Taste a bite of Liberian culture with unique dishes full of flavor and nutrition. Liberian recipes are packed with delicious ingredients, whether you’re cooking up a traditional soup or rediscovering a favorite Liberian food.
Learn how to make some of the most popular Liberian recipes, where to source exotic ingredients, and the health benefits of cooking with Liberian cuisine. From classic palm butter soup to peanut butter stew, this article will teach you all about the amazing flavors, traditional Liberian recipes, and richness of Liberian food.
Hear the words “Liberian food” and your mouth might start to water with the thought of the rich, diverse flavors and unique traditions that make up the country’s vibrant food culture. From classic favorites like cassava leaves and pounded yam to more obscure Liberian foods like fufu and jollof rice, Liberian cuisine boasts a lengthy list of mouthwatering Liberian recipes.
In this article, we delve into Liberian food culture to explore the flavors, textures, history, and health benefits of this remarkable cuisine. You’ll learn the difference between Liberia’s traditional dishes and classic West African cuisine, find out why cassava flour plays such an important role in the country’s food heritage, and discover the health benefits of Liberian recipes.
Liberian food is not only delicious but is also healthy and steeped in unique customs. Get ready to take an exciting journey of discovery into the fascinating world of Liberian food culture.
Want more ideas to round-out your Recipe Box?
A lot of great options are in these posts!
- 20 Delicious Guyana Recipes To Try At Home
- 17 Uniquely Libyan Recipes You Can’t Miss!
- 15 Delicious Malawian Recipes You Can Easily Create
16 Easy Liberian Recipes To Create At Home
check out our video
1. Liberian Prawns by Good Chef Bad Chef
Check out this easy fish stew Liberian recipe with juicy butterflied prawns and sweet red peppers. This vibrant Liberian food is low in calories and ready in 30 minutes
2. Judy’s Extra Hot Liberian Chili Sauce by SBS
In West Africa, pepper sauce is an essential partner for puff-puff, grilled meat , fish and eggs or splendid with any Liberian food. There is just something about pepper sauce that takes a Liberian food from bland, boring to flavorful and enjoyable. As you might have guessed pepper sauce is sparkingly hot because of the refreshing taste of the hot pepper used in the blend.
3. Liberian Pepper Chicken by Public Lives Secret Recipes
“My favorite Liberian recipe at the moment is Pepper Chicken. I am Liberian (West African), and this Liberian food is one that means a lot to me. Some variation of this Liberian recipe is almost always on the menu at many Liberian celebrations because it’s easy to make a big batch. Not to mention it is insanely delicious. I learned how to make it from my Grandmother. She’s a master in the kitchen and I’ve picked up a few things from her.”
4. African Pepper Soup by Recipes From A Pantry
Looking for the easiest Liberian recipe for Pepper Soup? You have found it!! It only takes a few everyday ingredients and minimal effort to whip up this popular African Soup.
Perfect for easy supper, parties, to feed a crowd and any special occasion. Do check out the easy step-by-step images on how to make this Pepper Soup on the stove top, in the Instant Pot or in a slow cooker. Suitable for Gluten-Free, Paleo and Keto diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
5. Hirshon Liberian Jollof Rice by The Food Dictator
Reflecting the Creole heritage of the country, Jollof rice is a one-pot Liberian recipe popular in many West African countries. It is a West African version of pilaf or paella, and possibly a progenitor of the Louisiania dish jambalaya!
The Liberian recipe consists of rice, tomatoes and tomato paste, onions, salt, spices and chili peppers; optional ingredients can be added such as vegetables, meats, or fish. Due to the tomato paste and palm oil, the Liberian food is always red in color.
I do call for a rare ingredient (at least in the U.S.) – grains of Selim, a pepper-like spice that is a mainstay in West Africa. You can purchase it from here.
6. Fiery Liberian Bean Soup by Petit Chef
Meet my favorite bean soup! It takes advantage of beans and comes together quickly. Yet the soup tastes remarkably fresh thanks to the tomatoes, onion and green pepper.
A little bit of sherry vinegar (or lime juice) add a Liberian flair that takes it over the top. This lightly creamy black soup is packed with flavor.
7. Liberian Chicken Gravy by African Bites
Liberian chicken gravy is an African Stew with lots of flavor, chicken, and seafood. Oh, refrain from eating the whole thing. This scrumptious stew right here, will awaken your taste buds and make them fall in love; What’s not to love?
It is loaded with chicken, fish and shrimp – yet another variation of stew. However, the bell pepper makes all the difference here, adding another layer of flavor. You seriously need to make this.
This variation, with its fragrant combination of garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes and herbs is a classic African stew combination.
8. Cassava Leaf Soup by African Bites
A one-pot wonder, this key to this flavorful stew is a homemade African seasoning. Cassava leaf soup also known as saka saka or pondu is a simple, yet tasty and substantial soup that is widely consumed in many parts of Central Africa especially in countries like Sierra Leone, and Liberia.
In the French speaking parts of Cameroon, it is disguised as Nwem – a more rustic version of this Liberian recipe sometimes made with fresh corn, palm oil, with or without salt (Kwem sans sel). Growing up I particularly disliked, kwem, was just not appealing to me, especially the salt less version.
When I first tasted this Sierra Leone version from my wonderful sister in law, Mary. It was amazingly good –the inclusion of dried shrimp, meat and groundnut paste appealed to all my senses.
9. Liberian Beans Torborgee by Okra Pantry
Liberian Beans Torborgee is the best Torborgee in the world, grab a spoon for a yummy spicy taste! In Liberian cuisine, Torborgee is a thick, palm-oily, spicy and bitter stew of African pea eggplants or red cow peas/lentils. The Liberian food is often enriched by the addition of dried meat, chicken, pork, or fish, and it is usually associated with the Lorma people inhabiting the area of Lofa County in Liberia.
10. Liberian Milk Candy by International Cuisine
Liberian milk candy is yummy! It is super easy to make and you can control how hard or dark you want your candy treat to be. It reminded us of dolce de Leche from Argentina, one of our most favorite things. You can get as creative as you like with garnishes or flavorings however we loved it with just a piece of a roasted peanut on top and plain.
Here are a few suggestions if you want to embellish you candy further. You could garnish with peanuts, almonds, pistachios, or even chocolate, raisins, sesames seeds or macadamia nuts. If you would like to add flavorings consider vanilla, nutmeg, rum, bourbon (if not serving minors of course) or even coconut milk. However you make it, you are sure to love it!
11. Palava Sauce by 196 Flavors
Palava sauce (or palaver sauce), which in fact is more of a stew than a sauce, is widely consumed in West Africa. There are many variations of this traditional West African dish, namely from Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone claiming the paternity of this Liberian food.
Palava sauce combines mainly green vegetables and a choice of protein. The two green vegetables most often used for this Liberian recipe like most West African countries are spinach and okra. Some don’t use okra but you won’t find palava without spinach! Specifically without taro leaves, an African variant of the same family.
12. Liberian Style Collard Greens by All Recipes
This is a delicious twist on a soul Liberian food staple! These African greens are never bitter. I got the Liberian recipe from a local restaurant. You may think the ingredients are strange, but they come together perfectly. You may want to adjust the amounts to your taste. When cooking something like greens, eyeballing is the best measurement. The longer you cook these, the more the flavors mesh and the better they taste.
13. Authentic Liberian Potato Greens by Love Peace and Tiny Feet
I was especially excited to introduce my mom to a tasty and even more wholesome twist to this Liberian recipe by serving it instead with any of the new Minute Ready to Serve products – including Minute Ready to Serve Organics, White & Red Quinoa, and gluten-free Multi-Grain Medley. Each of these are certified organic by the USDA, gluten-free and preservative free.
These Minute Ready to Serve products are an ideal portable solution for any time of the day, but she was especially excited once I showed her how she could enjoy her favorite Liberian recipe during her lunch break at work! It only takes 60 seconds to prepare a fully cooked, single portion of rice and comes packaged with 2 individual single-serve cups…you know, in the event that you feel like sharing.
14. Okro Soup (Liberian Okra Soup) by Success Rice
Okro soup is made with okra vegetables cooked in a delicious mixture of oil, shrimps, goat meat, fish and African spices, and simmered to perfection! This loaded soup is a staple in some West African countries like Liberia, Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon. This soup is so deliciously satisfying and nutritious and is loaded with proteins and healthy fat.
15. Check Rice by What to Cook Today
Check rice is a Liberian specialty that is often served in special occasion to accompany other Liberian recipes. The rice is usually prepared with greens called jute leaf. Jute leaf is an edible leaf from certain types of jute plants and often used to thicken soups, stews and sauces.
Jute leaf is common in Middle Eastern, African and some Asian cooking. Jute leaf can be found frozen, dried or in canned forms.
16. Liberian Rice Bread by Okra Pantry
Liberian Rice Bread is a local favorite, a rice-based banana bread with a moist, dense crumb that tastes of the ripe fruit and fresh ginger. Many Liberian recipes for this bread take a shortcut by using either rice flour or rice cereal.
But if you do not have a rice flour or rice cereal, you can do the following to prepare the rice for baking: soaked whole rice, then finely ground in a mortar and pestle or faster with a food processor so that the bread bakes up properly, it’s important that the rice is ground to a very fine, almost powdery texture.
You May Want to Join Our Boondocking Group on Facebook For More Information
You May Want to Join Our Campfire Recipes Group on Facebook For More Information
For More Photos Visit Our Instagram at World Recipes Daily – Our Big Escape
