, stir and fry, and take off the heat.
NIGERIAN FRIED RICE
- Into a large frying pan, add 1 cup vegetable oil, when hot scoop in some cooked rice, stir and fry.
- Add some fried vegetables and stir and fry very well, up to a minute.
- Taste, if the seasoning is not quite right, correct the seasoning of the fried vegetables.
- Keep adding rice and vegetables alternatively, frying and stirring after each addition until the frying pan is full.
- Scoop into a cooler but do not cover.
- Repeat this process until all the rice and vegetables have been fried.
Notes
- It is particularly important that you sieve your meat stock before adding it to your rice. This is more for aesthetics. Particles from the stock will make your rice look untidy.
- If you are using canned peas, add them at the end of cooking, to avoid them getting broken up.
- When boiling your rice do not get it very soft because it will still cook further when fried with vegetables.
- Make sure to fry your vegetables well, besides cooking them, you are also trying to dehydrate them to reduce water and spoilage.
- Fry your rice very well in order to impact flavour and dehydrate it to avoid spoilage.
- Do not rush the frying processes, it helps add flavour and dehydrates the fried rice to avoid spoilage.
- It is not really advisable to keep Nigerian Fried Rice in a cooler.
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I am Ganiru, a wife, a mother, a food blogger, a chef, an author and an accountant. I love to cook and write about food, especially Nigerian and afro-centric food...
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