There is a reason Doro Wat is Ethiopia's national dish and one of the most famous African dishes—it’s fabulous! This authentic Doro Wat recipe captures the very best of Ethiopian cooking!
Doro Wat is one of the most famous African dishes. You will find it in every Ethiopian restaurant, and virtually anyone familiar with African cuisine will have heard of it. Another version, though not as commonly known here, is Sega Wat, made with beef (FYI, you’ll find recipes online calling it Sik Sik Wat, but I’ve confirmed with the chefs of several Ethiopian restaurants that it’s Sega Wat). You can directly substitute beef for chicken and follow the same cooking instructions.
Doro Wat is traditionally made very spicy. Super spicy. Like I-don’t-know-how-Ethiopians-have-any-taste-buds-left spicy. Western adaptations are still pungent but relatively tame compared to the real deal.
Traditionally, Doro Wat is served with an Ethiopian flatbread called injera. It’s a spongy pancake made with teff flour (a grain indigenous to the area), and the batter is left to ferment for up to four days before use. The injera is used as an eating utensil to scoop up the chicken stew.
This recipe for Doro Wat comes from Jared (Make a Request!). He has been trying for several years to find a good recipe. Jared, this recipe is both authentic and delicious—I think you’ll be very happy with it!
The key to authentic, great-tasting Doro Wat is good quality, flavorful berbere, and a very long cooking process. It can take several hours for an Ethiopian to make Doro Wat. You can cut back on the cooking time, and your Doro Wat will still taste good, but it won’t taste like it’s supposed to. The magic is in the slow-cooked onions. And it takes time for the magic to happen.
A central ingredient of Doro Wat is Berbere, a fiery, bright red, and flavorful Ethiopian spice blend. It is best made fresh using whole spices that are toasted and ground for maximum flavor. A combination of whole and ground spices is used, as seen in the picture below.
The whole spices are toasted and ground up with the already ground spices to make a beautiful, aromatic, flavorful, spicy seasoning blend.
Ethiopian Berbere recipe
Purchasing these spices will serve you well as they are commonly used in many other cuisines. Stored in airtight glass jars in a dark place, they will keep for a very long time. If you’d instead purchase Berbere, you can find it online. You need 1/4-1/3 cup for this recipe alone, so forget the tiny 2-3 oz jars you usually find for sale.
Berbere is a great rub for meat, poultry, and fish and seasoning for stews, soups, and vegetables. It’s also an all-purpose spice, so if you decide to buy instead of making your own, you’ll be able to make good use of this bulk package.
So now that you’re equipped with Ethiopian berbere and authentic Ethiopian injera, you’re ready to make Doro Wat!
Use a food processor to very finely mince the onion – you want an almost chunky puree grated onions
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of niter kibbeh in a Dutch oven (I use and love Lodge) and saute the onion, covered, over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more niter kibbeh if it gets too dry.
In the meantime, finely mince the garlic and ginger.
Add the garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Continue to saute, covered, over low heat for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 4 tablespoons of berbere and 2 teaspoons salt and stir to combine.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter, cover, and simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 30 minutes, you’ll have a rich and luscious sauce ready for the chicken!
Traditionally, bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces are used. You can use chicken thighs cut into 1-inch chunks or boneless chicken breast. I used breast this time. Cut the breast into small, 1/2-inch chunks. Place the chunks in a dish with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and sit for at least 15 minutes.
Traditionally, Tej, an Ethiopian honey wine, is used. As a substitute, we’re going to use white wine with a teaspoon of honey.
Add the chicken stock, salt, and honey wine to the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, boil the eggs. Once the eggs have cooled enough to handle, peel and pierce them all over with a fork, about 1/4 inch deep, to allow the sauce to penetrate.
After 45 minutes, you’ll have a rich, luscious, spicy chicken stew ready for the eggs!
Add the eggs and continue to simmer, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasonings according to taste. Add more berbere according to heat preference.
Doro wat is a recipe for authentic traditional Ethiopian chicken stew with spicy eggs.
Doro Wat (Ethiopian Spiced Chicken)
The national dish of Ethiopia, this spicy chicken stew, is simply outstanding!
2hours hrs 30minutes mins
African, Ethiopian
Servings
3 lbs chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces or 3 chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons niter kibbeh
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cups yellow onions finely minced to a chunky puree in food processor
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1/4 cup Ethiopian berbere
Or use HOMEMADE BERBERE (HIGHLY recommended!)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup Tej Ethiopian honey wine, if you have it, or white wine mixed with 1 teaspoon honey
1 cup chicken stock
4 hard-boiled eggs pierced all over with a fork about 1/4 inch deep
Instructions
Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour the lemon juice over them. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the niter kibbeh or butter along with the olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add the onions and saute, covered, over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon butter and continue to saute, covered, for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the berbere and the 2 remaining tablespoons of butter and saute, covered, over low heat for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chicken, broth, salt, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Adjust the seasonings, adding more berbere according to heat preference. Add the boiled eggs and simmer on low heat, covered, for another 15 minutes.
Half or quarter the eggs and arrange on the plates with the stew. Serve hot with injera, bread, or rice.
Purchasing these spices will serve you well as each is commonly used in many other cuisines. Stored in airtight glass jars in a dark place, they will keep for a very long time. If you’d instead purchase Berbere, you can find it online. You need 1/4-1/3 cup for this recipe alone, so forget the tiny 2-3 oz jars you usually find for sale.
Berbere makes a great rub for meat, poultry, and fish, as well as a seasoning for stews, soups, and vegetables. It’s a great all-purpose spice, so you’ll be able to make good use of this bulk package if you decide to buy versus make your own.
So now that you’re equipped with Ethiopian berbere and authentic Ethiopian injera, you’re ready to make Doro Wat!
Ingredients
3 lbs chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces or 3 chicken breasts cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons niter kibbeh
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cups yellow onions finely minced to a chunky puree in a food processor
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1/4 cup Ethiopian berbere
or use HOMEMADE BERBERE (HIGHLY recommended!)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup Tej Ethiopian honey wine, if you have it, or white wine mixed with 1 teaspoon honey
1 cup chicken stock
4 hard-boiled eggs pierced all over with a fork about 1/4 inch deep
Instructions
Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour the lemon juice over them. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the niter kibbeh or butter along with the olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add the onions and saute, covered, over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon butter and continue to saute, covered, for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the berbere and the 2 remaining tablespoons of butter and saute, covered, over low heat for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chicken, broth, salt, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Adjust the seasonings, adding more berbere according to heat preference. Add the boiled eggs and simmer on low heat, covered, for another 15 minutes.
Half or quarter the eggs and arrange on the plates with the stew. Serve hot with injera, bread, or rice.
