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    Slow Cooker Ethiopian Chicken & Lentil Stew

    February 8, 2016 by Denise Bustard 90 Comments

    Home / Recipes / Slow Cooker Chicken / Slow Cooker Ethiopian Chicken & Lentil Stew

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    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!

    Slow Cooker Chicken & Lentil Ethiopian Stew, made with sweet potatoes and carrots.

    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.

    Slow Cooker Chicken & Lentil Ethiopian Stew, made with sweet potatoes and carrots.

    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.

    Slow Cooker Chicken & Lentil Ethiopian Stew, made with sweet potatoes and carrots.

    ethipoian chicken lentil stew ingredients in freezer bag

    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!

    chicken lentil ethiopian stew in slow cooker
    Print Recipe
    4.91 from 22 votes

    Slow Cooker Ethiopian Chicken & Lentil Stew

    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Ethiopian
    Calories: 228kcal
    Author: Denise Bustard
    Servings: 8
    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!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time6 hrs
    Total Time6 hrs 20 mins

    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

    *Berbere is an Ethiopian spice blend. You may be able to find it in specialty stores, however I made my own using the recipe below.
    This stew is medium-spicy. If you don't like spice, you will need to reduce the cayenne/red pepper flakes in the berbere spice blend. If you want it SPICY!! then you will want to double the cayenne/ red pepper flakes.
    This is a very hearty stew! ¾ cup is plenty for one person.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/8 batch | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 486mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @SweetPeaSaffron or tag #sweetpeasandsaffron

     

    chicken lentil ethiopian stew in slow cooker
    Print Recipe
    4.91 from 22 votes

    Berbere Spice Blend

    Course: Spice Blend
    Cuisine: Ethiopian
    Calories: 167kcal
    Author: Denise Bustard
    Servings: 1 cup
    A spicy Ethiopian spice blend
    Prep Time15 mins
    Total Time15 mins

    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

    Recipe is adapted from group recipes.
    This should make around 1 cup of berbere spice.
    This spice blend makes a medium-spicy Ethiopian stew. If you don't like spice, try halving the cayenne and red pepper flakes. If you like it really spicy, try doubling them!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 7148mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 13575IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 11.9mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @SweetPeaSaffron or tag #sweetpeasandsaffron

    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

    About Denise Bustard

    Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

    Previous Post: « One Pot Pasta with Kale & Goat Cheese
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