🇪🇹 Ethiopian · Chicken Dishes
🍗 Ethiopian Chicken Stew
ዶሮ ወጥ — Doro Wet (Everyday)
Ethiopian Everyday Chicken Stew — a simplified, quicker version of Doro Wat for weekday cooking. Chicken pieces simmered in a berbere and kibbeh sauce built on caramelised onions, ready in 60 minutes rather than 2.5 hours. All the essential flavours, practical timing.
The everyday chicken stew is what Ethiopian families make when Doro Wat's full ceremony is not practical — a simplified sauce with the same fundamental flavours (berbere, kibbeh, onion, garlic, ginger) but shorter cooking and smaller quantity of berbere. Satisfying and completely Ethiopian.
Ingredients
Equipment: Heavy pot
- 800g chicken — bone-in pieces
- 2 onions — diced
- 2 tbsp kibbeh
- 3 tbsp berbere
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp salt
Method
- Dry caramelise onions — 15 minutes minimum.
- Add kibbeh and berbere. Toast 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger, tomato paste.
- Add chicken pieces. Coat in sauce.
- Add water. Simmer covered 45—55 minutes until chicken is falling-tender.
- Season.
Chef Tips
- Even the simplified version needs 15 minutes of dry-caramelised onion.
- Bone-in chicken produces a richer sauce than boneless.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping or shortening the onion caramelisation.
The Science
See ETH061 for Doro Wat science. The shorter cooking time (60 vs 150 minutes) means less collagen conversion from chicken bones — producing a less thick sauce. Adding a small amount of tomato paste compensates by adding body.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- High protein from chicken.
- Berbere antioxidants.
Cultural Note
The everyday chicken stew is Doro Wat's practical sibling — less ceremonial but no less delicious. Ethiopian families cook it for weekday lunches and quick weekend meals without sacrificing the essential flavour tradition.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate 4 days.
Reheating: Gently.
Serve with: Injera (ETH001), Gomen (ETH086)