Doro Wat from Ethiopia

User Reviews

3.7

9 reviews
Good
  • Prep Time

    20 mins

  • Cook Time

    20 mins

  • Additional Time

    25 mins

  • Total Time

    55 mins

  • Servings

    4 servings

  • Calories

    615 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    Ethiopian

Doro Wat from Ethiopia

This spicy chicken stew, called Doro Wat, is an Ethiopian specialty! It is made with chicken, Niter Kibbeh, and Berbere spice, for a flavorful meal. This version of the typically time intensive recipe is made with an Instant Pot, getting your Doro on your dinner table in under 45 minutes.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 2 lbs bone in, skin on chicken the package I used had breasts, thighs, and drumsticks
  • 3 tbsp ghee or Niter Kibbeh
  • 1 red onion chopped
  • 2 tsp garlic chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1-2 tbsp berbere depending on how spicy you want it
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 4-6 eggs hard boiled
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
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Instructions

  1. Salt the chicken. You can also sprinkle it with a bit of berbere if you want your Doro Wat to be extra spicy.
  2. Turn your Instant Pot to the SAUTE function.
  3. Add the ghee into the pot, then add the chopped onions. Saute until the onions soften and cook.
  4. Add the garlic, ginger, tomato paste, paprika, berbere, chicken broth, and chicken.
  5. Turn the pot to HIGH and pressure cook for 10 minutes with a natural pressure release of 15 minutes.
  6. While the chicken is cooking, fill a medium saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs. Put the water and eggs on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Allow it to boil for about 8-10 minutes.
  7. Run the eggs under cold water, peel the shell off, and slice.
  8. When the pressure is released, use tongs to remove the chicken from the sauce and set in a separate bowl off to the side.
  9. Turn on the saute function and bring the sauce to a boil.
  10. In a small bowl, add ¼ cup water and ¼ cup flour and mix to combine. Add this into the sauce and allow it to boil for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.
  11. If the sauce doesn’t get as thick as you want, continue to combine 1 tbsp flour + 1 tbsp water and add to the boiling sauce.
  12. Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken back in! Put the Doro Wat in a serving dish, and layer the hard boiled eggs on top. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Recipe was researched using AfricanBites.com and MinistryofCurry.com 
  • I used 2 lbs of a fully jointed chicken with the bones in and the skin on, including thighs, breasts, & drumsticks. I discarded the chicken wings, as I didn’t want to overcook them. You can use whatever you want in this situation, including only drumsticks, only thighs, etc. You can also take the skin off if you’d prefer.
  • Niter Kibbeh is an Ethiopian ghee that is spiced with things like cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is delicious spread on toast, in eggs, or, of course, in this Doro Wat recipe! You can buy
  • Niter Kibbeh
  • online, or make it following
  • these instructions
  • Berbere is a spice mix popular in Ethiopian cuisine, made with cumin, cayenne, paprika, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. It is a very popular blend, so use it according to your taste! You can adjust the amount of berbere in this recipe depending on how spicy you want your Doro Wat. You can
  • buy Berbere online
  • , or make it following
  • these instructions
  • .
  • If you want to hard boil the eggs in the Instant Pot instead of boiling them, you can definitely do this! I follow the 5-5-5 method, which is 5 minutes on HIGH pressure, 5 minute Natural Release, and 5 minutes in an ice cold bath. 
  • Please note that the flour + water added at the end of this recipe is not a method typically used in Ethiopia. Because of the method of cooking in the Instant Pot, more liquid is needed than normal to keep the chicken from burning. This extra water/broth will thicken up on its own if you wait long enough, but the flour and water combo thickens up this extra liquid so you can eat your meal when it’s still warm! 
  • Some recipes for Doro Wat use less chicken broth/water, mostly when made on the stove top. The more onions you use, the less liquid you need. However, with cooking the meal in the Instant Pot, I would stick with the prescribed liquid measurements. 
  • You can sub tomato puree for tomato paste if necessary 
  • You can sub water in for the chicken broth for a slightly less flavorful sauce
  • Chicken: I used 2 lbs of a fully jointed chicken with the bones in and the skin on, including thighs, breasts, & drumsticks. I discarded the chicken wings, as I didn’t want to overcook them. You can use whatever you want in this situation, including only drumsticks, only thighs, etc. You can also take the skin off if you’d prefer.
  • Niter Kibbeh: Niter Kibbeh is an Ethiopian ghee that is spiced with things like cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is delicious spread on toast, in eggs, or, of course, in this Doro Wat recipe! You can buy Niter Kibbeh online, or make it following these instructions. 
  • Berbere: Berbere is a spice mix popular in Ethiopian cuisine, made with cumin, cayenne, paprika, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. It is a very popular blend, so use it according to your taste! You can adjust the amount of berbere in this recipe depending on how spicy you want your Doro Wat. You can buy Berbere online, or make it following these instructions.
  • Tomato Paste: You can also use tomato puree if you don’t have tomato paste.
  • If you want to hard boil the eggs in the Instant Pot instead of boiling them, you can definitely do this! I follow the 5-5-5 method, which is 5 minutes on HIGH pressure, 5 minute Natural Release, and 5 minutes in an ice cold bath. 
  • Please note that the flour + water added at the end of this recipe is not a method typically used in Ethiopia. Because of the method of cooking in the Instant Pot, more liquid is needed than normal to keep the chicken from burning. This extra water/broth will thicken up on its own if you wait long enough, but the flour and water combo thickens up this extra liquid so you can eat your meal when it’s still warm! 
  • Some recipes for Doro Wat use less chicken broth/water, mostly when made on the stove top. The more onions you use, the less liquid you need. However, with cooking the meal in the Instant Pot, I would stick with the prescribed liquid measurements. 
  • You can sub tomato puree for tomato paste if necessary 
  • You can sub water in for the chicken broth for a slightly less flavorful sauce

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Serving 1serving Calories 615kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 55g (110%) Fat 37g (57%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g Monounsaturated Fat 14g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 338mg (113%) Sodium 847mg (35%) Potassium 837mg (24%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 660IU (13%) Vitamin C 16mg (18%) Calcium 71mg (7%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 615 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 615kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Protein 55g 110%
Fat 37g 57%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 14g 70%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 338mg 113%
Sodium 847mg 35%
Potassium 837mg 18%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 660IU 13%
Vitamin C 16mg 18%
Calcium 71mg 7%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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3.7

9 reviews
Good

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