17 Typical Nigerian Dishes To Try

Nigerian Dishes are diverse, flavourful and unique!! Check out some must-try Nigerian dishes with the most authentic Nigerian flavours. These dishes include everything from Akara to Egusi Soup, bole and dodo.

Our list includes Nigerian small chops, light meals, and street foods and here are 17 famous and traditional dishes worth trying in Nigeria

1. Ewa Riro (Beans Porridge)
2. Iyan (Pounded Yam)
3. Jollof Rice
4. Dodo (Fried Plantain)
5. Ogbono Soup (Mango Seed Soup)
6. Agege Bread
7. Ila Alasepo (Okra Soup)
8. Beef Suya (Thin Strips of Seasoned, Grilled Beef)
9. Nkwobi (Head and Legs of Cow)
10. Chin Chin (Deep Fried Snack)
11. Pepper Soup
12. Nigerian Egg Rolls (It’s Not What You’re Thinking)
13. Moi Moi (Bean Pudding)
14. Nigerian Pound Cake
15. Akara (Fried bean Cake)
16. Puff Puff (Sweet Deep Fried Dough)
17. Tomato Stew

Ewa Riro (Beans Porridge)

Ẹwà Riro (bean porridge) is a delicious Nigerian food. It is one of the most popular Nigerian food enjoyed by the Yoruba people in Nigeria. We can eat beans porridge with garri, fried plantains, and fresh bread.

Although Ẹwà Riro is easy to prepare, it is packed with loads of rich nutrients that pair well with its unique flavour profile. Besides its flavour profile and nutritional benefits, this bean porridge is very economical.

Ingredients of Ẹwà Riro are iron beans or honey beans, bell peppers, onion, salt, palm oil, crayfish, and smoked fish. Many Nigerian mums and chefs insist on crayfish or smoked fish. However, the discovery made it known that adding turkey boosts the flavour of the Ẹwà Riro.

Yoruba people prepare Ẹwà Riro with black-eye peas because they believe it is best for digestion. It is best prepared on a hot plate or pressure pot to make it dissolve well while cooking for more sweetness.

Iyan (Pounded Yam)

Pounded yam is loved and enjoyed in every corner of Nigeria. It is always available on any occasion for Yoruba people.

It can be paired with several Nigerian soups like Ẹfọ riro, ogbono, okra, èédú, egusi soup, Isapa, etc. Although some of the delectable pair includes pounded yam with Isapa soup, Ogbono and Okoho soup.

Jollof Rice

Jollof rice is Popular in Nigeria and many other west African countries. Its rich flavours make this dish popular in Nigeria but in other African countries such as Ghana.

It is often eaten and enjoyed during holidays, weddings, birthdays, and other special occasions in Nigeria. Jollof rice is prepared mainly with rice, and tomato flavoured with assorted spices.

Dodo (Fried Plantain)

Dodo is a simple preparation for sweet ripe plantain. It is a treasured Nigerian food that goes well with other food In Nigeria. Dodo can be enjoyed as a snack. Some of the food to pair with Dodo includes white rice and stew, beans porridge (Ewa Agoyin).

The perfect Dodo is made with ripe plantain.

Ogbono Soup (Mango Seed Soup)

Ogbono soup is a thick soup made with wild mango or ogbono seeds, per its native Nigerian name. This soup is filled with meat and other assorted proteins like prawns, crayfish, dry fish and stock fish.

Although this Nigerian delicacy is enjoyed thorough out the country, it is native to the Igbo people of the eastern part of Nigeria.

Agege Bread a classic Nigeria foods

Agege bread is of the most popular Nigerian foods, known for its soft, stretchy and chewy texture.

It is soft and sweet, it is popular because of its soft and sweet, not too expensive, fluffy and produced in large quantities to serve as many as want it.

Agege bread is the Nigerian style of sandwich bread and a staple food in most homes. Agege bread is best enjoyed when taken directly from the bakery.

You can eat it with groundnut, sardines, beans, teas, stew, fried or boiled eggs, soups and stews, juice, or just eat it alone.

It’s made with flour, yeast, sugar, water, butter, egg, salt, ascorbic acid, and milk preferably.

Ila Alasepo (Okra Soup)

Ila Alasepo is a traditional Nigerian soup, prepared with okro and some other ingredients. Ila Alasepo can be made in so many ways of your choice.

Ila Alasepo is made from okra with other ingredients and is mostly prepared to be eaten with a swallow.

It goes well with any swallow and can be prepared effortlessly. It is made with palm oil, okra, pepper, locust beans, salt, stock cube, crayfish, meat, and fish as you want it.

Besides Ila Alasepo, other Nigerian soups such as Okra soup, Egusi soup, and Afang soup, Nigerian food will turn you into a fan of African food immediately!

Beef Suya (Thin Strips of Seasoned, Grilled Beef is a Nigerian favourite)

Beef suya is a Nigeria street food at its finest thick nutty, spicy slices of beef threaded onto sticks and then grilled.

It’s a delicacy made popular in the northern part of Nigeria, where the knowledge and mastery of meat are second to none.

Suya is made from very thin slices of beef spiced and grilled on a skewer.

Suya is mostly available in the streets late in the evening. This is because most of it is prepared during the day. However, you can find that in some Nigerian restaurants and malls and sometimes Suya is hawked on some streets and in marketplaces in Nigeria.

Nkwobi (Head and Legs of Cow)

Nkwobi is a delicious spicy cow foot Nigeria food. It is a Popular eat-out meal common in Nigerian restaurants. It can also be prepared at home and eaten.

It is a popular side dish native to the land of Igbo, the country, usually served with palm wine in popular bars.

It is made from cow feet, palm oil, edible potash powder, crayfish grounded one, onion, stick cubes and salt.

Chin Chin (Deep Fried Snack)

Chin chin is a popular snack in the country. It is loved because of its crunchiness and delicious taste.

Is also available in almost every part of the country because both children and adults love it. Chin chin can easily be made at home or got from many Nigerian stores.

Chin chin can be made with flour, milk, sugar, butter, baking powder, groundnut oil, and butter to make it soft.

Pepper Soup made with catfish, beef, chicken or chevon

Pepper Soup is one of the most hearty African soups made with meat, cutlets or chunks of pepper soup spices and other condiments. It is usually served hot alongside a bottle of cold drink to go with its spicy flavour.

Boiling meat or fish of your choice makes with authentic spices like African Nutmeg, curry, thyme, uziza seed and seasoning.

Pepper Soup pairs well with boiled rice, potato, bread or just as a meal.

It is suitable for all seasons of the year, as it adds a little spice to your day if not feeling so well.

We can make it with ingredients such as meat, ginger, the least of your choice, pepper, onions, etc.

Nigerian Egg Rolls (It’s Not What You’re Thinking)

The Nigerian egg roll differs from the famous Chinese egg roll. In Africa, we prepare it just as the name implies. A boiled egg wrapped inside a mass of dough and fried.

Egg roll is often sold as street food in west Africa, and serves as breakfast to some students with chilled soft drinks, but they can be eaten any time of the day.

Egg roll is very easy to make, but the quality lies in how the dough is prepared. Ingredients, flour, sugar, boiled egg, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, water, and margarine.

This egg roll is crazy delicious. The batter turns into a crunchy, puffy golden beauty that seals in the soft-boiled egg.

Moi Moi (Bean Pudding)

Moi moi is especially popular in the South West of the country. Moi moi is made from black-eyed peas, also known as beans and other ingredients.

Moi Moi can be served as lunch or dinner. The leftover can also be reheated in the morning and used as a side paired with pap, garri or Custard. It is prepared by steaming blended beans and other condiments in nylon, cans, or leaves. The leaves used to prepare moi moi are “ewe ẹran” or banana leaves.

The condiments for this Nigerian dish include pepper, onion, fish, crayfish, and boiled eggs.

Akara (Fried Black-Eyed Peas Cake)

Akara is another Nigerian delicacy prepared from beans. Bean flour also works where beans are unavailable. It is delicious and easy to make a balanced diet with a serving of akara.

The deep-fried bean cake is quick, easy and tasty and we can make it from a handful of simple ingredients. It is crispy, golden, tasty, irresistible and quite filling.

It can be served with bread, pap, and custard or eaten as food

Puff Puff (Sweet Deep Fried Dough)

Only a few can resist these popular snacks. Its recipe is quick and easy with a few cheap ingredients.

They usually sell it on the streets of Nigeria. For snacks for many Nigerian children, especially in schools, students spend all their lunch money on puff puff because of its alluring taste.

Tomato Stew

Tomato Stew is a popular Nigerian sauce that can be prepared and enjoyed in several ways. Some dishes that pair well with tomato stew include masa, billed rice and beans, and yam and white okra soup.

Boiled rice is the most popular food enjoyed with tomato stew. This pair is quite popular on Sundays and festive periods.

Some ingredients are tomatoes, pepper, meat, onions, oil, stock cubes, crayfish, salt, and other condiments.

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