Berbere, a chili-based spice mix that’s a staple of Ethiopian cuisine, brings respectable heat and big, complex flavor to Roasted Berbere Chicken Thighs. Recipe below.
WE RECENTLY CAME ACROSS BERBERE in a four-year-old issue of Bon Appétit. For me at least, it proves once again that throwing things away is overrated. Berbere (pronounced bair-buh-RAY) is an Ethiopian spice blend used pretty much throughout the country. According to Spruce Eats, “key ingredients are usually red chili peppers, fenugreek, and ginger, with the addition of warm spices like coriander, cardamom, allspice, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, and some lesser-known indigenous spices such as korarima, ajwain, and long pepper.”
As with any traditional spice mix, berbere varies considerably from region to region and even household to household. It packs plenty of heat, but isn’t overpoweringly fiery—and it really delivers on big, layered, aromatic flavors.
You can find berbere spice blends at many shops and online. We got ours at The Spice House. You can also make your own—there are plenty of recipes online, widely varying, of course. As we researched making Berbere Chicken Thighs, the variations in recipes were dazzlingly. We stuck with a fairly straightforward approach, wanting to focus on the spice blend itself.
Roasted Berbere Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (sherry, white wine or balsamic)
- 3 tablespoons berbere spice, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Diamond (or Morton) kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (see Kitchen Notes)
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and arrange them in a snug-fitting glass dish or casserole (we used an 8-inch square baking dish—you can also use a zippered plastic bag).
- In a measuring cup or small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, 2 tablespoons berbere spice, cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt) and a generous grind of black pepper. Stir with a fork until completely combined into a thick marinade. Pour over the chicken thighs, turning and working them to coat with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight, turning chicken occasionally to evenly coat the thighs.
- Remove chicken from fridge half an hour before cooking to let it come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a large ovenproof skillet or sauté pan, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs skin side down and cook undisturbed until nicely browned, 6 to 7 minutes, reducing the heat to medium after 2 minutes. Turn thighs and cook for 3 minutes or so. Transfer thighs to a plate.
- Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring frequently to prevent burning, for 2 minutes or so. Stir in broth and remaining tablespoon of berbere spice. Add thighs to skillet, turning to coat with broth mix and leaving them skin side up. Transfer skillet to oven.
- Roast chicken until completely cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant read thermometer should register at least 165ºF in the thickest part of the thigh.
- Transfer chicken to a platter. Stir in lemon juice. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings with salt. Spoon sauce over and around chicken. Serve.