Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

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5 stars (4 reviews)

10 minutes mins

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Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) – This Ethiopian beef tartare recipe features high-quality steak seasoned with bold spices for a delicious dish that pairs well with nearly any sides! Enjoy raw or quickly sear to serve as a meal that everyone will love to share around the dinner table.

Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (1)

Why We Love This Ethiopian Kitfo Recipe

Note: This recipe features raw or undercooked beef. It is not recommended that pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems eat meat that has not been properly and thoroughly cooked.

Ethiopian cuisine is one of our favorite global foods to make at home. Partly because it’s hard to come by unless you live in certain cities, and partly because it’s such a rich family experience to sit down and tear injera bread together. Enjoying a plate loaded with hearty aromatic dishes isn’t just having a meal – it’s creating a memory.

Kitfo Beef Tartare is a common dish usually found on an Ethiopian sharing platter. It is raw high-quality beef that’s finely minced and seasoned with spices and clarified butter. The taste is savory and salty; perfect umami with a wonderfully soft melt-in-your-mouth texture.

You can serve Kitfo as a true raw steak tartare, or give it a quick sear in a hot skillet to partially cook it. Either way you’ll certainly want to enjoy fresh and meaty beef tartare as a special dish alongside a bounty of east African-inspired sides!

Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (2)

Ingredients You Need

This Ethiopian recipe only includes a handful of ingredients, which are mostly vibrant spices. To make authentic Kitfo you need:

  • Beef filetwell-trimmed
  • Anchovy pastefor a unique salty and savory flavor
  • Seasoningscayenne pepper, salt, garlic powder, ground cardamom
  • Clarified butteror ghee

You can add more or less cayenne pepper to taste, depending on how spicy a dish you want. But even if you prefer a mild beef tartare I suggest you add at least a smidge of the spice for great flavor.

Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (3)

How to Make Ethiopian Beef Tartare

There are just 3 easy steps in this Kitfo recipe:

  1. Set out a large high-powered food processor. Make sure to trim all the silver skin and fat off the fillet and cut the fillet into large chunks. Place in the food processor.
  2. Add the cayenne, salt, anchovy paste, garlic powder, and cardamom. Pulse to chop the fillet into fine chunks. You can choose to stop when the beef resembles ¼ inch chunks, or chop smaller into ground steak.
  3. Once the texture is to your liking, melt the clarified butter and pour over the top. Mix the butter in by hand, do not pulse.
Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (4)

Serve the freshly prepared steak tartare room temperature, or seal in a container and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or more) to enjoy cold.

If you are enjoying with other hot dishes, I recommend you serve without refrigerating for the perfect mouth-feel combination.

Get the Complete (Printable) Ethiopian Kitfo Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (5)

How to Make Cooked Kitfo

If you’d like to prepare Ethiopian Kitfo as a cooked dish, simply sear in a skillet on medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. For the best flavor, I suggest that you don’t completely brown the steak, so that there’s a least a bit of “tartare” remaining. Once cooked slightly, kitfo is turned into what is known as “lebleb”.

But again, as noted at the beginning of this post please be aware that undercooked meat is not considered safe by the CDC for pregnant women to eat.

Tips & Tricks

  • Do not use already ground beef! In order to safely eat raw beef, it needs to be a high quality cut of beef that is ground in a food processor shortly before eating it.
  • Don’t over ground. Since you are processing the meat yourself in a food processor, just be careful not to grind it too much or it can become tough from over working the meat.
  • Spice it up! The key to making delicious homemade kitfo is adding all the seasonings and spices. Anchovy paste adds a lovely, savory flavor while cayenne adds a bit of a kick!
Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (6)

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I serve with Ethiopian Kitfo?

Enjoy Kitfo with a side of collard greens, mesir wat lentils, and homemade injera bread. If you’re making a large sharing platter you might also consider preparing Ethiopian Chicken Dora Wat as well!

Is kifto safe to eat?

If you have never had steak tartare, it can be scary when presented with raw beef. When you are using a high quality cut of beef, you can actually eat is raw. Once seasoned and dressed with the clarified butter, it is tender and flavorful. And yes, it is safe to eat. However, if you are pregnant or nervous about eating raw beef, you can sear it quickly!

How do you eat Kitfo?

It’s traditional in Ethiopian cuisine to eat with your hands and use the injera bread or other flatbread as kind of a scoop and edible plate. Tear off a piece of the bread, and holding it in one hand, use it to grab a bit of the tartare almost like a small mit or glove. Then just take a bite and enjoy!

How long does leftover steak tartare keep?

Tartare does taste best when eaten freshly prepared or refrigerated for about 30 minutes. You should only keep the beef tartare in the fridge for up to a day or so. To enjoy the next day after making, remove from the fridge and eat cold or let the Kitfo come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (7)

Looking for More Delicious Beef Recipes?

  • Quick-Seared Carne Asada
  • Skillet Steak Bites with Mushrooms
  • Cuban Beef Picadillo
  • Saucy Greek Lemon Meatballs (Keftedes)
  • Italian Beef Skewers

Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (8)

Print Recipe

5 stars (4 reviews)

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Kitfo (Ethiopian Steak Tartare Recipe)

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

This Ethiopian Kitfo beef tartare recipe features high-quality steak minced and combined with bold spices. Enjoy with injera and nearly any sides!

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Set out a large high-powered food processor. Make sure to trim all the silver skin and fat off the fillet and cut the fillet into large chunks. Place in the food processor.

  • Add the cayenne, salt, anchovy paste, garlic powder, and cardamom. Pulse to chop the fillet into fine chunks. You can choose to stop with when the beef resembles ¼ inch chunks, or chop smaller into ground steak.

  • Once the texture is to your liking, melt the clarified butter and pour over the top. Mix the butter in by hand, do not pulse.

  • Serve raw immediately, cover and chill, or pan-fry over high heat for 1 -2 minutes.

Notes

Disclaimer: This recipe features raw or undercooked beef. It is not recommended that pregnant women or people with compromised immune systems eat meat that has not been properly and thoroughly cooked.

Tartare does taste best when eaten freshly prepared or refrigerated for about 30 minutes. You should only keep the beef tartare in the fridge for up to a day or so. To enjoy the next day after making, remove from the fridge and eat cold or let the Kitfo come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 405kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 106mg, Sodium: 868mg, Potassium: 375mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 347IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 3mg

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: African, Ethiopian

Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

This site contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission.

Gluten Free Healthy Recipes Main Dish World FlavorsAfrican anchovy Beef Steak

posted by Sommer Collier on May 14, 2021 (last updated Mar 1, 2024)

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4 comments on “Kitfo (Ethiopian Steak Tartare)”

Leave a comment »

  1. Beth Reply

    This is going to be such a great dinner tonight! So excited to make this. Looks so delicious and packed with so much flavor!

  2. Valentina Reply

    This is such a delicious way to serve and enjoy beef! Love it!

  3. Stephanie Reply

    I made a seared version and it was delicious! The spices are spot on!

  4. janet Reply

    I normally don’t go for these kinds of recipes, and I was a little concerned about the rawness of the meat so I served mine a little, and this tasted just so amazing! It also pairs well with other Ethiopian side dishes!

Kitfo Recipe (Ethiopian Steak Tartare) | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

Is kitfo spicy? ›

"Kitfo is one of the typical dishes of Ethiopian cooking. The main ingredients of Kitfo is beef, clarified butter and mitmita. Mitmita is a very spicy pepper powder which is made of cayenne-type tiny dark-orange chili peppers seasoned with spices such as cloves, cardamom seed and salt."

What kind of meat is used for kitfo? ›

A culinary specialty of the Gurage region of Central Ethiopia, kitfo is a rich and flavorful dish made with minced raw lean beef, spices (the classic Ethiopian spice blend known as mitmita), and an herb-infused clarified butter known as niter kibbeh. Kitfo is renowned for its bold flavor and luxurious texture.

How to make the best kitfo? ›

Melt the kibbeh in a medium skillet over very low heat. Add the mitmita, korerima, koseret and salt and stir with the butter. Then, add the minced beef and mash to mix it with the spiced butter; keep mixing until the beef reaches your desired temperature, 3 to 5 minutes for rare.

How does kitfo taste? ›

Kitfo Beef Tartare is a common dish usually found on an Ethiopian sharing platter. It is raw high-quality beef that's finely minced and seasoned with spices and clarified butter. The taste is savory and salty; perfect umami with a wonderfully soft melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Is Ethiopian food really spicy? ›

A cuisine encompassing the flavors of the old East African spice trade, Ethiopian food is deliciously unique, fragrant, and mostly spicy. Its depth of flavors has made it very popular internationally.

Is Berbere very spicy? ›

Berbere is a spicy chili blend, but its complex flavor isn't bursting with heat. While not exactly mild, berbere is mellowed by sweet, citrusy flavors.

Who normally eats kitfo? ›

Kitfo (Amharic: ክትፎ, IPA: [kɨtfo]) is an Ethiopian traditional dish that originated among the Gurage people. It consists of minced raw beef, marinated in mitmita (a chili powder-based spice blend) and niter kibbeh (a clarified butter infused with herbs and spices).

Is raw kitfo safe? ›

There are risks associated with eating kitfo, including worms, so butchers often take the meat from between the shoulders of an ox, as this is traditionally thought to be a worm-free part of the body. Still, some people opt to have their kitfo slightly cooked, which is known as lebleb.

How do Ethiopians prepare raw meat? ›

The Ethiopian dish known as tere siga offers exactly what it promises. Translating to “raw meat,” the meal consists of thick strips of just that: raw meat, usually cut off a hanging carcass (most often, a cow), served with a fiery spice blend (mitmita) and a small bowl of a runny, spicy mustard sauce (senafich).

What is the most delicious Ethiopian food? ›

One of the most popular Ethiopian foods is tibs, a dish of meat—beef, lamb, goat, or chicken—chopped into strips and fried in clarified butter with onions, peppers, garlic, herbs, and spices. It's usually served (not surprisingly) with injera.

Can you eat leftover kitfo? ›

When it comes to leftovers, if there's any left, it's important to store kifto at the bottom of the refrigerator below other ready to eat foods. Keep kitfo at room temperature for less than 2 hours & wash your hands before & after eating.

What goes with kitfo? ›

collard greens, and it always comes with a side of. ayib, the soft Ethiopian cheese.

What type of meat is good for kitfo? ›

Asfaw recommends lean cuts of meat, like top round, for raw beef dishes, and Messob grinds the meat for kitfo fresh, often right when it's ordered.

Why does Ethiopian food taste like Indian food? ›

There is evidence going back over 2,000 years of an ancient trade between Ethiopia and parts of Asia. Coins from the Axumite empire have been found in China. Not surprisingly, Ethiopian and Indian cuisine share many of the same spices but they do differ in the way they are cooked and blended.

Why is Ethiopian food sour? ›

What does Injera taste like? Its natural fermentation process, much like the fermentation involved in making sourdough bread, gives injera a distinct sour taste that cuts right through the rich, highly-spiced meat, lentil, and vegetable dishes served with it.

Are Peruvian dishes spicy? ›

Peruvian cuisine is often made spicy with ají pepper, a basic ingredient. Peruvian chili peppers are not spicy but serve to give taste and color to dishes. Rice often accompanies dishes in Peruvian cuisine, and the regional sources of foods and traditions give rise to countless varieties of preparation and dishes.

Why is Colombian food not spicy? ›

First of all, most people are surprised to learn that Colombians are extremely sensitive to anything spicy, and hardly ever use hot peppers or anything similar in their dishes. That is not say, however, that Colombian food is bland or without flavor.

How spicy is Taiwanese food? ›

When it comes to spiciness, Taiwanese cuisine tends to be milder compared to its Chinese counterpart. While there are spicy dishes in Taiwanese cuisine, they are not as prevalent or as fiery as those found in mainland Chinese cuisine.

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