Ethiopia | Main dish

Tibs

Ethiopian-style sauteed beef with onion, garlic, rosemary, berbere, niter kibbeh, and optional awaze for heat.

Country
Ethiopia
Region
East Africa
Time
45 min
Serves
4
Level
medium
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Use this overview to check the occasion, serving ideas, regional context, and cooking commitment before you begin.

When to cook it

Best for a fast celebratory supper, injera platter, or special lunch.. Plan on a medium cook and about 45 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Injera, awaze, salad, shiro, or mild vegetable sides.

Regional lane

Celebration meat table. Rich meat dishes where butter, chile, beef, chicken, and spice carry the occasion.

Chef watch-outs
  • Rushing the rest or fermentation period.
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
How you know it is ready
  • The bread or batter should smell pleasantly fermented, toasted, or nutty rather than floury.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Pantry lane

teff, berbere, mitmita, niter kibbeh, split peas

Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.

Tibs recipe from Ethiopia
Tibs finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Tibs

Injera, awaze, salad, shiro, or mild vegetable sides.

Best route from here

Celebration meat table

Collections to keep cooking
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Servings 4

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Ethiopia
4 steps 20 min prep 25 min cook 45 min total medium
1
Season the meat
Pat the meat dry and season with salt, pepper, and half the berbere.
Kitchen noteDry meat browns faster and stays juicier.
season 10:00
2
Sear hot
Heat half the niter kibbeh in a wide pan. Sear the meat in batches until browned outside but not fully cooked through.
sear 08:00
3
Cook the aromatics
Add remaining niter kibbeh, onion, garlic, ginger, chile, rosemary, and tomato if using. Cook until the onion softens.
soften 07:00
4
Finish the tibs
Return the meat to the pan with remaining berbere and optional awaze. Toss over high heat until glossy and just cooked.
Kitchen noteServe immediately so the meat stays tender.
finish 05:00

Some tibs are mild and buttery, some are spicy with berbere or awaze, and some are served sizzling with peppers and onions.

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Cook around Tibs

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