Top 5 Ethiopian Beef Cuts and Dishes

Last updated on June 15, 2026
01

Kitfo

4.0 ·

Kitfo is a popular Ethiopian dish consisting of raw beef that is freshly ground and combined with Ethiopian butter (niter kibbeh) and spices such as Cayenne pepper and cardamom. The dish is served with a variety of breads, with injera being a staple of every restaurant that serves kitfo. Although kitfo is usually served on its own, it can also be accompanied by salty cheeses or collard greens.

02

Gomen be siga

3.9 ·

Gomen be siga is a traditional dish that consists of sautéed collard greens (gomen) and chunks of beef (siga) as the key ingredients, made with addition of fresh ingredients like clarified spiced butter, and lots of onions and garlic for flavor. Like most Ethiopian dishes, gomen be siga is traditionally paired with injera flatbread. For a spicy kick, the dish can be consumed with awaze chili sauce.

03

Sega wat

3.6 ·

Sega wat or tsebhi sga is a traditional dish from Ethiopia and Eritrea and a type of wat. In order to prepare it, onions are sautéed in niter kibbeh clarified butter, followed by ginger, garlic, cardamom, berbere spices, and beef broth. Once the sauce has developed a thick consistency, browned beef pieces are added to the pot and the dish is simmered until the liquid is reduced and the sauce becomes very thick. Sega wat is traditionally served hot with injera flatbread or rice on the side. If desired, hard-boiled eggs can be added to the stew to make it even richer, and it's believed that the dish tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have had more time to blend together.

04

Gored gored

3.5 ·

Gored gored is a popular Ethiopian dish consisting of cubes of raw beef. Although the dish is often compared to kitfo, gored gored is not marinated in spices and butter before consumption. It is typically paired with lemon wedges, injera flatbread, and awaze chili sauce. The fat is usually left on the meat and consumed along with it. Although it can be served on its own or paired with the aforementioned ingredients, gored gored can also be served as a part of a big meal, especially at festive occasions and celebrations.

05

Kai wat

3.4 ·

Zigni or kai wat is a traditional dish with a spicy flavor. This stew consists of cubed meat (mostly beef), onions, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste, and it is typically flavored with berbere spice blend, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and coriander. It is recommended to serve zigni with injera flatbread on the side. Although zigni is considered the national dish of Eritrea, it is also popular in Ethiopia, where it is known as kai wat.

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About this ranking

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 5 Ethiopian Beef Cuts and Dishes” list until June 15, 2026, 77 ratings were recorded, of which 60 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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