13 African Dinners Packed With Bold Flavor You Need to Try at Least Once

Africa is a huge continent with more than 50 countries, and its kitchens are just as rich and different. In the north you find fragrant tagines and fluffy couscous. In the west there is smoky jollof rice and peanut stews. In the east you scoop up spicy stews with spongy injera, and in the south friends gather around the braai. African dinners are made for sharing, big on spice and full of warmth. How many of these have you tried? Count as you scroll..

Doro Wat, the Most Festive of African Dinners

Doro wat is the dish Ethiopian families make for holidays and big celebrations. Onions are cooked down slowly for a long time, then simmered with berbere spice, spiced butter, garlic and ginger until the sauce turns deep red and rich. Chicken legs and hard boiled eggs soak in that sauce until tender. It is served on injera, a soft, tangy flatbread that you tear and use as your spoon. Would you be brave enough to eat with your hands?

You will need: 3 large red onions (finely chopped), 1/4 cup niter kibbeh or butter, 3 tablespoons berbere spice, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 3 pounds chicken legs and thighs, juice of 1 lemon, 2 cups chicken broth, 6 hard boiled eggs, salt, injera or rice.

How to make it: 1. Cook the onions in a dry pot over medium low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often. 2. Add the butter, berbere, garlic, ginger and tomato paste and cook 10 minutes. 3. Rub the chicken with lemon and salt and add it to the pot. 4. Pour in broth, cover and simmer 45 minutes. 5. Score the eggs, add them and simmer 15 minutes more, then serve on injera.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine With Apricots

A tagine is both the clay pot and the stew cooked inside it. Lamb simmers slowly with onions, ginger, cinnamon, cumin and sweet dried apricots until it is spoon tender and the sauce is thick and glossy. Toasted almonds and fresh cilantro go on top. You do not need a real tagine; a Dutch oven works great. Serve it with couscous or warm bread. Sweet and savory together: yes or no?

You will need: 2 pounds lamb shoulder (cubed), 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 onions, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 2 cups broth, 1 cup dried apricots, 1 tablespoon honey, toasted almonds, cilantro, salt.

How to make it: 1. Brown the lamb in oil and set aside. 2. Cook onions, garlic and ginger for 8 minutes. 3. Add the spices and stir 1 minute. 4. Return the lamb, pour in broth, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. 5. Add apricots and honey, cook 30 minutes more and top with almonds and cilantro.

Chicken Tagine, a First Step Into African Dinners

This is one of the most famous Moroccan dishes and a perfect first step into African dinners. Chicken thighs cook with onions, garlic, ginger, saffron and turmeric, then preserved lemons and green olives go in at the end. The sauce is salty, tangy and bright yellow. If you cannot find preserved lemons, use fresh lemon zest and juice. Have you ever tasted a preserved lemon?

You will need: 8 chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 onions (sliced), 4 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon turmeric, pinch of saffron, 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 preserved lemon (sliced), 1 cup green olives, parsley, cilantro, salt, pepper.

How to make it: 1. Season and brown the chicken in oil. 2. Add onions and cook until soft. 3. Stir in garlic and spices. 4. Pour in broth, cover and simmer 35 minutes. 5. Add the preserved lemon and olives, cook 10 minutes uncovered and finish with herbs.

Seven Vegetable Couscous

In Morocco, Friday lunch often means a giant platter of couscous piled high with tender vegetables and meat, all soaked in a spiced broth. This version uses seven vegetables for luck, like carrots, zucchini, squash, turnips, cabbage, tomatoes and chickpeas. It is filling, colorful and great for feeding a crowd. Add chicken or lamb if you like, or keep it meat free. Which vegetable would you add?

You will need: 2 cups couscous, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 zucchini, 1 cup butternut squash, 1 turnip, 1 wedge cabbage, 2 tomatoes, 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, 1 teaspoon each ginger, turmeric and cinnamon, 6 cups broth, salt.

How to make it: 1. Cook the onion in oil with the spices for 5 minutes. 2. Add tomatoes, broth, carrots and turnip and simmer 15 minutes. 3. Add squash, cabbage, zucchini and chickpeas and simmer 20 minutes. 4. Pour 2 cups of hot broth over the couscous, cover 5 minutes and fluff with butter. 5. Pile couscous on a platter and top with the vegetables and broth.

Jollof Rice, the Pride of West African Dinners

Jollof rice is the pride of West Africa, and Nigerians and Ghanaians love to argue about who makes it best. Rice cooks in a rich sauce of blended tomatoes, red peppers, onions and Scotch bonnet until every grain is orange and smoky. Serve it with fried or roasted chicken and sweet fried plantains. So, who makes the best jollof: A) Nigeria B) Ghana C) Senegal D) my own kitchen?

You will need: 2 cups long grain parboiled rice, 1 can (14 ounces) tomatoes, 2 red bell peppers, 2 onions, 1 Scotch bonnet (optional), 1/3 cup oil, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon thyme, 2 bay leaves, 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, salt, roasted chicken.

How to make it: 1. Blend tomatoes, peppers, 1 onion and the Scotch bonnet until smooth. 2. Fry the other onion in oil, add tomato paste and cook 3 minutes. 3. Add the blended sauce and spices and cook 20 minutes until thick. 4. Stir in rinsed rice and broth, cover tightly and cook on low for 30 minutes. 5. Fluff and serve with chicken.

Egusi Soup With Fufu

Egusi soup is a Nigerian favorite made with ground melon seeds, which make it thick, nutty and rich. It is cooked with leafy greens, palm oil, peppers and beef or fish. In West Africa, soup like this is a main meal, eaten with soft, stretchy fufu or pounded yam that you pinch and dip. It is one of the most comforting African dinners you can find. Have you ever eaten with fufu?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups ground egusi seeds, 1/3 cup red palm oil, 1 onion, 2 red peppers and 1 Scotch bonnet (blended), 1 1/2 pounds beef (cubed and boiled), 2 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon ground crayfish (optional), 4 cups chopped spinach, salt, fufu or pounded yam.

How to make it: 1. Mix the egusi with a little water to make a paste. 2. Heat palm oil, fry the onion, then add the pepper blend and cook 10 minutes. 3. Drop in spoonfuls of egusi paste and cook 10 minutes without stirring. 4. Add beef, broth and crayfish and simmer 15 minutes. 5. Stir in spinach for 5 minutes and serve with fufu.

Maafe, the Peanut Stew of West African Dinners

Maafe comes from Senegal and Mali, and it is pure comfort in a bowl. Chicken or beef simmers in a creamy sauce of peanut butter, tomatoes, onions and a little chili, along with sweet potatoes or carrots. It tastes rich and nutty with a gentle warmth. Serve it over rice. If you love peanut butter, this might become your new favorite of all African dinners. Smooth or chunky peanut butter?

You will need: 2 pounds chicken thighs (cubed), 2 tablespoons oil, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon ginger, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, 3 cups broth, 1 sweet potato (cubed), 2 carrots, 1 chili, salt, rice.

How to make it: 1. Brown the chicken in oil and set aside. 2. Cook onion, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes. 3. Stir in tomato paste, then whisk in peanut butter and broth. 4. Add chicken, sweet potato, carrots and chili. 5. Simmer 35 minutes until thick and serve over rice.

Peri Peri Chicken

Peri peri chicken started in Mozambique, where Portuguese sailors met the small, fiery African bird eye chili. The chicken is soaked in a bright red sauce of chilies, garlic, lemon, paprika and oil, then grilled until charred and juicy. It is spicy, smoky and tangy, and famous all over the world now. Serve it with fries, rice or a crunchy salad. How hot can you handle it?

You will need: 1 whole chicken (spatchcocked) or 3 pounds pieces, 4 to 8 red bird eye chilies, 1 red bell pepper (roasted), 6 garlic cloves, juice of 2 lemons, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt.

How to make it: 1. Blend chilies, pepper, garlic, lemon, oil, vinegar, paprika, oregano and salt. 2. Save 1/2 cup sauce for serving. 3. Marinate the chicken in the rest for 4 hours or overnight. 4. Roast at 425F for 45 minutes or grill until cooked through. 5. Brush with the saved sauce and serve.

Misir Wot, Spicy Ethiopian Red Lentils

On an Ethiopian platter you will always find a few vegetarian stews, and misir wot is the most loved one. Red lentils cook with onions, garlic, ginger and berbere until thick and silky. It is cheap, healthy and full of plant protein, so it fits nicely into budget African dinners. Scoop it up with injera or serve it with rice. Would you try a fully vegetarian platter night?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups red lentils (rinsed), 2 onions (finely chopped), 3 tablespoons oil or spiced butter, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 tablespoons berbere, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 4 cups water or broth, salt, injera.

How to make it: 1. Cook the onions in a dry pot for 10 minutes. 2. Add the oil, garlic, ginger, berbere and tomato paste and cook 5 minutes. 3. Stir in the lentils and water. 4. Simmer 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until thick. 5. Salt to taste and serve with injera.

Nigerian Fried Rice

Nigerian fried rice is the bright, party style rice that sits next to jollof at every celebration. Rice is cooked in a curry and thyme seasoned broth, then stir fried with carrots, green beans, peas, sweet corn, liver or shrimp. It looks like confetti on the plate and tastes amazing with fried chicken. Are you a jollof person or a fried rice person?

You will need: 3 cups parboiled long grain rice, 3 cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon thyme, 3 tablespoons oil, 1 onion, 2 carrots (diced), 1 cup green beans (chopped), 1 cup peas, 1 cup sweet corn, 1/2 pound shrimp, 4 green onions, salt.

How to make it: 1. Cook the rice in broth with curry powder and thyme until just tender. 2. Spread it out to cool. 3. Stir fry onion and vegetables in oil for 4 minutes. 4. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes. 5. Add the rice in batches, toss until hot and finish with green onions.

Grilled Tilapia, West African Style

In Ghana and all along the coast, whole tilapia is rubbed with a spicy paste of ginger, garlic, onion and chili, then grilled until crispy outside and flaky inside. It is served with a fresh pepper sauce and banku, rice or fried plantains. Fillets work too if you are not ready for a whole fish. Like island style cooking? See our Caribbean dinners. Whole fish or fillets for you?

You will need: 2 whole tilapia (cleaned and scored) or 4 fillets, 1 onion, 3 inch piece ginger, 4 garlic cloves, 1 Scotch bonnet, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon bouillon powder, juice of 1 lemon, salt, tomatoes and onions for the sauce.

How to make it: 1. Blend onion, ginger, garlic, chili, oil, bouillon and lemon. 2. Rub the paste all over and inside the fish. 3. Rest 30 minutes. 4. Grill over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes per side, or bake at 425F for 25 minutes. 5. Serve with fresh tomato and onion pepper sauce.

South African Braai With Boerewors

In South Africa, a braai is more than a barbecue. It is a weekend tradition with friends, music and a big fire. The star is boerewors, a long coiled sausage seasoned with coriander, cloves and nutmeg, grilled next to lamb chops and steaks. On the side you will find pap, a soft maize porridge, and chakalaka, a spicy relish. Is your grill ready for a weekend braai?

You will need: 2 pounds boerewors or spiced beef sausage, 4 lamb chops, 2 steaks, salt, pepper, 2 cups white cornmeal for pap, 6 cups water. Chakalaka: 1 onion, 2 peppers, 2 carrots (grated), 1 can (15 ounces) baked beans, 1 teaspoon curry powder, chili.

How to make it: 1. Light the grill and let it get to medium hot coals. 2. Grill the sausage coil 15 to 20 minutes, turning once. 3. Grill the chops and steaks to your liking. 4. Cook the cornmeal in salted water, stirring, for 20 minutes to make pap. 5. Fry the chakalaka vegetables with curry and chili, add beans and simmer 10 minutes.

Suya Skewers to Finish Your African Dinners

Suya is the street food that lights up Nigerian nights. Thin strips of beef are coated in yaji, a spice mix made with ground peanuts, ginger, paprika and chili, then grilled over open flames. They are served with raw onions, tomatoes and extra spice. It is smoky, nutty and addictive. It is a great way to finish this list of African dinners. Which one will you try first: A) doro wat B) jollof C) tagine D) suya?

You will need: 2 pounds beef sirloin (thinly sliced), 1/2 cup roasted peanuts (finely ground), 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 bouillon cube (crushed), 2 tablespoons oil, onion, tomato, skewers.

How to make it: 1. Mix the peanuts, spices and bouillon to make yaji. 2. Toss the beef with oil and most of the yaji. 3. Thread onto soaked skewers and rest 1 hour. 4. Grill over high heat 3 to 4 minutes per side. 5. Sprinkle with more yaji and serve with sliced onion and tomato.