Spicy, savory, comforting, and lip-smacking delicious, this Ethiopian spicy chicken stew, aka Doro Wat, is going to become your next favorite comfort food.
It's an incredibly easy one-pot meal that needs just a teeny bit of kitchen time and is an absolute flavor bomb!
I've always loved spicy food, especially when I'm feeling low and just need something flavorful and comforting to dig into. I almost always turn to my favorites- spicy smoked goatmeat, or African chicken stew on days when I don't want to put in too much effort.
This time, though, I had some chicken and wanted to recreate a simple, effortless, and flavor-packed recipe, so of course, I had to try this soul-satisfying goodness. If you love chicken, then this Jamaican brown stew chicken or jerk chicken will be your go-to.
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What I Love About this Recipe
It's rich, hearty and delicious! The spicy, tangy flavors are perfect and will take your taste buds on a ride, just like this black stew or ofada stew.
It’s a dish that makes any occasion feel special, whether serving it at a family dinner or sharing it with friends. Plus, the fact that it pairs perfectly with injera just makes it even more authentic.
It's incredibly versatile- you can pair it with rice, bread, and any simple side you choose.
Adding hard-boiled eggs is such a unique touch, absorbing all the spices and adding a creamy richness to the dish.
Recipe Ingredients
Chicken: Chicken thighs or drumsticks are the best choice for this recipe. Feel free to use any other chicken cut if you don't have them.
Eggs: Hard-boiled eggs taste fantastic in the stew; you can always benefit from the extra protein!
Seasonings: To season, I used some ginger garlic paste, chicken bouillon, salt, and Berbere spice, which is a super hot spice mix that gives the stew that authentic flavor.
Tomato paste: This adds a beautiful savory flavor and bright reddish hue to the stew.
Lemon: To add a bit of citrusy zing to the dish. I used it to clean the chicken, too!
Onion: The Key ingredient for sweetness and flavour.
Ghee: Ghee or Niter Kibbeh, an Ethiopian clarified butter, lends a beautiful smoky aroma to the stew.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- If you don't have fresh lemon, use limes or white vinegar instead. Both of these bring in that much-needed tanginess into the stew.
- While authentic Berbere spice is quite hot enough, you can add some red pepper flakes or cayenne into the mix if you want it to have more spiciness.
- If you don't have the chicken bouillon, swap the water in the recipe for chicken broth instead.
How to Make Doro Wat
To make the Doro Wat,
- Start by rinsing the chicken with enough lemon juice and salt and set it aside.
- Add the finely chopped onion to a pot over medium heat. Keep stirring until it is light pink; this will take about 20 - 30 minutes.
- Add ginger and garlic paste, salt, bouillon, tomato paste, berbere spice, and niter kibbeh (ghee) and stir well.
- With a knife, make deep slants on the chicken and put it inside the sauce, add water, and cook until it's tender.
- When fully cooked, make pokes on the hard-boiled eggs with a knife and add. Stir and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Fully cooked.
Storing Leftovers
Store your leftover Doro Wat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Let it cool down thoroughly first, then pop it in. You can also choose to freeze the stew if you want to use a freezer-safe container or bag, and it should stay good for up to 4 months.
To reheat the stew, microwave it, pausing at every 30-40 second interval or in a pan over medium heat, with a little splash of water. To reheat frozen Doro Wat, let it thaw completely, ideally overnight in the refrigerator, and then reheat it.
Tips & Tricks to Make Ethiopian Spicy Chicken Stew
- To add some extra nutrition to the stew and to bulk it up, you can also add some chopped veggies like carrots, celery, potatoes, bell peppers, or squash.
- Depending on your consistency, you can reduce or increase the amount of water you add to the stew.
- If you can, make the dish 1-2 days ahead of time before you intend to serve it. This will help the flavors deepen further.
- You can substitute the chicken in the recipe for beef, and you'll end up with Sega Wat, which is another version of the stew.
- If you love curries, don't forget to try my coconut beef curry recipe too!
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
You can pair this Ethiopian spicy chicken stew with some steamed rice or flatbread. I love serving it with my east African chapati on days when I don't want to have rice.
If you want, you can also team it up with a simple side dish like Instant Pot collard greens or and finish it all up with a slice of Jamaican rum cake.
Recipe FAQs
You can, but it probably won't have the same flavor. Berbere spice is a fantastic spice mix that is totally worth getting your hands on!
Tomato paste has a much deeper flavor, but you can make do with fresh tomatoes. Remember that they'll have more liquid, so watch how much water you add to the stew.
Berbere is a spice mix central to Ethiopian cooking. It typically includes a combination of chili peppers, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, fenugreek, cardamom, and cloves, among others. It gives Doro Wat its signature spicy and aromatic flavor.
While chicken is the traditional choice for Doro Wat, some variations use beef or lamb. However, chicken is the most common and authentic meat used in Ethiopian Doro Wat.
Berbere is the signature seasoning in Doro Wat, but if you can't find it or prefer a milder option, you can try making a homemade version of the spice mix or substitute with other spices like paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
More Stew Recipes to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Doro wat or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Doro Wat - Ethiopian Spicy Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 4 large Onion finely chopped
- 2 lb. Chicken thighs or drumsticks
- ¼ cup Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoon Berbere Spice
- 1 tablespoon Ginger and Garlic Paste
- 2 teaspoon Salt plus 1 teaspoon for washing chicken
- 2 teaspoon Chicken bouillon
- ½ cup Oil
- ¼ cup Niter kibbeh or Ghee
- 4 Hard boiled eggs peeled
- Lemon and Salt to wash Chicken
- 2-3 cups Water might need more depending on how hard your chicken is.
Instructions
- Start by rinsing the chicken with enough lemon juice and salt. Set aside.
- Add the finely chopped onion to a pot over medium heat. Keep stirring until it is light pink, this will take about 20 - 30 minutes. At this point, the onion will release its water and become soft. This step is crucial, so do not miss it. When the onion starts sticking to the pot, add some cooking oil and stir.
- Add ginger and garlic paste, salt, bouillon, tomato paste, berbere spice, and niter kibbeh (ghee) and stir well.
- With a knife, make deep slants on the chicken and put it inside the sauce. Stir until it is well-coated. Add water and boil for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Check the pot often and stir to avoid burning. Add water if needed or until the chicken is tender.
- When fully cooked, make pokes on the hard-boiled eggs with a knife and add. Stir and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Serve with injera or any side.
Notes
- To add some extra nutrition to the stew and to bulk it up, you can also add some chopped veggies like carrots, celery, potatoes, bell peppers or squash.
- Depending on the kind of consistency you like, you can reduce or increase the amount of water you're adding into the stew.
- If you can, make the dish 1-2 days ahead of time before you intend to serve it. This will actually help the flavors deepen further.
- You can substitute the chicken in the recipe for beef, and you'll end up with Sega Wat, which is another version of the stew.
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Bilikis says
This stew is incredible delicious and satisfying .
Claudy says
Ethiopia’s famous chicken stew, and it was absolutely worth the effort. The key to its bold, rich flavor lies in the berbere spice blend and slow-cooked onions, which filled my kitchen with an amazing aroma. Hope you get to try it soonest, you'll love it too.
Claudy