Awaze Tibs

Awaze Tibs is a spicy and boldly flavored Ethiopian dish featuring meat (in this case beef) quickly cooked with a delicious Berbere seasoned sauce. Somewhere between a stir-fry and a stew, it’s a can’t miss meal for adventurous palates.

Ethiopian cuisine is hard to find in our area. We first tried it several years back at a restaurant in Asheville, NC, and are now always on the lookout for it on our travels. It packs serious flavors, which is always a plus for us, and is very unique, which is another big plus.

Since we can’t find it locally, we started trying our hands at Ethiopian cuisine at home. Our first attempt was Doro Wat, the iconic chicken stew. It’s amazing, but a bit labor intensive. Now, when we crave a spicy Ethiopian dinner without a lot of time or work, Awaze Tibs is our new go-to.

What is Awaze Tibs?

Most similar to a stir-fry, but also sometimes referred to as a stew, Awaze Tibs is a spicy and saucy dish typically made with beef, mutton or goat. Tibs refers to the cooking method, specifically sautéing small pieces of meat with vegetables. Awaze refers to the spicy sauce, where berbere seasoning is the primary flavor component.

Today I am making beef tibs. Try it with other meats as well, they are all equally good.

Primary Ingredients

• Beef – You want a fast cooking cut here. I am using ribeye this time, but New York strip and sirloin are also great choices.
• Berbere – This is where the flavor comes from! It’s a bold and complex spice blend that is essential to Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. We make our own Berbere Seasoning, but you can use store bought or order online.
• Onion – Red. Sliced, not diced, for easier removal.
• Garlic – Always.
• Tomatoes – I remove the seeds.
• Jalapeno – For a little more kick. Serrano works too.
• Fresh rosemary – Just one sprig really adds to the flavors.
• Niter kibbeh – This is a seasoned clarified butter. When I first started cooking Ethiopian food, I just ordered it online. Now I make my own. I promise to post the recipe soon! In its absence, you can use ghee, which is available in most supermarkets near the oils.

How to Make Awaze Tibs

First, I whip up the Awaze sauce in a small bowl.

Next, I get the beef slices going. I thinly slice it into bite sized strips, then season them with salt.

I heat some olive oil in a cast iron skillet and sauté the beef for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then I add in sliced onion and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes, follow by sliced tomatoes.

Now for the flavors. I add the Awaze sauce and mix it well with the beef, along with a splash more water, jalapeño and rosemary. I let this cook for 2-3 minutes.

Once the tomatoes just start to wilt, I taste and adjust salt the stir in the niter kebbeh (or ghee). That’s it, it’s ready to serve!

Serving Suggestions

The traditional way to serve Awaze Tibs is with injera, a spongy and slightly sour flatbread. It requires several days of fermentation and can be difficult to make. In fact, my first (and only) attempt to make it was a complete disaster.

Now I order it online from ethiopianspices.com, who ship freshly made injera all over the country. Not an affiliate link, by the way, I’m just trying to help you out.

Oftentimes we enjoy our Tibs simply with rice, basmati being the top choice.

Jason’s Tips and Notes

• Let the skillet pre-heat properly and get nice and hot. That gives a good sear to the meat.
• Cook the meat in batches if your pan isn’t big enough. If it’s too crowded the meat will steam rather than sear.
• If you’re heat sensitive, start with 1.5 tablespoons of berbere and omit the jalapeno. Give your tibs a taste, and if you can handle more heat just mix more of the berbere with a little water before adding to the dish.
• Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on stovetop or in the microwave.
• Likewise, Awaze Tibs can be frozen for up to two months, also in a sealed container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Don’t wait, get these exotic flavors going in your kitchen today (or at least as soon as the Berbere delivers).

If you cook this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment, we love to hear from you. And be sure to stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Pinterest.

More Great African Recipes:
Chicken Tagine
Ful Medames
Peri Peri Chicken
African Peanut Stew
Kedjenou Chicken
Jollof Rice
Harira

Awaze Tibs Recipe (Ethiopian Beef Tibs)

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Awaze Tibs is a spicy and boldly flavored Ethiopian dish featuring meat (in this case beef) quickly cooked with a delicious Berbere seasoned sauce. Somewhere between a stir-fry and a stew, it's a can't miss meal for adventurous palates.

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Ingredients

Awaze Sauce

• 3 Tbsp berbere spice blend (see note 1)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp water

Awaze Tibs

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 pounds ribeye steak, cut into thinly sliced bites (see note 2)
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 4 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, slice with most of the seeds removed
• 1 jalapeño or serrano, sliced
• 1 sprig rosemary
• salt, to taste
• 2 Tbsp niter kebbeh, ghee or clarified butter
• Injera or rice for serving

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for Awaze sauce and set it aside.
2. Season beef slices with salt. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet or wide pan over high heat and sauté beef for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add in sliced onion and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until onion starts to soften.
4. Add in sliced tomatoes and Awaze sauce. Mix well with the beef.
5. Add in 2 Tbsp water along with jalapeño and rosemary and cook for 2-3 minutes. The tomatoes should just start to wilt without disintegrating much. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Stir in niter kebbeh or ghee. Serve immediately with injera bread or rice.

Notes

1. Berbere is a bold and complex spice blend that is essential to Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. We make our own Berbere Seasoning, but you can use store bought or order online.
2. New York strip and sirloin are good alternative cuts for this recipe. It is also great with lamb or goat.
3. Cook the meat in batches if your pan isn’t big enough. If it’s too crowded the meat will steam rather than sear.
4. If you’re heat sensitive, start with 1.5 tablespoons of berbere and omit the jalapeno. Give your tibs a taste, and if you can handle more heat just mix more of the berbere with a little water before adding to the dish.
5. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on stovetop or in the microwave.
6. Likewise, Awaze Tibs can be frozen for up to two months, also in a sealed container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 609Total Fat 43gSaturated Fat 18gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 23gCholesterol 134mgSodium 857mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 3gSugar 2gProtein 40g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.