Slow Cooker Ethiopian Chicken & Lentil Stew

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!

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Slow Cooker Ethiopian Chicken & Lentil Stew

4.90 from 37 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 6 hours hrs

Total Time: 6 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

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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!

8 people

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.

Tips:

*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 Information

Serving: 1/8 batch, Calories: 228kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 486mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 9g

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Ethiopian

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Berbere Spice Blend

4.86 from 27 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

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A spicy Ethiopian spice blend

1 cup

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.

Tips:

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 Information

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

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Spice Blend

Cuisine: Ethiopian

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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