Quantities · Crowd cooking
Jollof rice for 40 people
Exact ingredients, pots, timing, and budget for 40 servings of canonical Nigerian-style party jollof.

Shopping list
Rice
4.4 kg (24 cups)
Tomatoes
6 kg
Scotch bonnets
16
Vegetable oil
1 L
Stock
5.5 L
Equipment
Pots needed
3 (~36 cm diameter each)
Cooks required
2
Timing
Prep time
1.5 hours
Cook time
2.5 hours
Total
4 hours
Budget
In Lagos / Nigeria
₦30,000
In USA / UK / EU
$65
Budgets are 2026 estimates and exclude protein.
Notes
- · Three pots, two cooks.
- · Stagger the rice add-in by 15 minutes per pot to avoid bottlenecks.
Calculate a different number
Frequently asked
How much rice for 40 people?
Approximately 4.4 kg (24 cups) of long-grain parboiled rice.
How long does it take to cook?
Plan 4 hours total — 1.5 hour prep and 2.5 hour cook.
How many cooks do I need?
2 cooks working in coordination.
Related
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