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Flavorful Ethiopian Doro Wat Recipe Easy Spicy Chicken Stew Tutorial

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A rich and spicy Ethiopian chicken stew featuring slow-cooked caramelized onions, berbere spice, and tender chicken, perfect for cozy dinners and packed with deep, complex flavors.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
  • 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or grated
  • 3 tablespoons berbere spice blend
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups chicken broth, preferably low-sodium
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons butter or niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter)
  • Salt to taste (start with 1 teaspoon)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Boil eggs in water for about 10 minutes until hard-boiled. Place in cold water, peel, and set aside. Trim excess fat from chicken and pat dry.
  2. Heat butter or niter kibbeh in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Stir regularly and cook for 30-40 minutes until onions are deeply golden and jammy.
  3. Add minced garlic and ginger, cooking until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in berbere spice blend and toast spices for 2-3 minutes until the mixture turns rich red-brown.
  4. Stir in tomato paste and cook briefly to combine with the onion-spice mixture.
  5. Nestle chicken pieces into the pot, turning to coat with sauce. Pour in chicken broth, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook gently for about 30 minutes, turning chicken halfway through.
  6. Add peeled hard-boiled eggs to the stew during the last 5 minutes of cooking to soak up flavors.
  7. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Add lemon juice if desired. Let stew rest off heat for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Slow-cooking the onions until jammy is key to developing the stew’s deep flavor. Stir gently to avoid breaking the eggs. If sauce thickens too much, add a splash of broth or water. Use bone-in, skin-on chicken for best flavor and tenderness. Adjust spice level by modifying berbere amount.

Nutrition

Keywords: Doro Wat, Ethiopian chicken stew, spicy chicken stew, berbere spice, slow-cooked onions, traditional Ethiopian recipe, comfort food

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