Ethiopian Doro Wat (Chicken Stew)
Doro wat is a famous Ethiopian chicken stew that is flavored with a special ghee, Berbere seasoning, and chicken thighs. It’s a dish you’ll make again and again, and easy enough for any night of the week!
Doro wat is Ethiopia’s most iconic chicken stew — rich, deeply spiced, and infused with layers of flavor from slow-cooked onions, Berbere seasoning, and fragrant niter kibbeh. The chicken becomes incredibly tender as it simmers, and the sauce is thick, bold, and truly unforgettable.
Despite its complex flavor, doro wat is surprisingly easy to make at home. Once the onions are cooked down and the spices bloom in the ghee, everything comes together naturally. Serve it with injera for a traditional meal, or pair it with naan or rice for an easy weeknight dinner.
What Is Niter Kibbeh?
Niter kibbeh is a fragrant Ethiopian clarified butter infused with warm spices like garlic, ginger, turmeric, and cardamom. Similar to ghee but richly seasoned, it’s the key flavor base in dishes like doro wat, lentil stews, and vegetable sautés. The spiced butter becomes deeply aromatic as it cooks, adding warmth, depth, and a savory complexity you can’t get from plain butter or oil.
You can buy it (or the herb blend) premade, but it’s also easy to make at home by gently simmering butter with spices and straining out the solids. It keeps well and instantly elevates any East African–inspired dish.
What You’ll Like About This Dish
Bold, authentic flavor. Niter kibbeh and Berbere seasoning create the signature depth of Ethiopian cuisine.
Weeknight-friendly. Uses boneless chicken thighs for faster cooking while keeping all the richness.
Comforting. Thick, spiced, warming stew with tender chicken and hard-boiled eggs.
Flexible. Delicious with injera, naan, rice, or flatbreads.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken thighs: Boneless thighs stay tender and juicy as they simmer in the sauce.
- Salt and lemon juice: Lightly season and tenderize the chicken before cooking.
- Niter kibbeh: A spiced clarified butter essential to Ethiopian cooking; it adds warm, aromatic flavor.
- Onions: Cooked low and slow until lightly browned — the foundation of the stew’s depth.
- Berbere seasoning: A spicy, aromatic blend of chiles and warming spices; adjust quantity to taste.
- Garlic and ginger: Add freshness and complexity.
- Tomato paste: Enriches the sauce and helps it thicken.
- Black pepper: Adds warmth.
- Chicken stock: Use just enough to create a thick, spoonable sauce.
- Eggs: Hard-boiled eggs are traditional and soak up the beautifully spiced sauce.
Steps to Make Ethiopian Doro Wat
- Season the chicken with salt and lemon juice; refrigerate while prepping the remaining ingredients.
- Melt part of the ghee in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the onions and cook slowly until lightly browned and reduced.
- Add the remaining ghee, Berbere seasoning, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, pepper, and stock.
- Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add more stock if needed to maintain a thick, rich sauce.
- Add the peeled hard-boiled eggs and heat through.
- Serve with injera, naan, or your preferred flatbread.
Tips
- Cook the onions low and slow — they are the backbone of the sauce’s richness.
- Add Berbere gradually if you’re sensitive to heat; it’s flavorful but can be spicy.
- Use real niter kibbeh for the most authentic taste; butter alone won’t produce the same flavor.
- Let the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving so the flavors settle.
Recipe Variations
- Milder version. Use less Berbere or add extra tomato paste to soften the heat.
- Bone-in chicken. Traditional doro wat is often made with bone-in pieces; they add extra richness.
- Vegetable version. Add potatoes, carrots, or lentils for a heartier stew.
- Extra eggs. Add more hard-boiled eggs to stretch the dish for additional servings.
- Richer sauce. Stir in a spoonful of extra niter kibbeh at the end.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with injera for the most authentic experience.
- Add naan, chapati, or roti if injera isn’t available.
- Pair with rice, couscous, or quinoa for an easy alternative.
- Choose a simple cucumber salad or greens to balance the richness.
- Spoon leftovers over grains for a flavorful next-day meal.
How to Store
Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days; the flavors deepen beautifully.
Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of stock or water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Ethiopian Doro Wat (Chicken Stew)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons niter kibbeh ghee (see below), divided
- 2 cups onion, finely chopped
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Berbere seasoning, or to taste, can be spicy
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 to 1 1/3 cups chicken stock
- 4 large eggs, hard-boiled
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into strips and place in a nonreactive bowl; sprinkle with kosher salt. Add the lemon juice and toss to coat. Refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are lightly browned.
- Add the remaining ghee, the berbere seasoning, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, pepper, and chicken stock. Blend well. Add the chicken pieces and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 25 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken thighs are tender. Add more stock if necessary and spoon the sauce mixture over the chicken from time to time..
- Add the peeled hard-boiled eggs to the pot and heat through.
- Doro wat is traditionally served with injera, but naan, roti, and chapati are also great.
Notes
Quick Homemade Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Spiced Ghee)
Use this if you want to make your own instead of buying premade:- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons minced onion or shallot
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (or 3 crushed cardamom pods)
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon or a tiny stick
- Optional additions: a pinch of fenugreek, a bay leaf, or a small piece of dried chile
(This yields about 3/4 cup and keeps for weeks.)
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
