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Burkinabè · West African

Riz gras

Non-vegetarian

Rice cooked in a rich tomato and onion sauce with beef and vegetables until every grain is coated and orange. A celebration staple in Burkina Faso, served at weddings, baptisms and holidays.

Riz gras is a Burkinabè rice dish from Burkina Faso, ready in about 2 hours and made with beef chuck, tomato paste and long-grain white rice. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Plate of riz gras, tomato-cooked rice topped with meat
Photo: Mandanye / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 30 min
Rest
10 min
Total
2 h
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
628

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the beef in the oil in a large heavy pot. Add the onions (opens in a new tab) and fry until golden, then the garlic (opens in a new tab) and tomato paste (opens in a new tab); fry, stirring, until the paste darkens.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the chopped tomatoes (opens in a new tab), chilli, bay leaves (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab), salt and the water. Simmer covered for 40 minutes, until the beef is nearly tender.

    • 40 min
    • medium-low heat
    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the carrots (opens in a new tab), cabbage (opens in a new tab) and eggplant (opens in a new tab) and cook 15 minutes, then lift out the vegetables and keep them warm.

    • 15 min
    • medium-low heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir the rice into the sauce (it should be covered by about 1 cm of liquid; add water if needed). Cover tightly and cook on very low heat until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

    A sheet of foil under the lid keeps in the steam.

  5. Step 5

    Rest 10 minutes off the heat, covered, until the grains are firm and separate, then fluff and serve topped with the vegetables and meat.

    • 2 min

    Food safety: Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour.

About this dish

Origin
Burkina Faso · Commonly attributed'Riz gras' is the French name used for this kind of tomato rice across Burkina Faso, Mali and neighbouring countries; it belongs to the same family as jollof and thiéboudienne.Also popular in Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, NigerMore food from Burkina Faso
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Stewed, Pan-fried
Taste
savoury, rich, tangy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein · Low-fat
With the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Festive & celebration · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Beef chuck · Tomato paste · Long-grain white rice · Onion · Garlic · Tomato
Techniques
Pan-frying · Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

628 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 703 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 55%
  • Fat 25%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy628 kcal89 kcal
Protein31.2 g4.4 g
Carbohydrate87 g12.4 g
Net carbohydrate79.4 g11.3 g
Sugars11 g1.6 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre7.6 g1.1 g
Fat17.8 g2.5 g
Saturated fat3 g0.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol64 mg9 mg
Sodium912 mg130 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1197 mg
Calcium
124 mg
Iron
7.1 mg
Magnesium
85 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
294 µg
Vitamin C
39 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
2.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
388 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Measure the liquid against the rice by eye: about 1 cm above the grains. Too much and it turns mushy, too little and it scorches before the grains cook.

Common mistakes

  • Stirring the rice while it steams — it breaks the grains and makes it sticky.

Serve with

  • Serve with a chilli sauce and a simple salad.

Food safety

  • Brown and simmer the beef until tender before adding the rice; cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour.

Storage

  • Refrigerate within an hour of cooking, up to 2 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat thoroughly with a splash of water until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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