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Per serving
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- 1
Marinate the chicken
Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. Place in a bowl, pour lemon juice over, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This is a classic Ethiopian prep step — the acid starts breaking down the meat and balances the richness of the stew.
- 2
Build the onion base
Pulse the onions in a food processor to a chunky puree. Heat the niter kibbeh and olive oil in a Dutch oven over low heat. Add the onions and sauté, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. This long, slow cook is what gives doro wat its deep, almost caramelized backbone — don't rush it.
- 3
Add aromatics
Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Continue to sauté, covered, over low heat for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 4
Add berbere and more butter
Stir in the berbere spice blend and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Sauté, covered, over low heat for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will turn a beautiful deep red and smell incredible.
- 5
Simmer the chicken
Add the marinated chicken pieces, chicken stock, salt, and Tej (or white wine with a teaspoon of honey). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more berbere if you want more heat.
- 6
Add the eggs
While the stew simmers, hard boil the eggs. Once cool enough to handle, peel them and pierce all over with a fork to about 1/4-inch depth — this lets the sauce soak in. Add the eggs to the stew and simmer covered for another 15 minutes.
- 7
Serve
Halve or quarter the eggs and arrange them on plates with the stew. Serve hot with injera (Ethiopian flatbread) for an authentic experience, or with crusty bread or rice if that's what you have on hand.
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Doro Wat (Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew)
Created by: SpiceRouteCooks
Ingredients
- 3 lb chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp niter kibbeh
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cup yellow onion
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1/4 cup berbere
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup Tej (Ethiopian honey wine)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Marinate the chickenCut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. Place in a bowl, pour lemon juice over, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This is a classic Ethiopian prep step — the acid starts breaking down the meat and balances the richness of the stew.
- Build the onion basePulse the onions in a food processor to a chunky puree. Heat the niter kibbeh and olive oil in a Dutch oven over low heat. Add the onions and sauté, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. This long, slow cook is what gives doro wat its deep, almost caramelized backbone — don't rush it.
- Add aromaticsAdd the minced garlic, minced ginger, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Continue to sauté, covered, over low heat for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add berbere and more butterStir in the berbere spice blend and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Sauté, covered, over low heat for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will turn a beautiful deep red and smell incredible.
- Simmer the chickenAdd the marinated chicken pieces, chicken stock, salt, and Tej (or white wine with a teaspoon of honey). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more berbere if you want more heat.
- Add the eggsWhile the stew simmers, hard boil the eggs. Once cool enough to handle, peel them and pierce all over with a fork to about 1/4-inch depth — this lets the sauce soak in. Add the eggs to the stew and simmer covered for another 15 minutes.
- ServeHalve or quarter the eggs and arrange them on plates with the stew. Serve hot with injera (Ethiopian flatbread) for an authentic experience, or with crusty bread or rice if that's what you have on hand.