Ethiopian Spiced Chicken Stew with Injera Dumplings
A comforting slow-braised Ethiopian stew featuring tender chicken simmered in traditional spices, served alongside soft injera dumplings. This weeknight-friendly dish embraces seasonal root vegetables and balances warming flavors with approachable cooking techniques suitable for home cooks.
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Overview
This Ethiopian Spiced Chicken Stew is a hearty and aromatic dish that brings together tender chicken slow-braised in a rich blend of traditional Ethiopian spices, complemented by seasonal root vegetables. The stew is served with soft, fluffy injera dumplings that soak up the flavorful sauce, making every bite comforting and satisfying.
Why you’ll love it
- Slow braising ensures tender, flavorful chicken infused with warm Ethiopian spices.
- Root vegetables add natural sweetness and texture, enhancing the stew's depth.
- Injera dumplings provide a unique and authentic way to enjoy the stew without complicated preparation.
- Perfect for a weeknight meal with approachable preparation and cooking techniques.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on for best flavor and moisture retention.
- Berbere spice blend: Traditional Ethiopian spice mix that is spicy and aromatic; if unavailable, mix smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and fenugreek as a substitute.
- Root vegetables: Carrots, parsnips, and potatoes add natural sweetness and heartiness.
- Injera dumplings: A simple dough inspired by injera bread made with teff and wheat flour; these dumplings are steamed or boiled to softness.
- Slow braising: Allows flavors to meld and chicken to become tender without drying out.
Serving & storage
- Serve the stew hot with injera dumplings on the side or gently folded into the stew.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days.
- You can freeze the stew (without dumplings) for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently.
- To reheat, warm on the stove over low heat with a splash of water to maintain moisture.
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Chef tips
- Browning the chicken well develops deeper flavor in the stew.
- Use bone-in chicken thighs for juicier meat and better flavor.
- If you can't find teff flour, use all-purpose flour alone for dumplings, but teff adds authentic earthy flavor.
- Slow simmering over low heat prevents the chicken from drying out and allows the spices to fully infuse.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld.
Ingredients
- 800 g (1.75 lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighschicken thighs
- 2 tablespoonsvegetable oil
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 300 g)carrots
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped (about 250 g)parsnips
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 300 g)potatoes
- 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 150 g)onion
- 3 cloves, mincedgarlic
- 1 tablespoon grated freshginger
- 2 tablespoonsberbere spice blend
- 1 teaspoonsmoked paprika
- 400 ml (1¾ cups) low sodiumchicken stock
- 400 g (14 oz), with juicescanned diced tomatoes
- to tastesalt
- to taste freshly groundblack pepper
- 100 g (¾ cup)teff flour
- 100 g (¾ cup)all-purpose flour
- 250 ml (1 cup), plus more to adjust doughwater
- ½ teaspoonsalt
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Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- Mixing bowls
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Knife and chopping board
- Steamer or large pot for steaming dumplings
- Mixing spoon
Nutrition per serving
- Calories480
- Protein38 g
- Carbs45 g
- Fat14 g
Step-by-step
Step 1
Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.Step 2
Season the chicken thighs with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the chicken to the pot, skin-side down, and brown for 5-7 minutes until golden. Flip and brown the other side for 3-4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.Step 3
In the same pot, add chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and grated ginger, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.Step 4
Stir in berbere spice blend and smoked paprika, cooking for 1 minute to toast the spices gently.Step 5
Add diced carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to the pot. Stir well to coat vegetables with spices.Step 6
Pour in the chicken stock and canned diced tomatoes with their juices. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil.Step 7
Return the browned chicken thighs to the pot, nestling them into the stew. Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 60 minutes until chicken is tender and vegetables are cooked through.Step 8
While the stew simmers, prepare injera dumplings. In a mixing bowl, combine teff flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. Gradually add water, stirring until a soft, sticky dough forms. Adjust water or flour to achieve a consistency that can be scooped but holds shape.Step 9
Bring a steamer pot of water to a boil. Using wet hands or a spoon, form small dumplings (about 4 cm diameter) from the dough. Place dumplings on parchment paper or a steamer tray and steam for 15 minutes until cooked through and soft.Step 10
Once the stew has finished cooking, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot with injera dumplings on the side or gently folded into the stew.
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