Doro Wat is a simple, yet delicious, Ethiopian chicken stew that celebrates the flavor of berbere spices, with tender, juicy chicken simmered low and slow.
Doro Wat Recipe (Ethiopian Chicken Stew)
If you enjoy a good spicy chicken stew, you're going to love this recipe from Ethiopia. It's called Doro Wat, and it has quickly become a favorite dish in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen.
What is Doro Wat?
Doro Wat is a flavorful Ethiopian dish made with chicken and a rich, spicy sauce spiced with berbere seasoning. It's typically served with injera, a type of sourdough flatbread, or with cooked rice.
It is the National Dish of Ethiopia, so you can imagine its popularity.
You may have encountered Doro Wat in Ethiopian restaurants, but making it at home is incredibly easy, and incredibly satisfying.
It's a one pot dish that cooks the chicken low and slow until it is fall off the bone tender.
The highlight of the dish is Berbere Spice, a pungent, vibrant Ethiopian spice blend of chili peppers, with a variety of other ingredients like garlic, ginger, ajwain, nigella, cinnamon, fenugreek, and more.
It's an amazing, unique spice blend that I personally find rather addictive, and you can't make this dish without it. It truly is a celebration of berbere.
Let's talk about how to make doro wat, shall we?
Doro Wat Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken Thighs and Legs. Bone-in, skin removed. You can make this recipe with a whole chicken, cut up. You can also use boneless chicken, though bone-in is more traditional.
- Lemon Juice.
- Red Onions. You can use white or yellow onions, if desired.
- Canola Oil.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Berbere Spice Mix.
- Paprika.
- Salt and Black Pepper.
- Tomato Paste.
- Water or Chicken Stock.
- Niter Kibbeh. Niter kibbeh is a spiced butter used in Ethiopian cooking. If you can't find it, use ghee.
- Hard Boiled Eggs.
- For Serving. Chopped fresh parsley freshly squeezed lemon.
How to Make Doro Wat - the Recipe Method
Rinse and Soak the Chicken. Soak the chicken pieces in a bowl with water and lemon juice for 30 minutes to add some flavor and clean it.
Cook the Onions. Cook the onions in a large pot for 15 to 20 minutes over medium heat, without oil or butter, over dry heat. You can use oil if needed, but you'll get more caramelization over dry heat.
Stir them very often to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Oil and Spices. Add the oil, garlic, ginger, berbere seasoning, paprika, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until very aromatic.
Tomato Paste. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a bit.
Water/Stock. Add the water (or stock) and bring to a boil.
Simmer the Doro Wat/Chicken Stew. Add the chicken to the pot, then simmer 40 minutes.
Butter and Eggs. Stir in the niter kibbeh (or ghee) and eggs and simmer 10 minutes.
Boom! Done! Your doro wat is ready to serve. Doesn't it smell fantastic in here? I love the aroma of all those amazing spices blooming in the kitchen. Makes me hungry!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- It is best to cook the onions at least 20 minutes to gain a rich caramelization, which translates to huge flavor for this dish. You can cook them longer for more flavor development.
- Bone-in chicken is more traditional for doro wat, though you can easily make this with boneless chicken. Be sure to adjust your cooking times, as boneless chicken doesn't need as long to cook.
- For a thicker doro wat sauce, remove the chicken and eggs, then turn up the heat and cook another few minutes to thicken.
- You can incorporate other spices to enhance the flavor of this dish. Consider allspice, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. These ingredients are already in berbere, but these offer more flavor boost. Garam masala is also a nice addition.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover doro wat (chicken stew) will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can easily rewarm it in the pot on the stove top to enjoy again.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this doro wat recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Try Some of My Other Chicken Stew Recipes from Around the World
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Doro Wat Recipe (Ethiopian Chicken Stew)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs and legs skins removed, if desired
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 2 large red onions chopped
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 6 cloves garlic chopped (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2-3 tablespoons berbere seasoning
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-2 cups water or use chicken stock – use 2 cups for soupier
- 2 tablespoons niter kibbeh spiced butter – optional – or use ghee
- 4-6 large hard-boiled eggs peeled
- For Serving. Chopped fresh parsley freshly squeezed lemon.
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a large bowl and cover with water. Stir in lemon juice and soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain and rinse the chicken thoroughly with fresh water. Set aside.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring very frequently to avoid sticking, for 15-20 minutes to brown and start to caramelize. You can use a bit of oil or ghee if desired.
- Add the oil, garlic, ginger, berbere seasoning, paprika, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until very aromatic.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a bit.
- Add the water (or stock) and bring to a boil.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add them to the pot. Reduce the heat and simmer on low, partially covered, for 40 minutes. Stir a few times during simmering. You can cook longer for more fall-off-the-bone chicken.
- Stir in the niter kibbeh (or ghee) and eggs and submerge into the pot. Heat for 10 minutes to warm them through, and the chicken is cooked through and very tender.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Halima says
I had this for the first time ever last month, made by an Eritrean mom at school, and have been craving it since. I'll definitely be trying this myself. Now I need an Injera recipe...Wink wink
thank Mike
Mike H. says
Wink wink noticed LOL Give it a try and enjoy, Halima!
Rod says
I last had authentic Dora Wat in Addis Ababa many years ago bit for some reason did not have the Injeera.
Mike H. says
Good memories, huh?
Robert says
This looks just delicious Mike. I was going to make steamed chicken leg quarters with ginger scallion sauce this Saturday. But I'm swapping it out for this. When we order this for delivery, we have to pay EUR 18 per person (Doro Wot + Injera + Ayib/Ajibo). That excludes delivery cost, service cost, and rider tip. Thanks a lot for this!
https://postimg.cc/hQxWbgBT
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Robert. Yes, better homemade, and save some $$$! Enjoy!
Robert says
Hi Mike,
Could you let me know how you gave that sauce such a beautiful red colour?
I made this (8 servings) and it was delicious. The only thing is that my attempt came out more brownish burgundy when added to the cooked red onions. Although the Berbere mix from your recipe and the extra paprika powder were nice orange red when still dry. Could it be the red onions causing the discolouration?
P.S. Starting with step six I went to the slow cooker. Two cups of water for the 8 servings and 3 hours 45 minutes on low.
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Robert. It's probably the spices uses. Berbere is quite vibrant red, and I just got a very fresh batch. Plus the tomato paste. It's also possible that heat darkened the sauce.
Robert says
Oh dear, so many possible causes. I thought that it would be an easy fix. Next time I will use yellow or sweet onions. For now I’ll have to live with it. Thanks Mike. ✌️
Mike Hultquist says
I know, wish I could help more!