Kitfo: How to Order Ethiopia's Famous Minced Beef Dish

Sudo Menu Editorial · 3 November 2026

Kitfo (ክትፎ) is one of the dishes Ethiopians are proudest of, and one that surprises many visitors. It is finely minced beef, warmed in spiced butter and seasoned with hot chilli, and it is traditionally served raw or very lightly cooked. Kitfo originated with the Gurage people of south-central Ethiopia and is now found in specialist kitfo houses and restaurants across the country.

This guide explains how kitfo is made, the ways you can order it, what it is served with and what to keep in mind if you are trying it for the first time.

What kitfo is

Kitfo starts with very lean beef, chopped and then minced finely by hand or machine. The meat is mixed with warm niter kibbeh, the spiced clarified butter, and mitmita, the hot chilli powder. Korerima, the Ethiopian cardamom, is often part of the seasoning. The result is rich, buttery, spicy and very tender.

Because the quality of the beef is everything, good kitfo houses take pride in the freshness of their meat, and many are known for one dish only.

How cooked do you want it?

When you order kitfo, you will usually be asked how you want it. There are three main choices:

Tire (ጥሬ): raw. The meat is mixed with butter and spice but not cooked. This is the most traditional way and how many enthusiasts prefer it.
Leb leb (ለብ ለብ): lightly warmed. The meat is heated in the butter just enough to warm it through, but it stays pink and soft. This is a popular middle ground.
Yebesele (የበሰለ): fully cooked. The meat is cooked through, which makes it closer to a spiced minced-beef dish. Choose this if you do not eat raw or rare meat.

If you are new to kitfo, leb leb or fully cooked is a sensible start.

What comes with it

Kitfo is usually served as a set, and the side dishes are part of the experience:

Ayib (አይብ): a mild, crumbly fresh cheese, similar to cottage cheese, that cools the heat of the mitmita.
Gomen (ጎመን): chopped collard greens, often cooked with butter.
Kocho (ቆጮ): a dense flatbread made from the fermented pulp of the enset plant, also called false banana. Kocho is the traditional Gurage partner for kitfo. Many restaurants also offer injera.
Mitmita on the side, so you can add more heat.

Some menus also list gomen kitfo, a vegetarian dish of finely chopped greens prepared in a similar style, and kitfo special, which usually means a larger portion with extra sides.

Kitfo and celebrations

Kitfo is a festive dish. It is especially associated with Meskel, the celebration of the Finding of the True Cross in late September, when Gurage families gather and kitfo is at the centre of the meal. It is also popular for weddings, family gatherings and simply as a treat at the weekend.

Because it contains meat and butter, kitfo is never a fasting dish. On Wednesdays, Fridays and during the long fasts, many kitfo houses are quieter.

Food safety

Raw and lightly cooked meat carries a higher risk of food-borne illness than cooked meat. Ethiopians have eaten tire kitfo for generations, but if you are pregnant, very young, elderly, have a weakened immune system or simply are not used to raw meat, choose fully cooked kitfo. Wherever you eat it, choose a busy, well-known restaurant with a good reputation for fresh meat.

How to eat it

Kitfo is eaten with the hand, like most Ethiopian food. Tear off a piece of kocho or injera, pick up a little kitfo, add some ayib or gomen, and eat it in one bite. The cool cheese and the warm, spiced meat together are the whole point.

Ordering tips

Say how cooked you want it: tire, leb leb or fully cooked.
Ask about the heat. Mitmita is very hot. You can ask for less in the mix and more on the side.
Try it with kocho at least once for the traditional combination.
Share. A kitfo set is rich, and it is often shared at the table.

Because kitfo is ordered in different ways, a menu that lists the choices helps everyone. On Sudo Menu, venues can offer options such as tire, leb leb or fully cooked, and extras such as additional ayib or kocho, so guests can order exactly what they want, and the kitchen sees the choice clearly on its screen.

In short

Kitfo is minced beef in spiced butter with a fiery kick, served with fresh cheese, greens and kocho. Order it leb leb or fully cooked the first time, enjoy the contrast of hot and cool, and you will understand why it is one of Ethiopia’s most celebrated dishes.