Home / Breakfast / Firfir (Spicy Injera Breakfast)

Firfir (Spicy Injera Breakfast)

Shredded injera soaked in a fiery berbere-tomato sauce and crowned with spiced butter — the classic breakfast of Addis Ababa.

⏱ 15 minPrep time
🔥 25 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 BreakfastCategory
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Firfir is the breakfast that built a reputation: leftover injera torn into pieces and tossed through a hot, fiery berbere sauce until every shred is stained red. It is the classic morning meal of Addis Ababa, the cure for long nights and cold mornings, and the best reason to keep stale injera around. A version made with leftover doro wat sauce is called doro firfir, and it is exactly as good as it sounds. It is also the dish that proves nothing in an Ethiopian kitchen ever goes to waste.

The breakfast that turns leftover injera into a feast

The injera softens into the sauce but keeps a little body, so each piece is a tangy, berbere-soaked bite that warms you from the inside out. A cold dollop of ayib on top melts into the red and cuts the heat with creamy tang. Eat it fast, with a hot cup of strong coffee on the side — mornings do not get more Ethiopian than this.

Craving more? Explore all Ethiopian Kitchen recipes.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Heat the niter kibbeh in a large skillet over medium heat; cook the onion until soft and golden, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic, ginger, berbere, and salt and cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Add the tomato and cook until it softens into the sauce, about 3 minutes.
  4. Pour in the water and bring to a simmer; cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the torn injera and fold gently until every piece is coated and the sauce is absorbed, 2-3 minutes.
  6. Serve hot, topped with a generous spoonful of ayib.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Slightly stale injera works best — fresh injera turns to mush. Adjust the berbere to your heat tolerance, and add the ayib generously.

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Recipe details

Prep15 min
Cook25 min
Servings4
CategoryBreakfast
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

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Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →