25 Best Ghanaian Foods To Try

Do you love exploring different cultures through their cuisine? Then, you need to try these delicious Ghanaian foods!

Each dish will whisk you away to the heart of West Africa. This culturally vibrant and gastronomically diverse country offers a festival of flavors and textures. 

Best Traditional Ghanaian Foods

You will discover comforting stews, well-loved street snacks, and sweet delights.

Delve into the heart of popular dishes like Jollof Rice and Fufu. Savor the sweetness of Bofrot and feel the heat of Shito. Relish the comforting simplicity of Waakye.

It’s all good! 

Keep reading and explore Ghana’s culinary landscape one dish at a time!

1. Jollof Rice

Jollof rice is a vibrant symphony of flavor and comforting warmth. It features a delicious rice blend simmered in a rich, spicy tomato-based broth. 

This iconic West African dish packs spices and aromatics like thyme, curry, and garlic. 

It’s accompanied by a mixture of diced vegetables, like bell peppers, onions, and sometimes peas. 

You can load it with meat or serve it vegan-style. However you do it, it delivers a bold taste and fills you with homey goodness.

2. Fufu

Fufu is a smooth and satisfying delicacy that offers a delectably soft and doughy experience. It is the heart and soul of Ghanaian cuisine.

It is crafted from cassava and plantains or yams. They are blended and pounded together to create a stretchy consistency. 

Fufu is a perfect accompaniment to a variety of soups and stews. 

It absorbs the flavorful broth, making every bite a tasty and textural experience.

3. Ghanaian Red Red 

Red Red is a traditional Ghanaian dish exuding a rich, earthy aroma, enticing all senses. This hearty bean stew is a culinary masterpiece featuring black-eyed peas.

The peas simmer in a pot of palm oil infused with garlic, onions, and ginger. Every bite is perfection. 

Red Red is served with tender morsels of fried ripe plantains. So, the dish boasts balanced sweet, spicy, and savory notes. 

It is simply delicious, and I guarantee you will make it again. And again! 

4. Ghana Spicy Fried Plantain (Kelewele)

Kelewele delights foodies with its irresistible combination of sweet and spicy flavors. 

It features bite-sized chunks of ripe plantains marinated in ginger, onion, and chiles. 

Fry each piece to achieve a caramelized exterior and a melt-in-your-mouth interior. It is, frankly, glorious. 

Each bite packs a flavor explosion, making it a crave-worthy treat.

5. Kenkey

Kenkey is a unique, flavorful dish made from fermented corn dough. The fluffy dough ball is wrapped in dried corn husks and steamed. 

The result is a dense, slightly sour orb of flavor and texture. 

Its tangy notes contrast with spicy and rich-flavored accompaniments, like stews and soups.  

Kenkey is a satisfyingly hearty staple dish that provides a quintessential taste of Ghana.

6. Banku With Tilapia Fish

This dish promises a gastronomic adventure of tantalizing flavors.

Banku, a smooth, tangy, fermented corn and cassava dough, is a delight. 

The grilled tilapia is seasoned to perfection with savory aromatics. It is the ideal accompaniment for the banku.

Serve it with hot pepper sauce for a fiery kick. If you struggle with spice, skip the hot pepper sauce. (It is HOT!)

Garnish everything with diced tomatoes, onions, and pepper. Each bite feels like an adventure of culinary wonder.

7. Hominy Corn Porridge (Oblayo)

A warming bowl of Oblayo is the epitome of comfort and simplicity. This wholesome porridge has a creamy texture thanks to tenderized hominy kernels.

Oblayo has a mild and subtle sweet flavor. So, it is the perfect backdrop for sweeteners and other flavorings. 

Traditionally, people serve it with milk, sugar, and peanuts for added crunch. 

Oblayo offers a nourishing and fulfilling eating experience, ideal for breakfast! 

8. Waakye

Waakye is a hearty, savory dish made with rice and black-eyed peas. It is simple and delicious. But do you want to know the best part?

The grains take on the color of dried millet stalk leaves. And it turns them pink! It is a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. 

But Waakye is more than that. 

It’s an explosion of flavors, a medley of textures, and a journey through Ghanaian food. 

9. Tuo Zaafi & Ayoyo

Tuo Zaafi and Ayoyo is a nutritious and tantalizing duo. It is a staple in the Northern regions of Ghana. 

Tuo Zaafi is a soft dumpling made from maize flour. Its texture is deliciously light and stretchy. 

It pairs wonderfully with the rich, green Ayoyo soup. You make the soup from jute leaves, which provide a slight bitter yet refreshing contrast. 

Each spoonful of this dish captures the heart of Ghanaian cuisine.

10. Mashed Yam with Red Onions (Oto)

Oto is a traditional dish often served on festive occasions. 

This celebratory dish boasts a bright yellow hue with sweet, savory flavors.

Oto is a mash of boiled yams transformed into a fluffy, cloud-like dish. It’s infused with palm oil, aromatic red onions, and shrimp bouillon cubes. 

It is a total umami bomb!

Garnish this hearty, velvety dish with hard-boiled eggs for extra protein. 

11. Crunchy Cassava Balls (Agbeli Kaklo)

Agbeli Kaklo celebrates the simplicity of cassava as delectable, crunchy balls. 

The grated cassava blends with onions, salt, and grated coconut for the ultimate flavor kick. Shape the mixture into small balls and deep-fry until golden and crisp. 

But the inside remains soft and chewy. Every ball features a subtle sweetness with a sharp bite from the onions. Yum! 

12. Gari Foto

Gari Foto is a simple yet utterly satisfying dish starring ‘gari,’ or processed cassava grits.

It’s paired with a robust tomato-based stew packed with dried tilapia and smoked dried herring. The gari incorporates into the stew, soaking up all the juices. 

Gari Foto is a homey dish. It feels like a warm hug from the inside.

13. Boiled Yam with Vegetable Sauce (Palava Sauce and Ampesi)

Looking for a filling and nutritious dish to add to your menu? Look no further than Palava Sauce and Ampesi. 

This dish features tender boiled yams and a sweet-salty vegetable sauce (Palava). The sauce is a mixture of spinach, onions, and carrots bathed in tomato paste. 

Oh, and peanut butter. 

Yes, you read that correctly. Peanut butter and veggies are a fabulous combination. And this dish proves it! 

14. Ghana Hot Pepper Sauce (Shito)

Shito is a fiery, aromatic condiment that is an absolute staple in every Ghanaian household. 

It boasts a sizzling blend of onions, garlic, ginger, peppers, tomato puree, chilis, and cloves.

This spicy condiment also features dried fish pieces and ground shrimp for extra umami. It is slow-cooked in oil until it achieves a rich, dark color. 

Shito transforms the simplest meals into an unforgettable, spicy, palate-awakening experience.

15. Okra Stew

Okra stew is a traditional Ghanaian dish that is hearty and irresistible.

Okra is chopped and cooked in chicken stock with aromatics, chiles, and tomatoes. The ingredients are simple but deliver knockout tastes. 

To say this dish is flavorful is an understatement. 

To have an authentic and delicious dining experience, serve it alongside Banku or Fufu. 

16. Oil Rice (Angawamo)

Oil rice, or Angawamo, is a flavorful dish made with pantry-staple ingredients. 

Start by frying onions and (washed) dry rice in a rice cooker. Add chicken bouillon cubes and peppers.

Are you looking for a dish to revamp your leftover meat? Good. Add it to the rice next. 

You can use chicken like this recipe. But salted beef is traditional. Or you can skip the meat altogether and add extra salt. 

As everything cooks, the rice absorbs so much delicious flavor. 

Angawamo is beautifully balanced and savory. Believe me when I tell you it hits all the right spots on the palate.

17. Bofrot (Puff Puff)

Bofrot, also known as Puff Puff, is a delectable Ghanaian donut. It doubles as a delightful snack and a satisfying dessert. 

The dough is a simple blend of flour, sugar, yeast, baking powder, and water. It’s deep-fried until it achieves a golden, crunchy exterior. 

The inside remains fluffy. #asitshouldbe

Dust the freshly fried bofrot with sugar and cinnamon. Just like those carnival mini donuts… but better.  

With its sweet taste and comforting warmth, Bofrot can brighten any moment of the day.

18. Hausa Koko and Kose

A classic breakfast pairing, Hausa Koko and Kose is a delightful way to start the day. 

Hausa Koko is a spicy millet porridge with a smooth, sour taste. It tastes fantastic with savory Kose. 

Kose is a bean cake made from black-eyed pea batter. Season the batter with aromatics, then fry it to crisp perfection. 

The result is a satisfying contrast of sweet, spicy, smooth, and crunchy. 

It offers a hearty, well-rounded breakfast experience for vegan and non-vegan foodies.

19. Ghanaian Meat Pies

Ghanaian meat pies are a savory surprise encased in a flaky, buttery pastry. Just like empanadas or samosas! 

This filling is beef seasoned with onions, peppers, and local flavorings. It is succulent- made even better by its pastry casing.  

20. Nkate Cake

Nkate Cake is a traditional Ghanaian sweet that is dangerously addictive. If you love peanut brittle, you’ll adore this recipe! 

You start by roasting the peanuts. This brings out their oils and deepens their nutty flavor. You cannot skip this step. 

Then you make caramel. When it’s soft and gooey, mix it with the roasted peanuts. Spread it on a baking sheet and let it cool. 

Done and dusted. 

Nkate Cake is a simple yet satisfying treat. The perfect ending to a delicious Ghanaian meal.

21. Ghana Sugar Bread Rolls

Sweet, soft, and delicious, Ghana sugar bread rolls delight the taste buds. 

Each roll features the most basic baking ingredients. Yet they taste like a baking masterpiece. 

Enjoy them fresh out of the oven. 

Pair the rolls with coffee or tea for an afternoon snack. And they also taste great with soups and stews. 

22. Ghanaian Light Soup

Ghanaian Light Soup is a comforting bowl of delicate flavors and hearty warmth. 

It combines tomatoes, onions, and peppers- this soup is simple. Simplicity at its finest. Every spoonful is tangy, slightly spicy, and savory.

For a satisfying meal, try this dish with goat meat, fish, or chicken – all delicious options! Serve Light Soup with Fufu or rice for a comforting, soul-soothing delicacy.

23. Ghanaian Yam Balls (Yele Kakro)

Celebrate the humble yam with Yele Kakro, an orb-shaped Ghanaian snack. 

Mix boiled yams with spices, aromatics, and canned corned beef and mashed until smooth.

Roll the mixture into bite-sized balls, coated with breadcrumbs, and fry until golden. 

Each crisp bite opens to a soft interior. Serve it with a spicy dipping sauce like shito to capture the authentic Ghanaian experience.

24. Peanut Stew With Chicken and Sweet Potatoes (Hkatenkwan)

Hkatenkwan is a rich, hearty stew that brims with the nutty flavor of peanuts. 

Chicken stock, natural peanut butter, tomatoes, aromatics, and spices for the stew base. Then, add sauteed chicken and sweet potatoes to make it hearty.

This stew that sticks to your bones. 

The stew is a beautiful dance of flavors – sweet, spicy, nutty, and savory. They all come together to create an enchanting culinary experience.

25. Bean Fritters (Koose)

Koose- or bean fritters- are a much-loved street snack offering a glimpse of Ghanaian culture.

It starts with a black-eyed pea batter seasoned with chili, peppers, vegetable bouillon, and salt.

Rolled the mixture into small balls. Then, deep-fry them until they turn a gorgeous golden brown. 

And when served with a spicy dipping sauce, this humble treat truly shines!