23 Best Ethiopian Food Recipes

If you have never tried Ethiopian food, then you are in for a real treat. This cuisine is full of delicious flavors and dishes that complement each other perfectly.

I first tried Ethiopian food in a restaurant, but then I wanted to make it at home. There are so many wonderful Ethiopian recipes online, you are sure to find one to please you and your family.

If you are wondering how to make Ethiopian food, then there are plenty of recipes here to get you started. There are so many wonderful dishes to try, that you will have plenty of new ideas for your weekly meal plan.

1. Beef Tips

If you look like beef but are looking for a new way to spice it up, this recipe is for you. This Ethiopian dish uses berbere, a mix of cardamom, clove, and fenugreek.

It is essential for Ethiopian cooking, and this recipe is a winner. Cubes of sirloin steak are coated with spices and then served in a delicious sauce.

The dish is finished with lemon juice and the taste is out of this world! This is a great way to start trying easy Ethiopian recipes at home!

2. Authentic Injera

This flatbread is a staple of Ethiopian cooking. It is used as a side dish and as a utensil to scoop up stews and sauces. It is also used as the first layer on a large platter, and then several dishes are spooned around it.

Guests then tear the bread and eat it with the other dishes. Due to its porous texture, it soaks up gravies and sauces perfectly!

Using the whole grain teff, this flour is mixed with wheat or barley flour, a bit of yeast, and water.

3. Ethiopian Cabbage

Cabbage, carrots, onions, and potatoes are a classic combination, and it shows up in many cuisines worldwide. Ethiopia is no exception!

This savory and classic combination is sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with salt, and pepper, and then given a new twist with some cumin and turmeric.

This is a great recipe to ease into Ethiopian food and will be sure to please many palates at your table. It may just become one of your favorite go-to side dish recipes.

4. Misir Wat

If you are looking for a meatless main dish that will please even the most carnivorous guests at your table, then this recipe is for you. This is one of the best Ethiopian dishes.

For those wondering how to make Ethiopian food, this is a great recipe to master. Misir Wat is a traditional lentil dish. Onion, garlic, tomatoes, and berbere are combined with vegetable broth and red lentils to make this iconic dish.

This is simply perfect when scooped up with injera bread or serve on fluffy steamed rice.

5. Gomen Wot, Ethiopian Spinach Stew

Looking to eat your greens? This recipe has got you covered!

This delectable spinach stew is simple to prepare, but the taste is out of this world. An onion is first pureed and then sauteed with pureed garlic.

The spinach and some water are cooked until the stew is creamy, yet delicious. Salt is added at the end to suit your taste.

This recipe suggests serving with some fluffy steamed jasmine rice. It would also make a nice side dish for grilled meats.

6. Ethiopian Ful Medames

This authentic Ethiopian recipe starts with niter kibbeh, a type of spiced clarified butter. Then onion, garlic, and berbere are added and sauteed gently.

Fava beans are added along with stock and allowed to cook. Meanwhile, more spices are toasted and set aside. The dish is served with hard-boiled eggs and fresh tomato and is garnished with fresh parsley and toasted spices.

This dish boasts some complex flavors and makes for a satisfying main dish. It’s a great choice for vegetarians in your life!

7. Ethiopian Collard Greens

Here’s another delicious way to get your green vegetables in! Niter kibbeh, or spiced butter, is heated with oil in a pan. Garlic, ginger, chiles, cumin, and other spices are gently sauteed.

Chopped onion is added and softened, and then finally, collard greens are put in the pan with lemon juice and additional cayenne pepper. You can also use kale in this recipe if you prefer.

This Ethiopian food recipe is packed with nutrition and is so tasty.

8. Ethiopian Asa Tibs, Fried Fish

Are you tired of plain fried fish? Here’s a way to spice it up and give this classic dish a whole new twist! You can use any white fish you enjoy in this recipe.

The fish is coated with the berbere and let sit for an hour. Then it is fried in a pan and seasoned with salt.

Onion, garlic, and chiles are browned, and the fish is returned to the pan. A squeeze of lime juice is the perfect complement to this dish!

9. Shiro Wat, Ethiopian Chickpea Stew

This is a vegan and gluten-free recipe that is sure to please everyone at your table! This chickpea stew is hearty, fragrant, and filling… not to mention, delicious! And it can be made in 45 minutes.

This dish is typically served over injera, a traditional Ethiopian flatbread. First, you will make Shiro powder, which is a combination of chickpea flour, berbere, cardamom, cumin, garlic powder, and salt.

Then, onion, garlic, and tomato are softened in oil. Then the Shiro powder is added with water and allowed to thicken to your preferred consistency.

10. Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Stew

Do you love lentils? This is another great lentil stew recipe that you will want to make on repeat! Onions, garlic, ginger, and berbere are cooked in a bit of oil.

Then, lentils, potatoes, tomatoes, and broth are added to the pot. This mixture simmers for about 30 minutes, and then spinach is thrown in until it wilts.

This is the perfect one-pot meal or can be served with steamed rice or bread. It’s a great dish to serve on a weeknight when you want something meatless, filling, and spicy!

11. Gomen, Ethiopian Collard Greens

Here’s a different twist on one of the best Ethiopian recipes, stewed greens! This dish can be ready in less than 30 minutes, making it a great side dish on a weeknight.

Niter kibbeh, a traditional spiced clarified butter is melted. Onion, garlic, and ginger are added, along with cumin, coriander, and salt. Then the collard greens are cooked until wilted.

You can use kale or another hearty green in this recipe as well. It tastes delicious and is so healthy for you.

12. Atakilt Wat, Ethiopian cabbage and potatoes

This is another great side dish that is vegan, and gluten-free. Keep this in your recipe box, because you are going to be returning to it often! Onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili are sauteed in olive oil.

Then cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove are toasted in the oil. Then the vegetables are added and cooked until soft and tender.

This dish comes together in less than an hour and is so comforting when served with injera or steamed rice.

13. Chechebsa, an Ethiopian Breakfast Dish

This dish is also called Kita Fir Fir and features batter that is fried into a flatbread. This flatbread is known as Kita.

The bread is then torn into pieces and cooked in melted Niter Kibbeh and berbere.

This dish can be served warm or at room temperature and can be enjoyed by itself or with other dishes. It is usually served with hot coffee or chai tea.

14. Ethiopian Spris

Want a fruity smoothie that is as beautiful as it is delicious? This drink is so refreshing and healthy! Papaya, mango, and avocado are separately blended with water and ice and then poured into layers in a glass.

This drink looks beautiful when garnished with lime zest and mint.

This is the perfect way to start your day or a great beverage to enjoy in the summertime.

15. Alicha Denich

This stew is simple yet so delicious. This Ethiopian recipe features onions, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, and chili peppers. Additional chili peppers, spices, and aromatics are blended together to make a condiment called awaze.

It can be prepared in advance and chilled in the refrigerator.

The awaze is added to the vegetable stew to give it a delicious taste and texture. Like many stews and soups, this dish gets better as the flavors mingle, so try making it a day or two before you serve it!

16. Kahawa, Ethiopian Coffee

Ethiopia is home to some of the world’s finest coffee beans, so it only makes sense to include kahawa on this list. Cardamom is simmered in water, and then coffee is added to brew for a few minutes.

The result is a delectable coffee that is surprising and unique. Many sweeten their kahawa with a bit of sugar to make it taste absolutely lovely.

17. Sega Wat, Spicy Ethiopian Beef

This spicy beef stew is such a delectable dish, you will want second helpings! It is some of the best Ethiopian food you can try. Onion puree, garlic, and ginger are sauteed in spiced butter along with berbere. Then beef chuck is added along with beef broth and is seasoned to taste.

This dish is typically served with hard-boiled eggs, along with injera or steamed rice.

18. Himbasha, Ethiopian flatbread

If you love fruited bread, you will not want to skip this recipe! This authentic Ethiopian recipe is often made as celebratory bread and features raisins or black sesame seeds, and cardamom.

It is usually round in shape and cut into slices or wedges.

It is slightly sweet and goes perfectly with a hot cup of tea or coffee. This bread is typically made at Christmas, but you can also enjoy it year-round.

19. Siga Tibs and Ethiopian Salad

Siga Tibs is a beef dish featuring ribeye steak, cubed up into bitesize pieces. It is cooked with Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian clarified butter), red onion, and jalapeno.

The salad features lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. It is served on injera along with any other Ethiopian side dishes you may have.

20. Timatim, Ethiopian Tomato Salad

If you are looking for a refreshing salad to try, look no further. This is the perfect side dish for your hearty Ethiopian stews, or even at your next backyard barbecue.

Three large tomatoes are combined with jalapeno, garlic, and red onion. The vegetables are all finely diced so you can easily scoop some up with your injera bread. The salad is dressed with red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and oil.

This is such a simple, yet healthy and delicious salad!

21. Doro Wat, Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew

What list of Ethiopian food would be complete without Doro Wat? It is, after all, the national dish of Ethiopia! If you have ever dinner in an Ethiopian restaurant, this dish was almost certainly ordered.

This is one of the most iconic and beloved Ethiopian recipes. Featuring niter kibbeh, a spiced clarified butter, as well as pureed onion, garlic, ginger, berbere, and honey, which are stewed together with chicken thighs.

This dish is usually served with hard-boiled eggs, as well as injera or steamed rice.

22. Spicy Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew

This hearty lentil stew is a welcome addition to any table. The classic trio of onion, garlic, and ginger is sauteed in oil. Then tomato paste and berbere are added and cooked for a few minutes.

Red lentils are then cooked in the same pot along with water or broth.

This is a wonderful stew to be served with steamed rice or warm bread. Try serving one of the fresh salads listed above as a refreshing side dish.

23. Ethiopian Hummus

Hummus is a beloved dip or spread and can be served with fresh vegetables, crackers, or bread.

This hummus recipe has an Ethiopian twist that your guests will love! Chickpeas are blended with garlic, onion, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, salt, and of course, berbere.

This gives the hummus a delightful kick and flavor. You will be making this dip over and over again!