Tibs is the most versatile and widely eaten meat dish in Ethiopia, appearing on every restaurant menu and in most Ethiopian homes. Unlike the slow-cooked wots (stews), tibs is cooked quickly over high heat — a sauté of cubed meat with onions, chili, and Ethiopian spiced butter (niter kibbeh) that produces a fragrant, lightly charred, deeply savory result.

There are dozens of variations of tibs depending on the region, occasion, and preference. Dulet tibs is made with minced organ meats. Gored gored is raw beef tibs with awaze. Tere siga is raw meat without spicing. Firfir tibs uses shredded injera mixed into the pan juices. The common thread is quick cooking over intense heat in niter kibbeh, which distinguishes Ethiopian tibs from similar dishes in other cuisines.

Tibs is traditionally served in a small clay or metal pot still sizzling from the heat, accompanied by injera. The cooking fat and pan juices are an integral part of the dish and should be sopped up with injera. Tibs is also associated with non-fasting days in Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, where meat dishes are reserved for specific days of the religious calendar.