Today we’re traveling to Ethiopia. This is a country whose culinary history and traditions fascinate me, and I find myself coming back to some of my favorite dishes time and time again. This Ethiopian Doro Wat recipe is just a master class in how to create something magical with the humblest of ingredients. Onions, ginger, garlic, fresh tomatoes and water. Boiled eggs and the simplest flatbread hitch a ride as well. A dash of this, as sprinkle of that. It’s the freshly toasted spice blend – the Berbere – that weaves the spell, though. This heady mix stands as the flavorful anchor for so many Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes, and I’m excited to feature it in this recipe today. Unforgettable and utterly delicious, you’re going to just adore this one.
What is Doro Wat?
Doro Wat is an Ethiopian Chicken Stew that is classically made by rinsing/washing skinless, bone-in chicken pieces in a vinegar solution and then using this meat to build the stew. The base is typically built on lots of fresh onions, tomatoes, garlic, niter kibbeh (a spiced clarified butter), and a generous amount of Berbere spice blend.
This spice blend, which is the hallmark flavor in many Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes, contains a big, beautiful blend of chili powder(s), fenugreek, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, pepper, dried holy basil, and more. The stew also includes boiled eggs and is frequently served atop injera flatbread.
What is Ethiopian cuisine like?
Ethiopian food consists of many vegetable and meat-based stews, many of which are quite spicy, thanks to the generous use of chili peppers.
The foundation of the vast majority of Ethiopian meals is injera, a giant gray spongy pancake-like bread, upon whose strangely rubbery surface are served an array of foods, including multicolored mounds of spicy stews, vegetable curries and cubes of raw meat. Wot is Ethiopia’s version of curry.
CNN
What is Berbere spice?
Bebere spice is a blend of spices that is widely used in both Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines.
Berbere is a spice mixture whose constituent elements usually include chili peppers, coriander, garlic, ginger, Ethiopian holy basil seeds, korarima, rue, ajwain or radhuni, nigella, and fenugreek. It is a key ingredient in the cuisines of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Berbere also refers to chili pepper itself.
Wikipedia
How to make my Doro Wat recipe
One of the world’s great chicken dishes, Ethiopian Doro Wat is a master class in developing deep aromatic flavor with little fuss or fanfare. I include a few of my own spins here, which just reflect things I love: soft-boiled eggs (instead of hard) and a good dollop of chicken stock concentrate (to make that sauce sing). Also, in traditional Ethiopian recipes, a whole chicken is used and skinned prior to cleaning in a vinegar/water solution. We’ll skip that step here, using bone-in, skin-on drumsticks which we’ll brown prior to cooking. This is simply to help the chicken hold on to the amazing sauce (the very best part).Â
INSTRUCTIONS
- 8 chicken drumsticks (skin on)
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup Berbere spice blend, either quicker-fix (below), authentic homemade or purchased (see note)Â
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 3 large red onions, finely chopped/minced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1.5-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced/grated
- 2 teaspoons chicken stock concentrate (such as Better Than Bouillon)
- 3 Roma or vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter; ghee can be substituted, or regular butter here)
- 6 soft or hard-boiled eggs
Serving suggestion: fresh injera (yeast-risen flatbread) or rice for serving
What is the translation of Doro Wat?
The direct translation of “Doro Wat” from Amharic, the language spoken in Ethiopia, is “chicken stew.” “Doro” means chicken, and “wat” means stew.
What does Doro Wat taste like?
The fact that this stew is based so largely on a sauce made from onions gives it a very aromatic backbone, bolstered beautifully by an ample amount of garlic. The large amount of Bebere spice that goes in adds a toasted, buzzing heat that radiates through each and every bite. The chili base is spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. Fenugreek, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon. Black pepper, chili, salt, Ethiopian holy basil, and other spices combine in a blend that lends such depth of flavor to this classic chicken stew.
If you’d like additional resources to help you dive further into the world of Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine, here are a few you might want to check out:
To watch: Mimi Selam on YouTube. She shares great Ethiopian recipes and videos.
To shop: The Ethiopian Store.
To read: Ethiopia, by Yohanis Gebreyesus. “Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa.”
If you like the looks of this Ethiopian Doro Wat Recipe (Ethiopian Chicken Stew), then you might want to explore:
West African Peanut Stew (Maafe)
Colombian Chicken Stew (Sudado de Pollo)
Egyptian Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Pomegranate
Korean Style Braised Beef with Pickles and Jammy Eggs
Mediterranean Sun Dried Tomato Chicken with Farro
PrintEthiopian Doro Wat Recipe (Spiced Ethiopian Chicken Stew)
One of the world’s great chicken dishes, Ethiopian Doro Wat is a master class in developing deep aromatic flavor with little fuss or fanfare. I include a few of my own spins here, which just reflect things I love: soft-boiled eggs (instead of hard) and a good dollop of chicken stock concentrate (to make that sauce sing). Also, in traditional Ethiopian recipes, a whole chicken is used and skinned prior to cleaning in a vinegar/water solution. We’ll skip that step here, using bone-in, skin-on drumsticks which we’ll brown prior to cooking in the oven. This is simply to help the chicken hold on to the amazing sauce (the very best part).
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
For the spiced chicken stew:
- 8 chicken drumsticks (skin on)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup Berbere spice blend, either quick-fix (below), authentic homemade, or purchased (see note)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 3 large red onions, finely chopped/minced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1.5-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced/grated
- 2 teaspoons chicken stock concentrate (such as Better Than Bouillon)
- 3 Roma or vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 tablespoon Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter; ghee can be substituted, or regular butter here)
- 6 soft or hard-boiled eggs
Serving suggestion: fresh injera (yeast-risen flatbread) or rice for serving
Quick-Fix Berbere Spice Blend:
- 1/4 cup Hungarian paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek (optional, as this is tougher to find)
Instructions
- Begin by mixing up your Berbere spice blend (this is my quicker-fix version). In a large dry skillet over medium heat, add all of the spices, from paprika to fenugreek. Stirring occasionally, allow the spice to gently toast, which will draw out the flavors and activate them; takes about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a separate container.
- Season the chicken liberally with salt and a little bit of the Berbere spice mix. Add the oil to a large oven-proof pan/pot (I use a deep braising pan or Dutch oven) set over medium-high and when it’s hot, brown the chicken on both sides until golden; about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate or tray for now.Â
- Wipe out the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions (no oil this time), and allow them to cook until they are pink and visibly dried out/sticking to the pan somewhat; takes about 35 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.Â
- Add the garlic, ginger, ½ cup of the Berbere, stock concentrate, and tomatoes. Cook for a couple of minutes, and then add 1 cup of water. Stir to combine and slide the chicken pieces (along with any collected juices) back into the pan, ensuring they are mostly submerged. Cover and cook the stew in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. You can cook it with the lid off for the last 10 minutes to help with browning, if you like.
- To serve, cut the boiled eggs in half (I love the way it looks to present them this way), and nestle them into the stew. Top with chopped parsley if you like and serve with fresh injera.
Notes
NOTE: Making your own Berbere spice blend isn’t hard, but it does require assembling several different spices, some of which aren’t readily available in standard American supermarkets. I strongly encourage you to give it a try though, because it’s wonderful. I buy the tougher-to-find spices (like fenugreek and cardamom pods) online or in local African markets and it just takes a little planning ahead. Sometimes cooking asks that of us, and it’s okay. It’s usually worth it. However, a nice in-between option is the quick-fix mix I’ve shared in this recipe.
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