The best Nigerian dishes
The top 3 according to 1,361 votes from people: Jollof rice · Egusi soup · Suya. (Updated Nov 9, 2025.)
Nigeria's most loved dishes, from party jollof to Hausa suya and the many 'swallows' with soup, according to Nigerian cuisine guides.
Top 10
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1
Jollof rice
Rice cooked in a tomato, pepper and spice base; the national dish and the subject of the 'jollof wars' with Ghana.
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2
Egusi soup
Ground melon seed soup with leafy greens and meat or fish, eaten with a swallow.
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3
Suya
Hausa beef skewers coated in spicy peanut yaji spice and grilled, sold at night.
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4
Pounded yam
Boiled yam pounded smooth, the classic swallow for egusi or ogbono.
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5
Pepper soup
Light, fiery broth with goat, catfish or chicken and local spices.
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6
Ogbono soup
Draw soup thickened with wild mango seeds.
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7
Akara
Deep-fried bean fritters, often eaten with pap for breakfast.
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8
Moi moi
Steamed bean pudding with peppers, eggs or fish.
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9
Efo riro
Yoruba spinach stew with peppers, meat and fish.
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10
Banga soup
Palm nut soup from the Niger Delta.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 10… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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11
Puff-puff
Sweet fried dough balls, the party snack.
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12
Fried plantain (dodo)
Sweet ripe plantain fried, the side for jollof.
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13
Ofada rice with ayamase
Local unpolished rice with green pepper 'designer stew'.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (3)
Nigerian jollof is the best jollof. Ghanaians, we can talk 😂
Jollof rice, and Nigerian jollof is the best, sorry Ghana 😂
Suya with cold Star beer in the evening, perfect.