Description
Baked coconut fried rice with shrimp may be the best Nigerian recipe. This easy Nigerian baked coconut fried rice combines coconut rice and fried rice and then creates the most deliciously tasty rice! The best part about making this easy fried rice recipe in the oven is that it is almost hands-free, comes through very fast, and has that authentic Nigerian fried rice taste, except that it is not actually fried!
Ingredients
- 4 cups of raw rice (I typically use the long grain rice brand)
- 5 cups of chicken broth (I used Homemade but store-bought works!)
- 4 cups frozen veggies (or however you want)
- 1 can coconut milk/13.6 oz can (I used full fat); Homemade coconut milk works as well!
- 16 oz Shrimp or as much as you want (cut shrimp into bites or leave them whole or as you want)
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons of curry
- 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon of Knorr powder seasoning
- Salt (add to taste); use less salt if using well-seasoned chicken broth!
- Black Pepper or Crushed Red Pepper (Always add to your taste/preference)
Sauté & season the shrimp with the following Ingredients:
- 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil (for sauteing the shrimp)
- Salt to taste (about ¼ – ½ tsp; or add to preference)
- Black Pepper to taste (about ¼ tsp; or add to preference)
- Dry thyme (about ¼ tsp; or add to preference)
- Crushed red pepper (add to preference)
- Knorr powder seasoning (optional) (about ¼ – ½ tsp; or add to preference)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven. Set your oven to 400F and preheat.
- Wash the rice. I typically wash the rice in warm water and rinse it in cold water. I usually wash it up to 6 times until the water becomes clear.
- Add rice to the baking dish. Add the washed rice to the baking dish when ready to make your Nigerian baked coconut fried rice.
- Add Ingredients to the rice. Now that your rice is in the baking dish add all the ingredients except the vegetables and shrimp. I typically start by adding the curry, turmeric, Knorr seasoning powder, and the well-seasoned chicken broth. Stir, then add the coconut milk and combine everything well.
- Bake your Nigerian baked coconut fried rice. Cover your baking dish with foil and place it in preheated oven to cook.
- Sauté the Shrimp. Now is the time to sauté your shrimp! First, clean/wash your shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Then, cut shrimp into bites, season, and sauté in olive oil. Set aside.
- Check the Rice. Check your rice after 50 minutes to see how it is doing, and use a spatula to stir mixing the rice (top to bottom). This gets the rice ready to add the remaining ingredients.
- Add the vegetables and shrimp. Then add the vegetables on top of the rice, add the butter, and then add the shrimp. Finally, cover with foil and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes to finish cooking.
- Remove rice from the oven and stir. It’s time to remove your Nigerian baked coconut fried rice from the oven and give it a good stir combining the shrimp and veggies with rice.
- Serve and enjoy. This is the best part! We typically serve this Nigerian baked coconut fried rice as is because it is a complete meal. However, you can still serve this rice with another main dish, such as chicken thighs, drumsticks, or short ribs.
Notes
Make sure to preheat the oven.
Do not parboil the rice; wash it with water, drain and set aside.
When you start washing your rice, you will notice the water is kind of milky. Ensure to continue washing it until the water becomes clear. This will take about 6-7 washes.
Use full-fat coconut milk if possible.
Use a big baking dish that can effortlessly fit everything! Don’t be like me, struggling towards the end!
At the end of the day, your Nigerian baked coconut fried rice with shrimp should have separated grains, not be sticky and never be soggy! Do not be tempted to add more water/liquid than recommended!
If you decide to use basmati rice instead, there may be slight changes in the quantity of liquid, cooking time, and temperature.
If you cook a smaller quantity the baking time will change.
Always add salt and pepper to taste/preference!
Allow the rice to cool completely before storing it in your fridge or freezer.
This recipe may serve up to 12 people.
Though this Nigerian baked coconut fried recipe with shrimp obviously includes a high-quality protein, you can still add additional protein/mains when serving or storing.
