Skip to content

Meat, Africa and overseas

Minchet abish with injera

Minchet abish is an Ethiopian dish of ground beef simmered with slow cooked onions, berbere spice and tomatoes, served over injera. It feeds 4, takes 50 minutes and is rated easy, at €3.50 per serving. The key to getting it right is cooking the onions dry and slow before anything else goes into the pot.

Tonight, we're traveling to Ethiopia with minchet abish, ground beef simmered in berbere, served with injera to scoop it up.

Minchet abish with injera
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
690 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Minchet abish is a ground beef sauce built on berbere, the Ethiopian spice blend that brings warmth and a slightly smoky heat without being overwhelming. The texture turns soft and almost jammy thanks to onions that cook down for a long time before the butter even joins the pot. The flavor shifts as you eat, mild at first from the onions, then spiced from the berbere, then rounded out by the butter and tomato.

This is a dish to set in the middle of the table on a weeknight when you have a bit of extra time, or on a slower weekend, since the onions need patience more than skill. Kids tend to enjoy scooping up the sauce with pieces of injera, as long as you tone down the berbere a little. It's also an easy way to break from the usual ground beef dinners without any special equipment.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Ground beef 600 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 4
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Fresh ginger 1 tbsp

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 200 g
  • Berbere spice 2 tbsp
  • Injera 8
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Butter 50 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Finely chop the onions and cook them dry in a large pot, stirring, with no fat at all. 15 min

    Add a spoonful of water as soon as they start sticking, the onions will caramelize without burning.

  2. Add the butter, chopped garlic and ginger, then the berbere spice, and cook for one minute. 3 min

    If you don't have berbere, mix paprika, chili, cumin, ginger and a pinch of cinnamon.

  3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes with a glass of water and let it simmer. 10 min

    The sauce should be thick, it will become the base for the meat.

  4. Add the crumbled ground beef, season with salt, and cook while stirring until the meat is just cooked through. 15 min

    Break it up finely with the back of a spoon to avoid clumps.

  5. Warm the injera for a few seconds in the oven or a skillet and serve the minchet abish on top.

    If you can't find injera, large thin crepes or pita bread work just as well.

Our tips to get it right

  • Chop the onions as finely as you can, they'll break down faster and the sauce will turn out smoother.
  • Taste your berbere before adding it all, store bought blends vary a lot in heat, so adjust the amount to your own spice tolerance.
  • Let the sauce rest off the heat for a few minutes before serving, it thickens slightly more and the flavors settle together.

The variations

  • Swap the ground beef for ground lamb for a stronger flavor, closer to other traditional Ethiopian dishes.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with pre cooked red lentils, stirred in at the end just to warm through.
  • For kids, serve the sauce over plain white rice instead of injera, and cut the berbere amount in half.

What to serve it with

  • Fresh tomato and red onion salad
  • Spiced black tea
  • Plain yogurt to cool the heat

Storage

Minchet abish keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well for up to 2 months, reheat gently in a pot with a splash of water. Store injera separately, wrapped, and warm it for a few seconds right before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can I make minchet abish ahead of time?

Yes, the sauce actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have settled. Make it the day before and reheat it gently in a pot, then serve with freshly warmed injera.

What can I use if I can't find injera?

Large thin unsweetened crepes or warm pita bread work as a good substitute, they do the same job of scooping up the sauce. The flavor changes slightly but the texture stays close.

How do I make this milder for kids?

Cut the amount of berbere in half and stir in an extra spoonful of crushed tomatoes to dilute the heat further. You can also serve plain yogurt on the side to cool down sensitive palates.

Why do the onions cook without any fat at first?

Cooking them dry lets the onions release their water and caramelize slowly without burning. That long, slow base is what gives minchet abish its signature depth of flavor.

How long does it take to make a minchet abish with injera?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a minchet abish with injera?

About 690 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a minchet abish with injera cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

African and overseas cuisines

See all

Beef recipes

See all