Best Berbere Chicken

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Berbere Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Resting Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 588kcal

Ingredients

Berbere Spice Blend:

  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp ginger powder
  • ½ tsp fenugreek powder
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 tbsp paprika
  • 12-14 black peppercorn
  • ½ nutmeg
  • 10-12 allspice corn
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 6-7 cardamom seeds without shell
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp salt

Berbere Spiced Chicken Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken thigh boneless, skinless
  • 4 tbsp berbere spice blend
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Serving Ideas:

  • 1 medium onion saute in same pan after chicken cooked
  • Rice pilaf with turmeri

Instructions

  • Blend all the spices in spice grinders until they all turn to powder form.
  • Massage the chickens with berbere spice blend until chickens are covered with spices. With the moisture of the chicken, it looks like it is covered with a paste on the outside.
  • Rest for the chicken covered with berbere spice mixture in the refrigerator for a minimum of an hour.
  • Heat the butter and olive oil in the stainless steel pan over medium heat.
  • Cook the chicken by turning the other side constantly. Instead of constantly turning it, you can occasionally pour a few tablespoons of the oil onto the chicken. Continue this cooking process until both sides of chicken thighs are crisp and golden brown.
  • If you want to serve the chicken with vegetables, like onion, green pepper, carrot etc. sauté the vegetables with salt and pepper in the same oil in the same pan until the veggies are tender.
  • You can serve with rice pilaf with turmeric.

Nutrition

Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1163mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1272IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 7mg

Tips, Notes & Substitutes

Make sure to follow these recommendations and methods to get flavorful, perfectly cooked chicken.

  • For this recipe, keep in mind to use skinless, boneless chicken thighs. 
  • To ensure consistent cooking, use a pan big enough to hold all the chicken thighs in one layer.
  • Cook this dish in batches if you want to create more of it.
  • The berbere spice mixture is now widely available in grocery shops; however, blending the spice mixture at home will result in a fresher and more aromatic mixture. 
  • Chicken breast will not work properly in this recipe due to the low fat content. It turns into a dry and less flavorful dish.
  • While cooking, occasionally drizzle a spoonful of oil from the pan on the chicken thighs, so that the upper side will always be juicy and not dry.

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