22 Ultimate Ethiopian Breakfast Dishes

Just like in any other culture or country, Ethiopian breakfast dishes are the most important meal of the day. This is clearly evident in the case of Ethiopia, as there are such a wide variety of dishes that one can choose from.

Whether you are looking for a heavy-meal rich in protein, or someone with a sweet tooth looking for something sweet, or maybe something healthy, light, and easy to digest, there is a suitable breakfast dish for anyone and everyone.

In this article, you will find some of the most popular Ethiopian breakfast dishes to enjoy at an Ethiopian Restaurant near you, or maybe even in the comfort of your home if you decide to make them for yourself.

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    Chechebsa (Kita Firfir) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    Chechebssa, also known as Kita Firfir, is essentially a shredded Kita, which is a flatbread popular in Ethiopia, fried with spices and Niter Kibbeh. It is one of the most popular breakfast dishes in Ethiopia.

  • enkulal tibs 1 1

    Enkulal Firfir (Ethiopian Scrambled Eggs) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    Learn how to make Enkulal Firfir by using this simple recipe from Ethiopian Food Guide. Here you will learn about all the ingredients you will need to make this traditional Ethiopian dish with all the necessary directions.

  • buticha 1 2

    Buticha (Ethiopian Chickpea Flour Salad) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Advanced

    Learn how to make Buticha by using this simple recipe from the Ethiopian Food. Here you will learn about all the ingredients you will need to make this traditional Ethiopian dish with all the necessary directions.

  • firfir 2

    Firfir Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    Firfir, another popular Ethiopian dish that can be eaten for lunch, dinner, and even breakfast. Learn how to make this dish by using our recipe, where you will find all of the necessary ingredients and step-by-step directions.

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    YeSuf Fitfit Recipe

    Cooks in 50 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    Learn how to make Yesuf (Sunflower seed) Fitfit by using this simple recipe from Ethiopian Food Guide. Here you will learn about all the ingredients you will need to make this traditional Ethiopian dish with all the necessary directions.

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    Genfo (Ethiopian Porridge) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    Genfo, which is porridge in Amharic, is a well-known comfort dish and breakfast food, traditionally enjoyed by recovering new mothers. In Ethiopia, it can be made using wheat, barley, or maize, enriched with berbere and niter kibbeh. For this recipe, we will keep it simple and use wheat to make our Genfo.

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    Kinche Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    Kinche is a common but distinctively Ethiopian breakfast dish. Somewhat resembling oatmeal, it is very easy and convenient to prepare, and it is also considered healthy. It can be made using various cracked cereals such as Sinde (wheat), Bekolo (corn), or Ajja (oats); all of which can easily be found in a nearby grocery store. Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make Kinche at home.

  • yeshinbera alicha fitfit recipe

    YeShinbera Alicha Fitfit Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    YeShinbera Alicha Fitfit is very enjoyable and tasty mild side-dish. It is made from shreded Injera thoroughly mixed with different Ethiopian spices including turmeric that gives it it’s mild taste and light-yellow color. YeShinbera Alicha Fitfit is vegan/ vegetarian friendly.

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    Defo Dabo Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    Defo Dabo is one of the several types of bread made in Ethiopia. Typically, making Defo Dabo requires a special ingredient – the leaves of the Enset (false banana) plant or Koba Kitel in Amharic. However, if you can’t find false banana leaves near you, you can just use banana leaves instead.

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    Engotcha Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    This is a traditional dish popular among Ethiopian Jews. Learn how to make Engotcha by using this simple recipe. Here you will find all the ingredients you need to make this traditional Ethiopian dish with all the necessary directions.

  • ethiopian lightly spiced whole wheat bread recipe

    Ethiopian Lightly Spiced Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make Ethiopian Whole Wheat Bread at home.

  • yeshinbera asa wot ethiopian chickpea fish stew recipe

    YeShinbera Asa Wot (Ethiopian Chickpea Fish Stew) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    This is a unique Ethiopian dish. YeShinbra Asa Wot, which directly translates to “chickpeas fish” in Amharic, doesn’t actually contain any fish at all. The name only refers to the texture of the dish that resembles fish. It is customarily prepared during special event as well as the fasting seasons.

  • ambasha recipe

    Ambasha (Himbasha) Recipe

    Cooks in 75 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    Ambasha, also known as Himbasha, is on of Ethiopia’s most popular breads that is frequently made for holidays like Christmas as well as other noteworthy events and festivities. It can, however, also make a fantastic snack or even breakfast. A typical Ambasha has cardamom, raisins, and black sesame seeds as flavorings, making it a pleasantly sweet and savory bread.

  • kita recipe

    Kita Recipe

    Cooks in 50 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    Kita is a very thin traditional flatbread native to Ethiopia. It is typically made from simple ingredients such as flour, water and salt. Kita flour is often prepared from a variety of grains, such as wheat, teff, maize, barley, chickpeas, as well as a combination of these grains. Usually, it is cooked on a frying pan or a small-sized carpe maker.

  • yeaja atmit ethiopian cream of oatmeal recipe

    YeAja Atmit (Ethiopian Cream of Oatmeal) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    Atmit is an excellent, nutritious beverage that resembles a thin, filling porridge. Atmit, which has its origins in Ethiopia, is a widely consumed comfort beverage there that both kids and adults love. Several cereals and ingredients can be used to make it. As a result, Atmit recipes might differ greatly.

  • telba ethiopian flaxseed beverage recipe

    Telba (Ethiopian Flaxseed Beverage) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Intermediate

    Telba is a rich, pleasant, and healthful beverage from Ethiopia. It is created from ground, toasted flax seeds. Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make Telba (Ethiopian Flaxseed Beverage) at home.

  • yebesso duket smoothie barley and fruit juice recipe

    YeBesso Duket Smoothie (Barley and Fruit Juice) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    Barley is a popular cereal crop in Ethiopia. It is consumed as a snack slightly roasted to make Kolo, or roasted and ground to make YeBesso Duket, which can be mixed with water and honey to make a tasty, filling, and nutritious breakfast or snack. And it will even taste better when some fruits are added to the mix! Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make YeBesso Duket Smoothie at home.

  • besso betelba ethiopian barley and flax recipe

    Besso BeTelba (Ethiopian Barley and Flaxseed) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    Besso BeTelba is an incredibly nutritious and filling beverage that you can drink for breakfast or snack. It is also really easy to make, and takes very little time to prepare. Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make Besso BeTelba at home.

  • yetelba smoothie flaxseeds fruit juice recipe

    YeTelba Smoothie (Flaxseeds Fruit Juice) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    YeTelba Smoothie is a very nutritious and tasty Ethiopian beverage that you can enjoy as a breakfast or snack. It is incredibly nutritious and quite healthy. Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make YeTelba Smoothie at home.

  • fruits vegetables and telba flaxseeds smoothie recipe

    Fruits, Vegetables, and Telba (Flaxseeds) Smoothie Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    This Fruits, Vegetables, and Telba (Flaxseeds) Smoothie is packed full of healthy nutrients tahnks to all the fruits and vegetables that are included, such as flaxseeds, mango, apple, banana, kale, spinach, carrots, celery, and honey. The conoction of this recipe is carefuly curated to get the most benefit out of each ingredient, while also taking careful consideration to the balance of taste that comes as a result of mixing these particular ingredients. Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make Fruits, Vegetables, and Telba (Flaxseeds) Smoothie at home. Enjoy!

  • yesuf weha ethiopian sunflower seeds juice recipe

    YeSuf Weha (Ethiopian Sunflower Seeds Juice) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    YeSuf Weha is a tasty Ethiopian drink that also comes with a lot of health benefits thanks to the sunflower seeds that are the core ingredient of the drink. Sunflowers are a great source of heart-healthy fats, as well as a number of vitamins and minerals that may help lessen your chance of developing common health issues such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It is also vegan/vegetarian friendly.

  • yenug weha ethiopian niger seeds juice recipe

    YeNug Weha (Ethiopian Niger Seeds Juice) Recipe

    Cooks in 70 minutesDifficulty: Easy

    YeNug Weha is another one Ethiopia’s refreshing and healthy beverages. While it’s not quite a popular drink, it certainly does bring a lot to the table. The core ingredient of YeNug Weha is Nug (Niger Seeds), which originated in Ethiopia and is believed to have been domesticated before 3000 BC in the highlands of Ethiopia, where it is still cultivated as an oilseed crop. YeNug Weha has a slight nutty taste that comes from the Niger seeds, and is great source of amino acids. Here is a simple recipe that you can follow to make YeNug Weha at home.

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Sara Seife
Sara Seife

Sara is a blogger, nutritionist, and recipe engineer who loves to create and share Ethiopian food recipes and guides. She is the Chief Editor of The Ethiopian Food, an online platform that aims to help people all over the world learn about and enjoy Ethiopian cuisine. Sara is passionate about sharing her love of Ethiopian food and culture with others, and she hopes that her recipes and guides will help people to create delicious and authentic Ethiopian meals at home.

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