Ethiopian Doro Wat
Ethiopia has given the world one of its most extraordinary culinary traditions — and Doro Wat sits at the very top. This slow-cooked, deeply spiced chicken stew is Ethiopia's national dish, served at every celebration, every family gathering, every moment that deserves honoring. At The Kitchen Foodie, we believe dishes this ancient and this intentional deserve to be cooked with the same respect their creators showed — real ingredients, traditional fats, zero seed oils.
What makes Doro Wat extraordinary from a MAHA cooking perspective is that it has always been made with niter kibbeh — Ethiopia's spiced clarified butter. Not vegetable oil. Not canola. Butter. For centuries Ethiopian cooks understood instinctively what modern nutritional science is only now confirming — that traditional fats carry flavor, support the body, and make food deeply satisfying in ways industrial seed oils never can.
The Star Ingredient: Berbere Spice Blend
Doro Wat gets its extraordinary depth from berbere — Ethiopia's signature spice blend combining chili peppers, fenugreek, coriander, black pepper, korarima, rue, ajwain, and holy basil. According to the National Institutes of Health, many of the spices in berbere contain powerful anti-inflammatory compounds that have been used medicinally across East Africa for generations. This is ancestral food science at its finest.
You can find berbere at most international grocery stores or order it online. Making your own from scratch takes about 10 minutes and the flavor difference is significant.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 8 bone-in thighs)
- 4 tablespoons niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter) or grass-fed ghee
- 3 large onions, very finely diced
- 4 tablespoons berbere spice blend
- 4 hard boiled eggs, pierced with a fork
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional — balances heat)
- Salt to taste
How to Make Authentic Seed Oil Free Doro Wat
Step 1 — The Onion Foundation: The secret to authentic Doro Wat is patience with your onions. Place finely diced onions in a dry heavy pot over medium-low heat with no fat at all. Cook stirring frequently for 20 minutes until they turn deep golden and almost jammy. This dry-cooking technique is unique to Ethiopian cuisine and builds the entire flavor foundation of the dish.
Step 2 — Add Your Fat and Spices: Add niter kibbeh or ghee to your caramelized onions. Stir in berbere, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes until intensely fragrant. Your kitchen will smell extraordinary. According to USDA FoodData Central, garlic and ginger combined provide significant antioxidant and antimicrobial properties — making this spice base as nourishing as it is delicious.
Step 3 — Add Chicken and Simmer: Add chicken pieces to the pot and coat thoroughly in the spiced onion base. Pour in chicken stock, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 35–40 minutes until chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender.
Step 4 — Add the Eggs: In the final 10 minutes add your pierced hard-boiled eggs directly into the stew. They absorb the berbere spices and become one of the most prized elements of the dish — rich, deeply flavored, and impossibly good.
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How to Serve Doro Wat
Traditionally served on injera — Ethiopia's spongy sourdough flatbread — which acts as both plate and utensil. If injera is unavailable, serve over cauliflower rice or with sourdough bread. Both are excellent MAHA-friendly options. For more global chicken dishes cooked without seed oils, explore our African recipes collection and our family dinner recipes guide.
Discover 54 More African Dishes
Doro Wat is one chapter in a continent-wide story of extraordinary cooking. Our Savor Africa cookbook captures 54 of the continent's most iconic dishes — from Moroccan tagines to South African braai, West African soups to East African stews — all built on real, whole-food ingredients. It is the most comprehensive seed-oil-free African recipe collection available and belongs in every MAHA kitchen. Explore the full Savannah Ryan cookbook series on Amazon for global cooking inspiration across every cuisine.
The Bottom Line
Ethiopian Doro Wat is ancient, intentional, and deeply nourishing — everything the MAHA movement stands for. Made with spiced butter, whole spices, and pasture-raised chicken, it delivers extraordinary flavor while honoring the culinary wisdom of one of the world's oldest food cultures. Cook it once and it will earn a permanent place in your rotation.
Find more seed-oil-free inspiration in our MAHA recipes section and our complete African recipes library.
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