There is a reason why Doro Wat is the national dish of Ethiopia and one of the most famous of all 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 of all African dishes. You will find it in every Ethiopian restaurant and virtually anyone who is 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 spicy, but quite tame compared to the real deal.
Traditionally Doro Wat is served with an Ethiopian flatbread called injera. It’s kind of a spongy pancake made with teff flour (a grain indigenous to the area), and the batter is left to ferment for up to 4 days before its used. The injera is used in place of an eating utensil and is used to scoop up the chicken stew.
This recipe for Doro Wat comes by way of request from Jared (Make a Request!). He said 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.
Gondor Castle
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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 are 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 and spicy seasoning blend.
Purchasing these spices will serve you well as each of them are commonly used in a large variety of other cuisines. Stored in airtight glass jars in a dark place, they will keep a very long time. If you’d rather 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 of it you usually find for sale. The best deal I’ve found for bulk berbere (and it also happens to be organic and a reputable brand) can be found HERE.
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!
Let’s get started!
Use a food processor to very finely mince the onion – you want an almost chunky puree.
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 that’s ready for the chicken!
Traditionally, bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces are used. You can either use chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks, or use 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 lemon juice and let sit at least 15 minutes.
Add the chicken to the sauce.
Traditionally, Tej is used, an Ethiopian honey wine. 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.
Serve with Authentic Injera (Ethiopian Flatbread)
Be sure to also try our authentic Sega Wat, the famous and incredibly delicious Ethiopian spicy beef stew!
Lastly, for an authentic Ethiopian side dish to serve with your doro wat, try our Gomen (Ethiopian Collard Greens)!
Doro Wat (Ethiopian Spiced Chicken)
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
- OR Homemade 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 fork about 1/4 inch deep
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour lemon juice over. Let 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.
Nutrition
Bev G says
What Ethiopian dishes can I make with the following spices – Korarima, Koseret, and Bessobela? I am making doro wat using this recipe today, my sides are gomen and beet salad.
Ruth says
What Ethiopian vegetable dish could you recommend with Doro Wat?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Ruth, Gomen would be a perfect vegetable dish to serve with Doro Wat: https://www.daringgourmet.com/gomen-ethiopian-collard-greens/
Christie says
Love this recipe. It’s just as good as the doro wat from the local Ethiopian restaurant.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Christie, thank you!
Neil says
Do you think that one could simply use butter instead of the Nitter Kibbeh? If so, would it still be 2tbsp?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Neil, yes to both questions. I’d increase the spices by a bit in lieu of the niter kibbeh.
Jude says
I want to eat it over can I?
Kal P says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ve been missing Doro-Wot and look forward to making it this weekend. Do you have any insight into how this recipe would translate to a slow cooker?
Linda says
Your recipes are pure gold! thank you so much for sharing!! Will you be posting more ethiopian recipes?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Linda! <3 Do you have any specific recipes in mind?
Bob Turnbull says
I traveled to Ethiopia many many times on business and ate many of the national and local dishes with my Ethiopian clients. Some of those meals were prepared in tented diners on the roadsides. While I was often unnerved by the setting, I thoroughly enjoyed the food. This recipe was a favorite. Never had it with beef. Goat was more common. This recipe brings back great memories of Addis Ababa and the countries hinterlands.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Bob, and thank you also for sharing about your travels to Ethiopia!
Hilary Villeneuve says
Just tried it. Delicious but very spicy! I made my own berbere using homegrown chillis. Maybe they were exceptionally hot! The spiced butter is fantastic! Because our meat tends to be full of water I added less than half the amount of liquid suggested and got a thick, rich stew. Thank you for the recipe
Lucas Billington says
I’m not sure the calories quite add up. 3 pounds of chicken thighs alone is roughly 2400 calories. For you to say there are 4 servings of 380 calories each is very dishonest.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lucas, no dishonesty here, simply a glitch in the software that automatically calculates the nutrition info. Thanks for catching it.
Steve says
Can you freeze this?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yes you can, Steve.
Brian says
Is it 3 cups of onions before or after the food processor?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Brian, that’s 3 cups of chunky pureed onions, so after the food processor.
Hannah says
This dish was incredible! I think I learned a lot and will be trying other dishes that involve cooking onions this way. Thank you for sharing it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Hannah, thanks so much!
David Stowell says
Hi Kimberly,
Like another of your guests this is the second time I’ve made this recipe and adapted it to vegan. I found a brilliant Ethiopian restaurant that includes an Ethiopian grocery that stocks imported Berbere and scores of other items. For the chicken I used our own homemade chicken style Seitan. Awesome result thank you so much! Serving tonight with Gomen and Pita.
David. Chicago
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That sounds great, David, thanks so much for the feedback!
Dennis A Tannenbaum says
I made this recipe for the second time 2 days ago with Berbere I got through Amazon. I used Ghee and didn’t spice it up to make Niter Kibbeh. It was excellent despite the missing few spices. My wife and I enjoyed it even though she is not a great chile fan. I reduced the chili for her. The bought Berbere was good but not heavily chilified and not as good as the version in the recipe on this site. I had a friend over the next day and offered him a taste before we went out for lunch. He loved it. He and I polished the rest off and didn’t land up going out. He had a double serving. I made it previously in a pressure cooker and don’t recommend it. It is one of the few chicken recipes where it is good the next day. Don’t heat it in the microwave. Somehow it seems to remove flavor. Today we try the beef version.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Dennis, I’m so happy it was a hit, thanks so much for the feedback! You’ll have to let us know which one you prefer – chicken or beef.
Dennis says
Hi Kimberly,
I also made it with goat, as I had it in the region, and also beef. They are all different and I can’t say I prefer one over the other. I made the Niter KIibbeh and it adds a wonderful depth of flavor. I keep the spice mix and add it to the Doro Wat when I use the Ghee. I can’t find Besobella and Koseret anywhere. Also can’t find Injera though I can’t say it’s my favorite bread after eating it 3 times a day for weeks. It goes well with most flatbreads, though I have yet to master eating with my hands. I have made one or the other at least ten times and went through 15 oz of Berbere. They are great recipes and Berbere is a fantastic mix. I made Doro wat using mushrooms and that is awesome. I used big ones and did it much as the chicken recipe is done. Then made it into a burger. Ottolenghi had the recipe but didn’t call it anything. He roasts the onion, mushrooms, and berbere at 150C for an hour and a half approximately. Its just like this recipe but in the oven. It works equally well using your methods.
Simon D. Eden says
Great site. Never cooked Ethiopian, but plan to do so following your amazing looking recipes. One detail that puzzles me however – as I cook a lot of Indian cuisine – is the suggestion to marinate chicken in lemon juice. In my experience – I learned the hard way – lemon juice makes boneless chicken tough not tender as it messes with the protein fibers. Yoghurt marinade makes chicken tender. Might that be an option for Doro Wat? Just curious. All best, Simon
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Simon :) That’s a great question. You’re correct that acidic marinades in general have the potential to slightly toughen chicken – if the marinating time is too long or the cooking time is too short. Lemon juice infuses chicken with such great flavor and between the short marinating time of 30 minutes and the cooking time of 1 hour, the chicken is going to be delicious and tender. I hope you enjoy the doro wat and any of the other Ethiopian recipes you might decide to try. Happy cooking! Kind regards, Kimberly
Aaron Gerwien says
My fiance said this was the best thing I’ve ever cooked! I added a lil bit of colatura di alici but otherwise followed the recipe. I bought premade nitter kibbeh, and used berbere imported from Ethiopia – no paprika in my berbere. Now to see if I’m brave enough to follow your injera recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Aaron, I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you!
Daniela says
Hi! If I would prefer to use whole bone in skin on chicken thighs should I cook it for longer? Or would you recommend just dicing it and taking the bone off? Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Daniela, bone-in chicken thighs is perfectly fine. 45-60 minutes should be long enough to cook it. I’d check it after 45 minutes and you can give it a little longer if need be. Happy cooking!
Jane says
Thanks for posting this! I think there might be something off with your nutritional calculations; the one egg per person alone would give you 6 grams of protein and I’m estimating the chicken at least 9 grams or more.
Jaristokraatti says
So the recipe says it takes time. It also says you can make it quick but it does not taste as good.
The first comment is how somebody made it within 30 minutes!
John says
Great looking recipe! Instructions are clear and easy to follow. I have only one questiion – Is the niter kibbeh absolutely necessary?
If so, is there anything I can use instead? I can’t use butter with chicken for religious reasons.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi John, the niter kibbeh definitely enhances the flavor but no, it’s not necessary. Add a little extra of the spices called for in the recipe and it will still be fantastic. Happy cooking!
Ronald Callahan says
John, you can make niter kibbeh with canola or olive oil, just cook for 20 minutes and strain. Good Luck!
Robin says
You can buy Niter Kibbeh on Amazon flavoreds with Tumeric and Ginger and add some other spices. Made a huge difference and came out great.
Byron M says
This is absolutely my favorite Doro Wat recipe! It comes out great every time and fills the house with wonderful smells.
Have you ever tried making wat in an Instant Pot? I’ve tried a a recipe today and while it was good and done it 30 minutes (!!), it wasn’t quite as good as this one. I’m going to experiment with it, but if that is something you’ve already done, I’d love to hear about it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Byron, thanks so much! I haven’t made this in the IP but if you give it a try please let us know how it goes!
Jenn D says
This is a wonderful recipe and resulted in some of the best Doro Wot that I’ve ever had, including restaurants.
HOWEVER, I really implore people to be aware of how spicy your berbere is before using the amounts listed. I had a new package of berbere on hand and WOW, it was SPICY. I could eat the dish but my son who isn’t quite as tolerant of eating spicy food could not eat it at all. My lips were on fire and I was profusely sweating. One bonus was that I ate less, haha.
What I’ve done is made my own berbere but without any chili and I use half pre-made, super-spicy berbere and the mix that I made. I still want the flavor of the spices but want to cut down on the heat and I don’t want to waste the mix that I already have.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Jenn, thank you! Yes, there’s a link to our homemade berbere in this recipe and I highly recommend making your own because not only are the flavors of the spices far fresher and vibrant, you can also control the heat!
Ryan D says
Made this today and it turned out excellent! I followed your measurements precisely, and although mine didn’t turn out as red in color, the flavor was amazing. I did substitute cubed up potatoes in place of the eggs (1 whole lg russet potato’s worth) and included them 15 min before completion so they didn’t get too mushy. Great job, thank you :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Ryan, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Judy says
I did the shortened version before but this time, followed the recipe exactly. Took a long time but worth it as the flavor profile was much deeper. I bought berbere from our African store and hubby went to buy injera (we live by at least 2 Ethiopian restaurants within walking distance). I made kik Alicha and Gomen and we all loved it. Why not eat at our local places? We love them but soooo heavy. We got a little sick from the richness so with your recipe I was able to cut the butter and use some olive oil. Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you! Next endeavor- injera!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Judy, and appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Judy says
I love this recipe! I initially made saga wat, but the meat ended up being too tough and it was much too spicy for my Western palate. I tried this recipe with some minor tweaks and it quickly became a staple! I put in half the Berbere and did not add the wine as I didn’t have any around. Additionally, I keep kosher, so I skipped the injera and added a couple of drops of olive oil instead (I don’t eat dairy and meat product together). While I’m sure I missed out on the unique and rich flavor of the injera, I used chicken thighs and let it cook for a very long time in hopes that the bones and skin would mimic the umami-type flavor that was missing. It keeps in the fridge nicely and I enjoy it very much! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Judy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and were able to make those adjustments – thank you!
Andrew says
This recipe was incredible! I wish I would have read the recipe for injera ahead of time! At least 4 days of fermenting but I I grew it is totally worth it. Used raw flour tortillas and cooked em on a skillet just before serving. Still good but nothing like the real thing! Had Ethiopian food for the first time a couple years ago and I couldn’t believe the flavor. Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. I used a little less wine and used better than bullion instead of broth which I also cut down. Used a bit extra butter and cooked it in a potjie. I wanted more of a thicker sauce and it came out absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!! Also a little trick… I soft boiled the eggs early and then put them in the fridge. When it came time to put in the pot I poked holes and let them simmer which resulted in a marinated egg with a super soft yolk!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Andrew, thanks so much for the feedback!
Joseph says
Heck with the taste buds! I’d like to know how Ethiopians still have a GI tract left after eating this! LOL!
Charlotte Borgeson says
Hi Kimberly,
You NAILED it on this one! I grew up in Ethiopia and have been trying to make doro wat at home for years–starting with a first recipe from Time Life. All my other attempts have ended up with a raw taste, not with that comforting smooth back taste. You did it with your layered sweating of the onions, slow cooking the spices, etc. Thank you very much! (I added a bit more berbere as I like it pretty hot!:)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, Charlotte, thanks so much for the feedback and thumbs up!
Julie says
Thank you for including the recipes for the spice mixes. If I had to deal with searching for Berbere, I probably would have gotten lazy and passed. As it turns out, I had almost every engredient for both spice mixes in my kitchen already.
Anyway, its made and even while missing a couple of engredients is incredibly yummy. I cant stop stuffing my face! Honestly, I think I like it more than the last time I had it at a restaurant.
Great job and thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Julie, thank you!
Sonya says
I’m really excited to prepare this dish! How spicy is this adaptation? I like heat but others in my family don’t tolerate it as well. I love your blog!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Sonya! It depends entirely on the berbere spice blend you’re using. If you make your own, which is what I always recommend (see the recipe link in my blog post) then you have full control over the heat level (simply omit or reduce the hot peppers).
Shan says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have definitely helped me to get chef points in the kitchen. This recipe is outstanding.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome, Shan, thanks so much!