# Ethiopian Tibs, Spiced Pan-Fried Meat

> Tibs is seared over **very high heat in a matter of minutes** — the opposite of wat, which takes hours. The meat is cut into small cubes and goes into the pan in batches, because crowding makes it stew in its own juices rather than brown.

**Ethiopian Cuisine · 30 min · 4 servings · 420 kcal per serving**

Tibs is the best-known Ethiopian dish after doro wat, served at celebrations and in restaurants. Meat seared fast with onion, peppers and rosemary, served on injera. The quickest Ethiopian dish you can make.

## Ingredients


### Meat
- 700 g — beef or lamb in small cubes
- 1 tsp — salt
- 1 tsp — black pepper

### The spiced ghee
- 4 tbsp — ghee (niter kibbeh if available)
- 1 tsp — ground cardamom
- 0.5 tsp — cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp — turmeric

### Vegetables
- 2 — red onions, thickly sliced
- 2 — bell peppers, sliced
- 3 — green chillies
- 4 cloves — garlic, sliced
- 1 tbsp — chopped ginger

### Seasoning
- 1 tbsp — berbere spice
- 1 sprig — fresh rosemary
- 2 — tomatoes, chopped

### To serve
- 1 — lemon

## Method

1. **Dry the meat** — Pat the meat cubes dry with a towel and season with salt and pepper. Wet meat stews instead of browning.
2. **Spiced butter** — Melt the ghee over low heat with the cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric for two minutes until fragrant.
3. **Sear the meat** — Turn the heat to **its highest** and add half the meat in a single layer. Leave it a minute without stirring, then stir for two minutes until browned. Lift it out and repeat with the rest.
4. **The vegetables** — In the same pan add the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies and stir for 3 minutes over high heat — they must stay crisp.
5. **Combine** — Return the meat and add the berbere, rosemary, peppers and tomatoes, and stir for **just 3 minutes**.
6. **Serve** — Serve immediately while sizzling, with injera or bread and a squeeze of lemon.

## Tips

- Small batches over high heat — crowded meat stews in its own juices.
- Dry the meat before searing — the most important step for browning.
- The onion and peppers stay crisp — tibs is not a slow-cooked dish.
- Fresh rosemary is the Ethiopian signature in tibs — it is absent from wat.

## FAQ

### What is the difference between tibs and wat?
Wat is a slow braise with a thick sauce that takes hours (like doro wat). Tibs is a fast sear over high heat in minutes, and the meat stays in firm pieces with no sauce.

### What is niter kibbeh?
Ethiopian butter spiced with cardamom, fenugreek, turmeric and ginger. The recipe above makes a quick version of it that works well.

### Can I make it without berbere?
Yes — there is a version called 'tibs alicha' made without berbere, using only turmeric, milder in taste and suitable for children.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/ethiopian-cuisine/ethiopian-tibs-spiced-pan-fried-meat
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-31