Learn how to make one of the most popular Ethiopian stir fry dishes, called Tibs. This spicy stir fry is easy to prepare. Traditionally made with beef, it’s easy to make vegetarian, too.

At my farmer's market stand, one of the most popular dishes requested by customers is tibs, or Ethiopian stir fry. Saga tibs, or beef stir fry, is also one of my husband's and kids’ favorite dishes.For that reason, it is a tradition in our household to make beef tibs every Father’s Day.

At home, I serve beef tibs over injera bread along Ethiopian romaine salad with homemadevinegar dressing. I make beef tibs medium spicy to accommodate everyone and serve a side of spicy berbere sauce.

Tibs is easy to make and delicious. Like many Ethiopian dishes, tibs relies on berbere spice for its signature flavor. Berbere is one of the most common Ethiopian spice blends — learn how tomake your own berbere Ethiopian spice mix !

Next to stews, the other popular way to use berbere in Ethiopian cooking is in stir fries, or tibs. On holidays, tibs is the first dish made. Since it is the quickest, we eat it while waiting for other simmering dishes. Adding a tablespoon of spice is all you need to add the berbere flavor to the dish. If you like your dishes spicier, you can double the berbere to two tablespoons. I’m very excited to share the beef tibs recipe so you can make it for yourself at home! Happy Father’s Day!

Recipe for Saga Tibs (Beef Stir Fry)

Ingredients:

1 pound cubed flat-iron steak

¼ cup red onion, sliced

1 roma tomato, cut in wedges

3 tablespoons olive oil (or preferred alternative) ​

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon berbere

2 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground black cardamom or black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Start with the sauce by adding the tomatoes and onions to a pan and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft. Then add 2 tablespoons of oil and the berbere. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Next, add the garlic and simmer for 2 more minutes. The last step for the sauce is to add ½ teaspoon of salt and the black cardamom or black pepper. In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium-high heat, then add the meat. Sprinkle the meat with ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Move the meat to the pan with the berbere sauce. Cook until done, about 8-10 minutes.

Tip:

To get the best flavor, use the freshest meat you can get. Try to find a local butcher, ranch, or farm that sells high-quality, locally raised beef. It makes a difference. When I am making stews, I don’t mind getting stew beef from the grocery store. The meat cooks in spices for a long time and takes on the flavor of the sauce. Because tibs is a quick-cooking stir fry, better quality meat will make your dish taste better. If you are using any other meat cut than the flank steak, make sure it is tender meat.

Note:

Tibs is traditionally made with beef. To make it a vegetarian or vegan meal, replace the beef with any of the following vegan proteins:

 Extra-firm tofu

 Tempeh

 Soy curls

 Mushrooms

Offer:

Stir fry recipes are great because they are usually quick to learn and easy to make. Other Ethiopian dishes can take much longer though to create the base sauce. That’s why we offer pre-made sauces , so you can try out new recipes as quickly and easily as this adding your protein of choice and heating! Sign up for our newsletter and you’ll receive a coupon, tasty recipes, helpful tips, and more!