Healthy African Recipes

Loaded with chicken, onion, butternut squash, apricots, chickpeas and couscous, this slow-cooker recipe is not only bursting with color and texture, but it's also packed with protein and a host of vitamins and even contains a dose of fiber.

This simple curried cabbage, which is inspired by spices often found in eastern Kenya by the port of Mombasa, is full of heat. Serve with rice. Read more about the story behind this recipe.

Modeled on North African stews, this aromatic vegetarian main course can be served over brown rice or steamed spinach.

This version of chorba, a soup popular in North Africa, features broken pieces of spaghetti and chicken in a fragrant broth.

This Ethiopian buttery grain porridge recipe is often served for breakfast, but you can also top it with other dishes like messer wot (spiced lentils) or gomen (Ethiopian-spiced collards) for lunch or dinner and eat it in place of the traditional flatbread, injera.

This Moroccan spice blend is often used to season chicken in Moroccan cuisine. It also works well with beef or salmon.

This quick and easy okra and chickpea stew is full of Moroccan flavors. The name “tagine” refers to the two-part, cone-shaped casserole dish in which countless slow-cooked Moroccan dishes are prepared. You don't need to prepare this in a tagine dish--it works well in a large saucepan--but if you have one, here's a chance to use it.

This kitchen-sink of a vegetarian dish was most likely invented in Egypt in the mid-1800s when Cairo was a major multicultural trade port, which could explain the similarities to Italian spaghetti as well as the Indian rice-and-lentil comfort food khichdi. Three toppings--a spicy tomato sauce (shatta), crispy onions and a garlicky vinegar (dakka)--are added to the koshari before serving, but in Cairo most people like them in separate bowls so they can season their bites one at a time. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

In this African peanut and chicken stew recipe, nutrient-rich sweet potatoes and no-salt-added tomatoes keep this creamy stew healthy. To complete the bowl, the flavorful chicken stew is served over whole-wheat couscous seasoned with lime juice and chopped fresh cilantro.

Thin cuts of beef, such as skirt steak or sirloin steak, cook very quickly when seared in a hot skillet--just right for a busy weeknight. We love how the spicy Moroccan flavors on the steak complement the sweet, roasted pepper-studded couscous. Serve with: Arugula salad and a glass of Pinot Noir.

Take roasted carrots to the next level with this hasselback version of a vegetable-side favorite. Adding thin hasselback cuts to whole carrots not only allows more flavor to seep into the veggies, it also speeds up the cooking time.

A tagine is a Moroccan stew that is named after the earthenware dish it is cooked in. We use a slow cooker in this version of Moroccan lamb stew, which features lamb, sweet potatoes, dates and olives.

These chicken thighs are seasoned with a spicy mixture of chili powder, cumin, ginger and cinnamon, then browned quickly in a skillet and baked in the oven. Serve this main dish with couscous and a vegetable for a delicious Moroccan-inspired meal.

This milder version of the classic Ethiopian chicken stew, doro wot, trades hot berbere spice for a mild turmeric sauce heady with ginger and garlic. Serve with injera for mopping up the sides of the bowl.

The aromatic Ethiopian spice blend berbere seasons this saucy lamb dish. Look for one that features fenugreek, allspice, red pepper, coriander and cinnamon, with other spices, at well-stocked grocery stores.

This West African–inspired chicken stew is hearty and has lots of bold, umami flavors.

This hawawshi--a hot sandwich that's a favorite Cairo street food--is filled with ground beef, vegetables, herbs and spices and adapted to be made in a home panini press. If you don't have one, cook it in a skillet over medium heat with another skillet on top, weighted down with a few 15-ounce cans. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

When time is of the essence, this hearty stew makes a quick meal. It has a complex, almost beefy flavor that develops when the onion and garlic are cooked until dark brown. Accompany with steamed rice or whole-wheat flatbreads (chapatis).

Fast-growing and drought-resistant, this ancient grain is an important crop in West Africa. It's a type of millet, making it gluten-free. Fonio's light and fluffy texture and mild favor make it work equally well with sweet and savory toppings.

This type of stew is normally cooked slowly for a few hours using tougher and fattier meat from the shoulder or rib area, but this quick version uses lean boneless pork chops. The lean meat becomes dry and hard when overcooked, so do pay attention to the cooking times. Serve over couscous, bulgur or rice, and garnish with a blend of 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons chopped scallions and 1 tablespoon chopped mint.

The Ethiopian spice blend berbere adds heat and loads of flavor to this satisfying green lentil soup.

The pulp and rind of Moroccan preserved lemons is all you need to lift a pedestrian roast chicken into the realm of the exotic!

Garri is made from dried, fermented cassava, a tuber native to South America and introduced to Africa by Portuguese traders from Brazil in the 16th century. San Francisco chef Simileoluwa Adebajo says her family, like many in Nigeria, often eat garri mixed with ground nuts, sugar and milk, like a cereal. These subtly sweet cookies are crisp and delicious.

Plantains are a common ingredient in West African cooking. From street snacks to stews, plantains can be enjoyed at every stage of their maturing process. Green plantains can be used for chips, while yellow ones serve as a starchy side. Here, we use super-ripe black ones where the starch has turned to sugar making them perfect for dessert. Serve these plantains warm for a dessert that all will love. This recipe is perfect for a Kwanzaa celebration; read more in "Why the Karamu Feast Is My Favorite Part of Kwanzaa—and a Simple Menu to Celebrate".