This Creamy Ethiopian Berbere Chicken Curry is super easy and takes just a few minutes of prep work! It’s deeply flavored with the chili spice mix that makes it taste like you spent hours in the kitchen, but there are only a few simple ingredients.
Have you tried Ethiopian Berbere spice mix yet? If not, it’s more than worth a few minutes to track some down because it’s incredibly flavorful!
Berbere powder | Ethiopian spice blend
Berbere curries are usually tomato-based. Also, I have so many packages of frozen greens in my freezer I put up from our Farmer’s Market last year that I need to use.
What is Berbere?
“Berbere” literally translates to “hot” in Amharic. Berbere is finally getting the recognition it deserves. It is a staple ingredient in Ethiopian cooking, and one of its most well-known uses is in a stewed chicken dish called doro wat.
If you’re not familiar with berbere it’s an Ethiopian spice mix. Think Indian masala but with an Ethiopian twist. It’s not that different either. A lot of common spices. Not all the spices are the same though. And I think that’s what makes it special.
Read also: Ethiopian Cuisine: Philadelphia Guide
Berbere is the backbone of doro wat. I love it. I’ve been using it for years. In a lot of places. It’s great in doro wat. Lots of Ethiopian dishes in fact. It makes a great dry rub for grilled chicken. A little peanut butter and some berbere is fantastic in a chickpea curry. A great seasoning for dal. Versatile stuff.
Berbere Mix: Berbere is the Ethiopian word for pepper and has likely been used in cooking since 5 BCE when trading on the Silk Road brought spices like black pepper and ginger to Africa. This Ethiopian spice mix has a lot of variations, depending on who is mixing it. They can be staggeringly spicy or milder. Our version is mild, with an earthy warmth.
Watch out for pseudo-berbere. It should not be mostly salt. It should be African chilies and spices. Look at the bowl of spice in the pictures. If it doesn’t look like that you aren’t likely to wind up somewhere good…
Berbere contains a lot of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients. The chili pepper adds Vitamins A and C, powerful antioxidants. Fenugreek has riboflavin (Vitamin B2, good for skin and energy), as well as iron, copper, and other minerals. Another common ingredient in Berbere is ginger, which is known to aid in digestion, soothing nausea and flatulence. Berbere may be just the ticket if you’re coming down with a cold or flu. Ginger and chili pepper have both been shown to possibly aid in recovery from these illnesses.
If you don’t feel like making your own Berbere mix, you can use curry powder instead, though the flavor is definitely different. It still makes a delicious dinner.
Read also: Authentic Ethiopian Cuisine
Ingredients for Ethiopian Chicken Curry
- 5 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
Chicken Curry Ingredients:
- tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb chicken thighs skinless (cut into 1” pieces)
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 tbsp berbere spice mix
- salt to taste
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 5 cups fresh spinach
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep all the ingredients before you begin cooking.
Step 1: Start by prepping all of your ingredients. This recipe comes together pretty quickly, then just simmers for a bit. I use the Ethiopian Berbere spice mix from Silk Road Spices which is a company local to where we live.
Step 2: Next, we’re going to sauté the chicken, then remove it from the pan, and set it aside in a bowl. Preheat a 9-10" skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil along with the chicken. Sauté until the chicken is beginning to brown and is mostly cooked, 4-5 minutes.Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Tip: Use ground chicken, turkey, or pork in place of the chicken thighs to speed things up. When you use ground meat you get to skip cutting up raw meat!
Step 3: From there it’s time to add the spice mix, tomato sauce, and coconut milk. Then add the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil to the pan along with the onion, garlic, and ginger.Sauté over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions are beginning to turn translucent. Add the berbere spice mix and stir to combine before adding the tomato sauce and coconut milk. Bring the curry to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened and the flavors meld about 10 minutes.
Read also: A Taste of Ethiopia in South Carolina
Bring the curry to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the flavors meld, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 4: And finally, it’s time to add the chopped fresh spinach, (or frozen chopped greens that you like). Add the chicken back to the pan along with the spinach. Pile the spinach over the top of the curry, and let the heat of it simmering wilt the spinach for about 1 minute before starting to mix it in. This helps the spinach not to go overboard! Once the spinach is just wilted, 2-3 minutes, season to taste with sea salt and serve immediately!
It’s definitely a lot to add to the pan. After the spinach has just wilted, taste and adjust the sea salt and serve!
Berbere spice mixes vary greatly in heat. The one I use is Ethiopian Berbere from Silk Road Spices and is warm to the tongue when you taste it plain.
If you’re using fresh tomatoes, place them in a blender and blend into a chunky sauce, set aside. To prepare the broccoli, trim the end of the stems and peel away the tough outer layer. Preheat a large skillet, 15″ over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tablespoon of the butter or avocado oil to the pan along with the cut up chicken thighs. Turn the heat to high and sauté until browned and mostly done, don’t worry if there’s a little pink in the chicken because it’s going to finish cooking later. Lower the heat to medium high, and add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter or avocado oil to the pan along with the diced onion. Sauté until the onion is browned and beginning to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the prepped broccoli, blended tomatoes/canned chopped tomatoes, and the can of coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Serving Suggestions
Doro Wat is traditionally served over spongy Injera bread made from Teff flour along with sides such as Misir Wat. I am yet to master the Injera bread recipe, although I enjoy this dish with homemade Parathas to mop up all that spicy delicious sauce and hot steamed rice.
Injera bread works really well. On it’s own injera is seriously sour sourdough flat bread. The texture is unique. Like eating a sour sponge. Not as bad as I’m making it sound. But it’s a bit of an acquired taste. Until you mix it with Ethiopian food. Then it just works. Somehow. That sour tang comes together with the berbere. Makes something wonderful.
Traditionally, doro wet is served with injera bread but it’s also good over rice or served with sour dough bread.
Tips and Variations
You can use any veggies that you normally like in curry. For this particular recipe, I used broccoli as my primary veggie. But zucchini, carrots, and snap peas are all great options too.
You can use any mix of veggie you’d like in this curry, zucchini, snap peas, and carrots are all great as well.
Sometimes I swap out some chicken for butternut squash or sweet potatoes, a nice addition to mellow the heat of the berbere. Other times I go all the way and add in a few cups of tomatoes and red wine, and allow the dish to simmer for even longer, adding the hard-boiled eggs at the very end.
How to Make Doro Wat in an Instant Pot
Doro Wat is a flavor-packed Ethiopian stew with tender cooked chicken in a fiery Berbere spiced sauce topped with boiled eggs. Traditionally slow-cooked for hours, the Instant Pot recipe delivers authentic taste in a fraction of the time.
After enjoying it for years in restaurants, I am excited to share my EASY take on the recipe for Doro Wat. This is my attempt to capture the flavors of Ethiopian chicken curry using ingredients I already have in my pantry. For example, I use my homemade ghee instead of Ethiopian spiced butter AKA Niter Kibbeh. I also use a homemade berbere spice blend that I make using the spices in my kitchen. Best of all, this modern take on the traditional recipe always delivers 100% authentic flavors.
Skinless chicken drumsticks can be substituted with bone-in or boneless thighs, whole bone-in chicken cut into pieces, or chicken breasts.
Add lemon juice and salt to chicken, mix well and keep aside. Set the Instant Pot on Saute(Hi) mode and heat the ghee. Add onions and saute them for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Place a lid on top to speed up the process. Add garlic and ginger and cook for a minute.
Turn the Instant Pot off and add ½ cup of water and deglaze the pot using a wooden spoon removing all the browning or stuck bits. Add the chicken, layer over berbere (see note), and tomato paste. Do not mix. Close the Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing and adjust the cook time to 8 minutes. Allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then open the Instant Pot. Mix well.
Add only half of the berbere spice blend in step 5. Based on the spices (brand, quality, freshness) the blend may be spicier than you like.
Don't have an Instant Pot? Follow the recipe as is up to step 3 above. Then mix everything with an additional cup of water and cook covered on medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Make sure to stir the chicken a few times and add more water if needed. In the end, taste and add more salt and Berbere spice if needed. Add boiled eggs and garnish with cilantro.
Hard Boil Eggs:
- Add 1 cup of water to the instant pot insert.
- Place eggs on the trivet and pressure cook for 5 minutes.
- Allow 5 minutes of natural pressure release and then release the rest of the pressure and open the Instant Pot.
- Run cold water over the eggs or put them in an ice bath. This allows the eggs to stop overcooking. Peel and slice the eggs and keep aside.
How to Store Leftovers
Allow the leftover doro wat chicken curry to completely cook down. Then transfer in a shallow airtight container. When you're ready to enjoy your leftover Doro Wat, transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Once thawed, you can reheat it on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Making Doro Wat ahead of time can be a great way to save time and allow the flavors to meld together for an even richer taste. Make it 2 to 3 days ahead and allow it to completely cool down. Refrigerate in a shallow airtight container. Reheat on the stovetop over low to medium heat until the chicken is fully heated through.
Recipe
This curry is incredibly easy but has a wonderfully complex flavor that tastes like it took hours to make. What makes it so delicious? Berbere, which is a spice mix used widely in Ethiopia. This recipe includes instructions for making your own mix, which can be used for this dish and countless overs (it goes great with lentils). The sauce for the curry is made with tomato and coconut, making an earthy, creamy balance with the spiced berbere.
Ingredients:- Berbere Mix
- 5 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- Chicken Curry
- tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb chicken thighs skinless (cut into 1” pieces)
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 2 tbsp berbere spice mix
- salt to taste
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 5 cups fresh spinach
- Start by making the berbere spice mix by mixing together all the ingredients. It will make more than you need, but you can save the extra in a jar for future recipes.
- Heat the oil in a skillet or frying pan over a medium flame. Add the chicken and cook for about three or four minutes, until the chicken is browned and nearly cooked. Remove the chicken and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the onions to the skillet and sprinkle with salt to bring out the moisture. Sauté for a minute, then add the ginger and garlic. Continue to cook until the onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add the berbere and stir to combine with the onions. Add the tomato puree, coconut milk, and chicken. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Check the flavor and add more salt if needed.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Put the spinach on top of the curry and cover. Let it wilt from the steam, then stir and remove from the heat.
