Diced chicken sauteed hot and fast with onion, jalapeno and rosemary, a quicker, drier alternative to Ethiopia's slow-braised stews.
Tibs offers a lighter, faster counterpart to Ethiopia's long-simmered wat stews, meat sauteed quickly over high heat with onion, garlic and fresh chile rather than braised for hours in a deep sauce. Chicken is cut into small, even pieces so it cooks through quickly, seared hard alongside onion and jalapeno until everything develops good color, finished with a sprig of fresh rosemary that's traditional in many tibs preparations. Served on its own plate or over injera, doro tibs is a popular quicker meal for weeknights or when guests drop by unexpectedly, delivering real Ethiopian flavor without the hours-long commitment of a proper wat.
Serves 4
Heat niter kibbeh or oil in a hot skillet and sear the chicken pieces over high heat until browned, about 6-7 minutes; remove.
Add the onion to the same pan and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes.
Add garlic, ginger and jalapeno, cooking 2 minutes.
Cook everything over genuinely high heat throughout — tibs is meant to be quickly sauteed and slightly seared, not slowly stewed.
Return the chicken to the pan, add tomato, rosemary and berbere spice, cooking 5-6 minutes until the tomato breaks down and everything is well combined.
Season with salt and remove the rosemary sprig before serving.
Serve hot with injera or rice.
Cook over genuinely high heat throughout — tibs should have a slightly seared, sautéed character rather than the softer texture of a long-braised stew.
Cut the chicken into small, even pieces so everything cooks through quickly and consistently.
Remove the rosemary sprig before serving, since it's meant to infuse flavor during cooking rather than be eaten directly.
Beef tibs, using thin strips of beef, is an equally popular and traditional version.
A version without berbere, seasoned simply with black pepper and rosemary, is sometimes called 'awaze tibs' when a spicy sauce is served on the side instead.
Adding sliced green bell pepper alongside the jalapeno gives extra color and mild sweetness.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat in a hot pan to help maintain some of the dish's seared texture.
Tibs represents a faster, more casual style of Ethiopian cooking compared to the long-simmered wat stews, often prepared for guests who arrive unexpectedly or for a quicker weeknight meal without sacrificing bold, characteristic Ethiopian flavor.
Yes, beef tibs made with thin strips of sirloin or a similar cut is equally traditional and follows the same quick-searing technique.
Regular butter or vegetable oil works as a substitute, though you'll lose some of the spiced complexity niter kibbeh provides.
It was likely overcooked or cut too large — keep the pieces small and cook just until done, since prolonged high heat toughens lean chicken quickly.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.
