A hearty and flavorful slow cooker Ethiopian chicken stew made with Ethiopian spices, lentils and sweet potatoes. Bring some exotic flavors to your dinner table!
Hi hi hi. I am posting on a MONDAY, which I rarely do, mostly because I am not normally so organized on a Sunday to get a post ready.
But I have been working on this recipe for a long time, and I couldn't wait any longer to share it with you 😉
I knew this slow cooker Ethiopian chicken stew was going to be a good idea because clearly you guys love the Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Stew and the Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Stew recipes.
Also, I keep getting e-mails about an Ethiopian feast post that I used to have on the blog a LONG time ago (I took it down because they are not recipes I developed myself, but if you want the recipe links, e-mail me!).
So when I was thinking up ideas for more slow cooker recipes, I knew I had to revisit those bold Ethiopian flavors.
Confession: I totally forgot to put the sweet potatoes in the slow cooker when I was taking that photo ^^. D'oh! Don't skip them, they are absolutely wonderful in this recipe!
This is the part where I say I am NO expert in Ethiopian cuisine...we did order some Ethiopian take-out as research because I wanted to be sure I was in the 'ball park' flavor-wise.
So no, this isn't traditional Ethiopian, and I wouldn't dare call it Doro Wat...this is my spin on the flavors I enjoyed from Ethiopian recipes I've cooked in the past.
9/2017: recipe updated to include instructions for assembling ahead and freezing for an easy freezer slow cooker recipe!
After a couple of dud batches, we ordered Ethiopian take-out, and it was clear: it needed some cardamom, a bit more paprika, and maybe some sugar. So I upped these ingredients and finally ended up with a batch I was happy with!
I feel like I need to say this: WARNING! The flavors of this slow cooker Ethiopian chicken stew are BOLD, and this stew is very hearty. For that reason, I don't recommend a very large serving size. You might want ¾ cup max, and serve with a salad or something lighter. It's just not the type of stew where you can eat a huge bowl.
I enjoyed mine with naan bread, Ethiopian food is traditionally served on a spongy pancake-type of thing called injera, but naan worked just great!
Alright! Slow cooker Ethiopian chicken stew: I can finally check you off my to-do list!
Slow Cooker Ethiopian Chicken & Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons berbere spice mix *see note
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 ribs of celery sliced
- 2 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 cup green split lentils dried
- 1 can 540mL/19oz diced tomatoes (including juices),
- 1 cup chicken stock
after cooking
- juice from ½ a lemon
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- salt if needed
to serve
- flatbread
- greek yogurt
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5-8 minutes, until cooked through.
- Add the berbere, cardamom, paprika, ginger and garlic, and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until fragrant.
- Place the onion mixture in the slow cooker along with all remaining ingredients.
- Cook on low for 6 hours.
- Gently stir in the lemon juice, brown sugar, and salt (if needed).
- Serve with flatbread and yogurt.
To Assemble Ahead And Freeze:
- Follow steps 1-2 (above) and place cooled onion mixture into a gallon freezer bag with all remaining ingredients except for the stock.
- Remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely, then place in a 5 quart slow cooker with the stock and cook as directed above.
Notes
Nutrition
Berbere Spice Blend
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- ½ tbsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp fenugreek seed or powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, store in a sealed container.
Notes
Nutrition
More delicious Ethiopian chicken recipes to try:
- Doro Wat (Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew) from The Daring Gourmet
- Chicken Drumsticks, Ethiopian Style from Simply Recipes
- Ethiopian Recipes: Doro Wat and Injera from A Spicy Perspective
