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instant pot ethiopian chicken stew (doro wat)

November 27, 2018 by zenbelly 10 Comments

When I was researching recipes to adapt for the Instant Pot, this Ethiopian Chicken Stew was one of the first ones I wanted to try. Anything that benefits from low and slow cooking also often works well cooked super fast under high pressure. It sounds wild, but it’s true.

instantpot ethiopian chicken stew

Ethiopian chicken Stew is one of those dishes that has more flavor than you’d imagine from the number of ingredients it requires. Don’t be intimidated by the Berbere in the ingredients list if you’re not familiar with it. It’s available in the spice sections of most markets, or you can order it online from my favorite place to buy spices, Oaktown Spice Shop!

When made in the Instant Pot, this Ethiopian Chicken Stew doesn’t take much time, either! Add this one to your weeknight dinner repertoire, you won’t regret it.

instantpot ethiopian chicken stew

Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? I’ve got a bunch! 

  • Barbacoa
  • Chicken Tinga
  • Apple Sauce
  • Green Curry Chicken
  • Beef Pho

And browse the Instant Pot category in my recipe index for even more!

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Instant Pot Ethiopian Chicken Stew

instantpot ethiopian chicken stew
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5 from 4 reviews

You won’t believe how much flavor you can get from a dish in such a short amount of time!

  • Author: Simone Miller
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Ethiopian

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken drumsticks ((you can use thighs if you prefer))
  • 2 tablespoons Berbere spice, (divided)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup ghee, butter or avocado oil (butter or avocado oil)
  • 1 large onion, (minced )
  • 5 cloves garlic, (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups chicken broth (veggie broth, or water)
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, (halved )
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, toss chicken with the salt and 1 tablespoon of the Berbere. Set aside.
  2. Turn your Instant Pot on Sauté. Once hot, add the ghee,onion,garlic and ginger. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until golden brown and softened.
  3. Add the tomato paste and remaining tablespoon of Berbere. Stir into the onion mixture and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Add the chicken broth and scrape up any bits that have stuck to the bottom. Add the chicken legs.
  5. Cancel the sauté function and secure the lid to your Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before venting and opening the lid.
  6. Stir in the lime juice. Serve in shallow bowls over rice or cauliflower “rice”, with a hard boiled egg in each bowl.

Notes

Berbere spice can be found in any good spice section, or at your favorite spice market.

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Filed Under: Dinner, Chicken, Instantpot Tagged With: chicken instant pot recipes, doro wat, instant pot ethiopian chicken stew, instant pot recipes

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Comments

  1. Donna says

    November 29, 2018 at 2:05 pm

    LOVE Doro Wat!!…Could this be done in either a regular pressure cooker…or a Dutch Oven? Sadly, I do not yet own an Insta-Pot! Thank you for providing such delisciousness during the busy pre-holiday period!!

    Reply
    • zenbelly says

      November 29, 2018 at 4:38 pm

      Yes, definitely! In a regular pressure cooker, it should be about the same, I think usually the conversion is just a little bit shorter in a stove top pressure cooker? And in a dutch oven, I’d braise at low heat for about an hour. That’s just off the top of my head so maybe double check by referencing other braised chicken recipes first!

      Reply
  2. Clemma Nash says

    March 2, 2019 at 4:50 pm

    Yummy. A tad spicy for my Wisconsin palate, but great on a cold winter night. I just ate plenty of cauliflower rice with it and loved it. I needed something like this with our record snowfall. Sprinkled some chopped coriander on top for color and flavor.

    Reply
    • zenbelly says

      March 4, 2019 at 9:16 am

      I hope you’re staying warm over there! Glad you liked this, and let me know if you try it again with less spice and like it better.

      Reply
  3. Donna says

    March 3, 2019 at 5:39 pm

    Delicious!

    Reply
    • zenbelly says

      March 4, 2019 at 9:15 am

      so glad you loved it!

      Reply
  4. Laurie Rasor says

    August 5, 2021 at 8:40 pm

    Have A Good Day

    Reply
  5. Mariah says

    January 5, 2022 at 5:10 pm

    Would this work with boneless thighs? I have trouble finding organic chicken where I live, but I do have boneless thighs in the freezer.

    Reply
    • zenbelly says

      January 6, 2022 at 5:18 pm

      yep! 10 minutes should do it. It might get a little shredded but that won’t make it any less delicious.

      Reply
  6. Kit N. says

    January 29, 2022 at 12:43 pm

    We LOVED this!! I’ve had the spice in my cabinet for years (courtesy of an Ethiopian friend). I always assumed Doro Wat was too laborious and time consuming. Wow, wow, WOW, this is my favorite use of an instant pot yet. THANK YOU!
    Kit N.

    Reply

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About Me (Hi! I’m Simone)

Hello, and Welcome! I'm so glad you're here. Why? Because my most favorite thing is to help home cooks feel like pros in their kitchens. A little about me... I've been cooking professionally for a long time - around 25 years - and ...

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