Doro Wat (Ethiopian Chicken Stew)
A deeply spiced chicken stew simmered in berbere and slow-cooked onions, finished with hard-boiled eggs and served over injera. It's the centerpiece dish of D.C.'s Ethiopian restaurant community.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 115 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 420 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy pot
- •Wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- fat
- 24
- carbs
- 18
- protein
- 34
- calories
- 420
Instructions
- 1
Cook chopped onions in a dry pot over medium-low heat. Stir often for 20-25 minutes until soft and dark golden.
- 2
Add niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter) and stir until melted into the onions.
- 3
Stir in berbere (spice blend) and cook 5 minutes. Stir constantly so it does not burn.
- 4
Add garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes.
- 5
Pour in chicken broth and bring the liquid to a simmer.
- 6
Add chicken pieces and coat them in the sauce. Rub with lemon juice and salt.
- 7
Cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until the chicken is tender.
- 8
Nestle scored hard-boiled eggs into the stew. Simmer 10 more minutes to absorb color and flavor.
- 9
Serve hot over injera (spongy flatbread).
Chef's tips
Cook onions low and slow without oil first to let out their moisture. Adding butter and spices later creates deep flavor.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days; flavor deepens overnight.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if too thick.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rushing the onion step, which leaves the stew thin and weak in flavor
- •Adding berbere over high heat, which can easily burn the spices
Serving suggestions
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