Kitfo — Ethiopian Minced Beef with Spiced Butter
A prized delicacy of Ethiopia, especially of the Gurage people: very finely minced lean beef gently warmed (or served raw) and dressed with niter kibbeh — spiced clarified butter — and mitmita, the fiery chilli blend. Kitfo is rich, buttery and deeply flavoured, traditionally served leb leb (lightly warmed) or tere (raw), with ayib (mild cottage cheese), gomen (greens) and injera or kocho. It's celebration food and a true Ethiopian indulgence, all about the quality of the beef and the spiced butter.
Use very fresh, high-quality lean beef and mince it very finely by hand (or have it freshly ground). Warm niter kibbeh — Ethiopian spiced clarified butter — gently, and mix it into the beef with mitmita (the hot Ethiopian chilli blend) and a little salt, working it until rich, glossy and evenly seasoned. Serve it tere (raw) for a tartare, or leb leb — warmed very briefly in the buttery pan just until barely changed colour, still rare. Plate with ayib (mild fresh cheese), cooked greens (gomen), and injera or kocho to scoop.
- Use the freshest, best lean beef and mince it very finely — quality is everything in a raw/rare dish.
- Niter kibbeh (spiced butter) and mitmita (chilli blend) are the defining seasonings — warm the butter to release its aroma.
- Serve tere (raw, like tartare) or leb leb (just warmed and still rare) — never fully cooked.
Equipment
- Sharp knife (to mince) or grinder
- Small pan (for the butter)
- Bowl
Malzemeler
Kitfo
- 500 g very fresh lean beef (tenderloin/round), very finely minced
- 4 tbsp niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter)
- 1–2 tsp mitmita (Ethiopian chilli blend), to taste
- Salt; (optional) korarima/cardamom
To serve
- Ayib (mild Ethiopian fresh cheese) or mild cottage cheese
- Gomen (cooked collard greens)
- Injera or kocho (enset flatbread)
Yapılışı
- ADIM01
Use very fresh, high-quality lean beef and mince it as finely as possible by hand with a sharp knife (or use freshly ground, very lean beef). The texture should be fine and smooth. Keep it cold.
- ADIM02
Gently warm the niter kibbeh in a small pan until just melted and fragrant — don't let it get hot, just liquid and aromatic.
- ADIM03
Put the minced beef in a bowl and work in the warm niter kibbeh, the mitmita and a little salt (and korarima if using), mixing thoroughly until the meat is rich, glossy and evenly seasoned. Taste and adjust the heat and salt.
- ADIM04
Serve it tere (raw) as is, like a spiced tartare. Or for leb leb, return it briefly to the warm buttery pan and toss for under a minute, just until the outside barely changes colour — it should stay rare and soft, never cooked through.
- ADIM05
Mound the kitfo on a plate (or on injera) with ayib (mild fresh cheese) and cooked greens (gomen) alongside. Serve with injera or kocho to scoop it up, and extra mitmita on the side for those who want more heat.
Make ahead
Make the niter kibbeh well ahead — it keeps for weeks and is the flavour foundation. Prep the ayib and greens ahead too. But mince and dress the beef just before serving, since kitfo is a fresh, raw or barely-warmed dish that must be made from the freshest meat and eaten immediately for both flavour and safety.
Storage
Kitfo is made to be eaten immediately, as it's raw or barely warmed — make only what you'll serve fresh, from very fresh meat, and don't store leftover dressed kitfo. Niter kibbeh keeps for weeks refrigerated, so make it ahead. If you must keep raw minced beef briefly, keep it very cold and use it the same day; once seasoned and served, eat it right away.
Variations
Leb leb vs tere
Tere (raw) is the classic; leb leb is very lightly warmed (still rare). Yebekel kitfo is fully cooked for those who prefer it.
Gored gored
A close relative made with cubed (rather than minced) raw beef dressed in niter kibbeh and mitmita.
Kitfo special
Served with ayib and gomen as 'kitfo special', often with kocho (enset bread) in Gurage style.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Sık sorulanlar
What is kitfo?
Kitfo is an Ethiopian dish of very finely minced lean beef seasoned with niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter) and mitmita (a hot chilli blend), served raw (tere) or just barely warmed (leb leb). It's a celebrated delicacy, especially associated with the Gurage people, and is rich, buttery and spicy. It's typically served with ayib cheese, greens and injera or kocho. Think of it as Ethiopia's spiced, buttery take on steak tartare.
Is kitfo raw, and is it safe?
Traditionally kitfo is raw (tere) or only very lightly warmed (leb leb), so — as with steak tartare — it relies entirely on using extremely fresh, high-quality beef from a trusted source, kept very cold and minced just before serving. If you're concerned, you can warm it more (leb leb) or have it fully cooked (yebekel). For a raw preparation, freshness and proper handling are essential.
What is niter kibbeh?
Niter kibbeh is Ethiopian spiced clarified butter — butter gently simmered with aromatics like garlic, ginger, korarima (Ethiopian cardamom), fenugreek and other spices, then strained. It's a cornerstone of Ethiopian cooking and gives kitfo its rich, fragrant, buttery character. You warm it and work it into the minced beef. It keeps for weeks, so it's worth making a batch; plain clarified butter with a few spices is a rough substitute.
What is mitmita?
Mitmita is a fiery Ethiopian spice blend — a fine, hot orange-red powder based on bird's eye chilli with korarima (cardamom), cloves and salt. It's hotter than berbere and is the key seasoning (with the niter kibbeh) for kitfo, adding sharp heat and aroma. Add it to taste, as it's quite spicy, and offer extra on the side. If you can't find it, a hot chilli blend with a little cardamom approximates it.
What do you serve with kitfo?
Kitfo is classically served with ayib (a mild, crumbly Ethiopian fresh cheese that cools the heat), gomen (cooked collard greens), and injera or — very traditionally in the Gurage style — kocho, a flatbread made from the enset (false banana) plant. You scoop the kitfo up with the bread, and extra mitmita is offered for more heat. It's a rich, festive, shared meal.
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