Ethiopian Doro Wat Pressure-Cooked Chicken Stew
A hearty and aromatic Ethiopian chicken stew slow-simmered using a pressure cooker to tender perfection. Infused with berbere spice blend, garlic, and ginger, served traditionally with injera or rice for a comforting weeknight meal.
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Overview
Doro Wat is a classic Ethiopian chicken stew known for its deep, fiery flavors made possible by the iconic berbere spice blend. Traditionally simmered for hours, this recipe uses a pressure cooker to achieve tender, flavorful chicken in a fraction of the time without sacrificing authenticity. The stew combines garlic, ginger, onions, and spices to create a rich sauce best enjoyed with injera or steamed rice.
Why you’ll love it
This recipe speeds up the traditional Doro Wat cooking process using a pressure cooker while preserving its signature bold, spicy and aromatic notes. It's perfect for weeknight dinners when you crave something hearty and comforting without the long wait. The method ensures juicy chicken and a thick, richly spiced sauce that warms you from the inside out.
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Ingredient notes
- Berbere spice blend: A key Ethiopian spice mix with chili, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, and other warm spices. Use a prepared blend or homemade for authenticity.
- Chicken: Use bone-in skinless chicken thighs for flavor and tenderness; breasts are leaner but can be used as well.
- Onions: Yellow onions caramelize to build the stew’s deep base flavor. Cooking them well is critical.
- Clarified butter (Niter Kibbeh): Adding traditional Ethiopian spiced clarified butter enhances aroma and richness. Regular unsalted butter can be substituted.
Serving & storage
Serve Doro Wat hot with traditional Ethiopian injera bread or steamed rice for an authentic experience. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat. This stew also freezes well for up to 3 months — thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
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Chef tips
- Caramelizing the onions slowly is key to developing authentic deep flavor — don’t rush this step.
- Use a good quality berbere spice blend or make your own for the best results.
- If you do not have clarified butter, gently melt unsalted butter but avoid browning it too much to keep the flavor clean.
- Ensure the pressure cooker is properly sealed and handle with care when releasing pressure.
- Leftover stew thickens as it cools; add a splash of water or stock when reheating if needed.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) bone-in skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into pieceschicken thighs
- 3 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 500 g / 1.1 lbs)onions
- 4 cloves garlic, mincedgarlic
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, mincedginger
- 3 tbsp berbere spice blendberbere spice
- 100 g (7 tbsp) clarified butter (Niter Kibbeh) or unsalted butterclarified butter
- 2 tbsp tomato pastetomato paste
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock or waterchicken stock
- Salt to tastesalt
- Freshly ground black pepper to tasteblack pepper
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (optional)hard-boiled eggs
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Equipment
- pressure cooker
- chef’s knife
- wooden spoon
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- cutting board
Nutrition per serving
- Calories480
- Protein45 g
- Carbs12 g
- Fat25 g
Step-by-step
Step 1
Heat the clarified butter in the pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply caramelized and soft, about 15-20 minutes.Step 2
Add the minced garlic and ginger to the onions and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.Step 3
Stir in the berbere spice blend and tomato paste, cooking for another 3 minutes to toast the spices and deepen the flavor.Step 4
Add the chicken pieces to the pot, stirring to coat well with the spice-onion mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes to lightly brown the chicken, stirring occasionally.Step 5
Pour in the chicken stock or water and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the cooker.Step 6
Secure the pressure cooker lid according to manufacturer instructions. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.Step 7
Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully perform a quick release to vent any remaining steam.Step 8
Remove the lid and stir the stew. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered on low heat for 5-10 minutes to thicken to your liking.Step 9
Add the peeled hard-boiled eggs to the stew to warm through for 5 minutes before serving, if using.
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