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 3/4 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
- 1/2 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 1/2 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
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 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
Thuy
This recipe is fantastic! I’ve had ethiopian food twice at restaurants and didn’t really care for it. But lately have been wanting to try more plant based recipes. Made this without the chicken and it was incredible! Boyfriend and I ate this in 2 days, no leftovers to freeze. Making another batch this week because we can’t get enough!! I used store bought Berbere btw.
Denise
Hi Thuy! I’m so happy to hear you’ve enjoyed this recipe! And that’s so great to hear that you enjoyed without the chicken. Thank you for sharing this feedback, it’s so helpful!
Rebecca
How much is in a serving? 1 cup?
Denise
Hi Rebecca! Unfortunately I don’t have exact measurements for this recipe. I think 1 cup would be a good estimate? It’s quite filling.
Lynn
Made exactly as specified, don’t skip cardamom if you can. It can be a hard ingredient to find but it’s worth it. I’ve also made this veggie with no chicken and it worked well additionally.
Denise
Hi Lynn! So happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the recipe. I appreciate you taking the time to leave such a helpful review. Stay safe!
Julie G. Polhill
Question, are the chicken breasts cubed or shredded after cooking? Thanks!
Lynn
I put them in whole and it softened and crumbled nicely. Wasn’t dried out.
Christine
I used a store bought berbere mixture and mine turned out so bland I was shocked. So I’m guessing the type of spice you use can make a big difference. Cest la vie!
Denise
That’s so surprising! This recipe is anything but bland with the homemade berbere. There really must be a huge difference between the two :0
Kaitlin
This stew was phenomenal! The flavors were very rich and complex. I used the Berber Spice blend from Whole Foods, and it worked great. I also froze a portion of the stew, and it reheated perfectly. I highly recommend this recipe!
Denise
Woohoo! So happy to hear this, Kaitlin! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review 🙂
Jenn
It looks like cilantro is in this as well but it’s not listed as an ingredient, wondering if that’s a part of this dish? I have it in the crock pot now! Can’t wait to dig in for supper.
Denise
You are correct, I just added it as a little pop of green on this very ‘brown’ dish. You totally don’t need it, but feel free to add it if you’d like! Hope you enjoyed 🙂
Jessica
This is EXCELLENT! Followed the recipe exactly and froze it – I just ate my last batch (5 months after I made it) and it tastes just as good as the first time I made it. If you’re going to buy all ingredients anyway just make a bunch of them – it freezes GREAT!
Will also cook on low longer than 6 hours if you work (cook mine for closer to 9 hours) – chicken didn’t dry out – not enough good things to say about the recipe!
Denise
So happy you enjoyed it, Jessica! Thank you for reporting back. So good to know it cooks for longer too!
ALS
Hello. This sounds delicious and I am looking forward to making it. But I am concerned that the ingredients don’t sound like enough for 8 servings… Only a 1/4 of a chicken breast per person? Or is that a typo? Thanks!
Denise
Hi! There is plenty of protein from the lentils in this recipe, so it is not a typo. Hope you enjoy!
Alison
I’ve made this recipe so many times now in my Crock Pot and absolutely love it! I’d love to try it in my Instant Pot, do you have any recommendations for cooking time? Would I need to add more liquid ? Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!
Denise
I think 10 minutes would work? I would try 10 min and 5 min natural pressure release? I don’t think you’d need to adjust the liquid. I hope it works for you! And I’m so happy you love this recipe 🙂
Ralph
This recipe was easy to follow and very flavorful. My wife doesn’t like spicy food so I cutback on the cayenne and pepper flakes in the Berbere spice mix. Perfect for a chilly winter night. Thanks for posting. I’ll be making this again.
Denise
So happy you enjoyed, Ralph! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to leave a review.
Jennifer
I am definitely going to have to try this. My children are Ethiopian but we don’t have any Ethiopian restaurants close by so we never get to eat Ethiopian cuisine. I have been too scared to try to make any myself but this seems simple enough to go for it. I am so excited!!
Denise
Oh I really hope they enjoyed it! Probably not the most ‘authentic’ Ethiopian food but hopefully it is kind of close!
Leslie
This dish smells amazing, but I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever get to taste it. It’s been 6 hours and it’s nowhere near done and I feel like one cup is not enough liquid. I added some more and put the crockpot on high, but there’s no telling if it will be done in time for dinner. If it’s as tasty as it smells, I may just make this in the dutch oven next time.
Denise
Hi Leslie, apologies for my late reply as I’ve just returned from holidays! I hope it turned out for you. If not, could you tell me what was not done? 6 hours is more than enough time to cook sweet potatoes, lentils and chicken…although I know some slow cookers do cook lower and slower than my crock pot. And I just made this recipe a few months ago again, and there was enough liquid. I’d love to hear how it went for you!
Leslie
The lentils were not getting done. I added about a cup of liquid and an hour and half of cooking time.
I know nothing about lentils, but a friend of mine was confused by the recipe because she says green lentils don’t come split. I used lentils that looked just like the pictures though so I don’t think it was the wrong thing.
Regardless, it tasted great and my house guest, who has had Ethiopian food before, really liked it.
Tricia Tompkins
I just put this in crock pot. Excited had to substitute cardigan with ginger and cinnamon,will let you know.
Denise
I hope you enjoyed it!
Lulu
A delicious, unusual and easy recipe. Will make this a staple. The chicken is so tender and the stew is nourishing comfort food with flair. Thanks for the recipe.
Denise
Thanks so much, Lulu! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Venesha
I tried it for the first time, today. I thought the flavors were good, I don’t like spicy So I didn’t add in any “hot” spices.
Mine was a bit dry and mushy, but I would make it again, and maybe add a little more liquid
Denise
Glad you enjoyed it, Venesha! Curious to know what type of lentils you used, as the green lentils really shouldn’t get too mushy…although the sweet potato does 🙂
Donna
Hi Denise – I cooked this today as ‘something new’ – it was incredibly delicious and enjoyed just as equally by our two toddlers as by us adults. I love that it was really easy, really healthy and so uniquely tasty. Thank you so much!
Denise
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Donna! I love trying out recipes from around the world 😀
Van
Wow, this was so good and flavorful. I’m going to make this again. I followed Denise’s oven cooking recommendations in an earlier post. I used a #26 Le Creuset round French oven and the size worked out well.
Denise
Hi Van! I’m so happy you liked it and that’s great to know it worked well for you on the stove top 🙂
Jill
This stew was a big hit at my house! I am a big fan of Ethiopian food and Injera. This stew had such a warm and flavourful taste. As much as would have liked serving it with Injera, Im not sure where to buy that so I opted with serving it with Naan bread. So delicious!
Denise
Hi Jill! I’m so happy you liked it! I need to make another batch…was thinking of trying it in my Instant Pot 🙂
Morgan
This was delicious! I actually almost doubled the recipe (my crockpot was FULL), and I used butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes, and it was awesome. Super healthy too! Everyone I served it to enjoyed it. I ended up getting 8 very hearty meals out of it. The brown sugar and lemon at the end really somehow made all the spices evolve. Do you have other crockpot recipes?
Denise
Oh now I’m dying to make it with butternut squash! So happy you liked it Morgan 🙂 I have tons of slow cooker recipes here: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/category/slow-cooker
Deborah
I made this with chicken drumsticks and cooked it in a pressure cooker. 20 minutes on high ring. Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make it again.
Denise
Oh I can’t wait to try it in my Instant Pot! So glad you liked it Deborah 😀
Jessica
I have a question: I hate soft/mushy lentils. If I follow the recipe will the lentils get really soft or just end up al dente? I’ve never done lentils in the crockpot so I’m not sure about the timing. I’m really excited to try this – I love Ethiopian food but have never attempted to cook any myself.
Denise
Hi Jessica! Since you cook dried lentils, they retain more texture than if you used canned lentils in. And green lentils are definitely less mushy than red lentils! I can’t completely remember whether they were al dente or not… you may want to check at 4 hours? (The chicken should be cooked through at that point anyway). I hope you like it!
Kristine
When you say “brown sugar” so you mean light brown like you use in cookies or non-processed like you put in your coffee? I hope I made sense! Thanks!
Denise
Either one will work Kristine! I just used the light brown stuff.
Lucia
Have you ever made this on the stove top? I want to make it tonight but won’t have enough time to use the slow cooker. It looks very delicious! Thanks!
Denise
Hi Lucia, I have never tried cooking this on the stovetop. I think you could do it, but I would keep an eye on the liquids and add more stock/water as needed. If you try it, I’d love if you let me know how it works for you!
Allison
I just made this for dinner tonight, and it was really delicious. My boyfriend said it was one of his favorite things I’ve cooked. Thanks for a unique slow cooker recipe!
Denise
Yay! That makes me so happy 🙂 Thanks so much for your awesome comment, Allison!
T. Hunt
Made it for supper. It was insanely good!
Denise
Awesome!! Thanks for the huge compliment 🙂
zib
Your recipe says cook time for 6 minutes. I think you mean 6 hours and total time is not 26 minutes, but 6 hours and 20 minutes.
Denise
You are quite right! Thanks for the heads up! Fixing ASAP.
Betsy
I’m making this for the second time right now. I made my first batch with my sister and it turned out absolutely fantastic! I did leave out the extra cayenne, but otherwise I followed the recipe. Now to see how hubs likes it 😉
Denise
This makes me so happy 🙂 I hope your hubby likes it! Thanks so much for the comment, Betsy!
Rebecca
I made this last night and it was absolutely outstanding – my boyfriend was raving that it was restaurant quality! I rarely write comments on websites but I had to say something about this! I didn’t have a slow cooker so I used my Staub dutch oven at 325° for 4 hours, adding in liquid every hour after the first 2. Served over Israeli couscous – it was so delicious and healthy. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Denise
Wow, thank-you so much Rebecca! Your comment really made my day 🙂 Thanks for the tips to adapt to stovetop.
Hammond
This is the best Crockpot Recipe I have every used! The flavor from a crockpot dish is impressive. 2 Tablespoons of Berbere may be to spicy for some, but it was fine and was a bit less spicy the next day.
Denise
What a HUGE compliment! Thanks so much for making my day, Hammond!
Shelly
Oh this stew looks very interesting. I’ve never eaten Ethiopian food before.
Denise
You should try it! SO much flavor, kind of like Indian food, but a bit different!
Lana
The recipe looks delicious! I am unsure about the chicken breasts – are they cooked whole? Do they break up during the cooking process?
Denise
Hi Lana! The chicken breasts become fall-apart tender while they cook. I did help them along with a couple of forks afterwards 🙂 I hope you like it!
Lana
The stew was delicious, the chicken breasts (I added 3) did indeed fall apart! I will be making this again.
Denise
I’m so glad you like it, Lana! Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
rye
I just made this and it’s delicious! However, I have a friend who’s vegetarian — any thoughts on making this a vegetarian stew? Should I change the liquid amounts or anything to make up for no chicken?
Thanks!
Denise
Hi Rye! I’m so glad you liked it! Hmm. I’m not sure about the liquids without chicken. I think it would be just fine, worst case scenario it wouldn’t be quite as thick. Let me know how it turns out for you 🙂
Adrienne
What’s the total weight on the chicken breasts? My local selection runs 4oz to 1lb for a boneless/skinless half. Thanks!
Denise
Hi Adrienne, I’m not sure what the weight of the chicken breasts was…they were quite large. You should be able to sub any size of chicken breast in this recipe.
Adrienne
Thank you!
Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C
I’m allergic to cardamom, but I’m sure I can work around it. I love how comforting and satisfying this sounds, and even better, that it’s made in the slow cooker! Nice recipe, Denise.
Kelly
This stew looks SO comforting, hearty AND delicious!! It’s been so cold here and soups and stews are all I’ve been having so I can’t wait to try this one next! I love the sweet potatoes in here and the flavors sound amazing!
aimee @ like mother like daughter
I’ve never tried Ethiopian flavors before, but this stew looks amazing!! Especially thanks to your gorgeous pictures!
Danielle
So I’ve never tried Ethiopian food before, but now I’m wanting to make this recipe after seeing these gorgeous pictures! This looks so hearty and perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Slow cooker recipes are the best!
Rachel @ Bakerita
I’ve never tried anything like this, Denise, and it sounds and looks amazing!! I’ve been starting to fall totally in love with my slow cooker and I’ve got to try this recipe next. Sounds especially delicious with naan!
Denise
My slow cooker has been putting in some long hours lately, and it’s just so much easier at dinner time! Thanks, Rachel!
Izzy @ She Likes Food
This stew looks so thick and hearty!! I’ve only eaten Ethiopian food once and I was surprised at how much I liked it! I also have an Ethiopian cookbook that I need to break out more. This stew really looks so flavorful and delicious!
Denise
I find Ethiopian cooking SO interesting! It’s super bold like Indian flavors…but definitely different flavors from Indian cooking. I’m hooked! Thanks, Izzy!
marcie
This stew looks just perfect for a cold winter meal, and the flavors sound delicious, Denise! I’m glad you perfected the recipe, and I absolutely love that you used sweet potatoes here!
Denise
The sweet potatoes were a last minute throw-in that absolutely made the dish! It needed some extra sweetness to it 😉 Thanks, Marcie!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven
This hearty stew is JUST what my Monday needs! I love a bold, chunky stew to warm me up at dinnertime and this sounds like the perfect one! That spice mix sounds amazing!!
Denise
Thanks, Sarah! I think comfort food is the best part of winter 😉