Plento Pasto CookbookBerbere-Spiced Chicken Tibs with Injera Flatbread
⏱ 28 min
🍽 Serves 5
≈ $18.50 ($3.70/serving)
average
Why this fits a family on a budget
Tibs is Ethiopia's beloved sautéed meat dish — fast-cooking, deeply aromatic from berbere, and interactive for families who share it communally on injera. The bold spice blend echoes the warming, paprika-forward spirit of Central European stews while being entirely its own tradition.
Ingredients
• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp berbere spice blend
• 3 tbsp niter kibbeh or unsalted butter
• 1.5 whole yellow onion
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• 2 whole roma tomatoes
• 1 whole green bell pepper
• 0.5 whole jalapeño
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 5 pieces store-bought injera
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 whole lemon
Instructions
1. Cut chicken thighs into 1-inch cubes and pat dry with paper towels. Season with 1 tsp berbere, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
2. Finely dice the onions. Mince garlic and ginger together. Dice tomatoes, green bell pepper, and jalapeño (remove seeds for milder heat).
3. Heat vegetable oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 90 seconds.
4. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5–6 minutes until they turn deep golden and begin to soften at the edges.
5. Push onions to the side and add chicken pieces in a single layer. Sear undisturbed for 3 minutes until golden-brown on the bottom.
6. Add garlic and ginger, stir everything together, and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
7. Sprinkle remaining 1 tbsp berbere over the pan, add diced tomatoes and bell pepper, and stir to coat. Cook 4–5 minutes until tomatoes break down and sauce clings to the chicken.
8. Add remaining 2 tbsp butter and toss until melted and glossy, about 1 minute. Squeeze half the lemon over the pan, taste, and adjust salt.
9. Remove from heat. Scatter fresh cilantro on top. Serve directly onto pieces of injera, which act as both the plate and the utensil for scooping.
Contains: gluten, dairy. Always double-check labels for your household's allergies.
Cost is a national-average estimate and varies by store and region.
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This recipe was generated by Plento Pasto's AI from a library of family-friendly dishes and reviewed for a real photo before publishing. Cooking times, costs, and nutrition are estimates — use your judgment in the kitchen.
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