Make this delicious, Easy Ethiopian Beef Tibs in no time at all. The main ingredients include tender beef, spicy berbere and fresh vegetables. Serve for dinner with injera, rice or bread.
Jump to:
Tibs is a delicious Ethiopian dish that combines tender beef or lamb with a spicy and fragrant sauce made with berbere, ginger, garlic, and butter. You can serve this easy dish with various sides, such as injera, rice, or bread. This dish is hearty and flavorful, perfect for lunch or dinner. As Ethiopian cuisine is communal and social, you can also share it with family and friends. Tibs is one of Ethiopia’s most popular dishes.
For more popular African recipes, try my Traditional South African Pancakes, Sweet Crunchy African Chin Chin Recipe and Easy Nigerian Puff Puff.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It is meaty and has delicious, bold flavors.
- Tibs is great for sharing.
- It is easy to make and ready in 30 minutes.
- You can customize it to your taste by adding and swapping ingredients.
Easy Ethiopian Beef Tibs Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Beef: Trim the fat from the beef and chop it into bite-sized cubes. To tenderize the meat, bash it with a blunt object.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger works well in this recipe, but you can use ground ginger instead if you have none.
- Garlic: Crush or grate garlic for the best flavor.
- Red onion: Slice red onions for color and flavor.
- Berbere: For the best flavor, select good-quality berbere. You can also make your berbere from scratch with ground chili, fenugreek, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
- Tomatoes: Choose fresh, large, ripe tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Jalapenos: Chop them to add heat to the dish.
- Niter Kibbeh: This spiced clarified butter adds even more flavor. If you can't find clarified butter, you can make your own with cardamom, coriander, fenugreek, nigella, turmeric, oregano, and thyme. Some recipes also include onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Herbs: Dried rosemary or sprigs of fresh rosemary add herby flavor to the dish.
Tips and Substitutions
- Beef: Choose a tender cut of beef, such as flank steak, sirloin, or ribeye, and dice it into small chunks. You can also use lamb instead of beef if you prefer.
- Oil: Heat the oil until it is hot before adding the beef. This will give it a nice brown color and taste.
- Niter Kibbeh: Put unsalted butter on low heat and remove the foam to make kibbeh. Add spices like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and onion. If you can, add koseret and besobela, which are Ethiopian herbs. Cook for an hour until the butter is clear and golden. Filter it with a cheesecloth and keep it in a jar in the fridge or freezer. If you don’t have kibbeh, you can use ghee instead.
- Berbere: This is a traditional Ethiopian spice mix with paprika, fenugreek, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Use Ras el Hanout or Morrocan spice mix if you don't have this.
- Meat: Tibs can be made with different cuts of meat, such as flank steak, sirloin, or ribeye, and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
How to Make Easy Ethiopian Beef Tibs
- Cut off any excess fat from the beef and chop it into medium-sized pieces.
2. Heat up some oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add it to the hot oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ginger and garlic to the same skillet. Stir them with the beef for a few minutes or until they release their aroma.
4. Then, add the red onions.
5. Next, add berbere seasoning and herbs. Cook and stir, for another few minutes, making sure the beef and onion are well coated with the spices.
6. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Let the mixture simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and saucy.
7. Add the jalapenos for some extra heat and flavor. Stir them in and taste the sauce.
8. Then, add the niter kibbeh. Stir well and let the stew cook for a few more minutes until the beef is tender and juicy.
9. Enjoy the easy Ethiopian beef tibs with injera, rice, or flatbread.
Recipe FAQs
It is a traditional Ethiopian dish made with beef or lamb, berbere spice, tomatoes, niter kibbeh and more. It is usually served with injera or rice.
Ethiopian Tibs is a flavorful dish of beef cooked with rich, spicy seasonings, herbs, and kibbeh, served alongside injera, a traditional Ethiopian bread.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave when serving.
More Tasty African Recipes
Easy Ethiopian Beef Tibs
Equipment
- chopping board
- Chefs knife
- Pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds of beef chopped into cubes
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon of grated ginger
- 3 garlic cloves crushed or grated
- 1 red onion sliced
- 2 tablespoon of berbere
- 3 tomatoes chopped
- 3 jalapenos chopped
- ⅓ cup of niter kibbeh or ghee
- 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary or a sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Instructions
- Chop the beef into medium chunks and remove any extra fat to make the meat less oily.
- In a large skillet, heat some vegetable oil over high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the beef and put it in the hot oil. Stir occasionally until all sides are browned.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the ginger and garlic to the same skillet. Mix with the beef for a few minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the red onion and berbere seasoning. Stir for another few minutes, making sure the beef and onion are covered with the seasoning. Add the tomatoes and combine everything. Let it cook for about 7-10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. This will form a thick sauce for the stew.
- Add the jalapenos for more heat and flavor. Mix them in and try the sauce.
- Add the niter kibbeh, dried rosemary or fresh rosemary sprigs. Mix everything well and let it simmer for a few more minutes until the beef is done and tender. Serve your stew hot with some injera, rice or bread.
Notes
- Beef: Choose a soft cut of beef, like flank steak, sirloin, or ribeye, and chop it into small pieces. You can also swap it with lamb if you like.
- Oil: Make sure the oil is hot before adding the beef. This will make it brown and flavorful.
- Niter Kibbeh: To prepare your own kibbeh, melt unsalted butter on low and skim off the foam. Add spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and onion. If possible, add koseret and besobela, which are Ethiopian herbs. Simmer for an hour until the butter is clear and golden. Strain it with a cheesecloth and store it in a jar in the fridge or freezer. If you don’t have kibbeh then you can substitute it with ghee.
- Berbere: This is a traditional Ethiopian spice blend that contains ground chili (paprika in this case), along with several other ground spices: fenugreek, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, allspice. If you don’t have this available, you can use Ras el Hanout or Morrocan spice blend instead.
Jen
This tibs recipe is flavorful and delicious dish perfect for sharing!