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Ethiopian Pork With Berbere Sauce


This Ethiopian Berbere sauce recipe has ginger, onion, garlic, and a ton of flavorful spices mixed with oil to create a paste to marinate the pork tenderloin in.

Sliced Pork in a red sauce over a bed of green beans on a white plate. Side view.

The Ethiopian inspired Berbere spice mixture / sauce explodes with flavor of mild heat and citrus (fresh lemon juice) and is one of my favorite marinades and dishes.

Berbere sauce can be used on pork, chicken, eggs, lentils, or vegetables.

12 Colorful ramekins of a variety of spice colors. White plate of sliced raw pork in background with a bowl of diced red onions on the side.

What is Berbere Sauce?

Berbere Sauce is an Ethiopian based spice mixture. It is red pepper based mildly hot ground spice blend originating in Ethiopia.

Berber sauce basis is ground chili (paprika in this case), mixed with several other ground spices: fenu greek, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, allspice.

Ethiopian Berbere sauce is mildly spicy, tangy, peppery, earthy, and a wee bit sweet. In this recipe, the ground spices are pureed with olive oil and lemon juice to make a complex chili based paste that has mind blowing taste.

This Berbere recipe is inspired by the beautiful South African woman who got me interested in cooking. South Africa is far away from Ethiopia but she used some of these spices nearly everyday.

White bowl of sliced raw pork on the right and food processor full of red sauce on the left. Red and white spatula inside the food processor.

Variations On Berbere Sauce with Pork

Berbere spice blends have a TON of ground spices. Don't trip out if you don't have something as your making it. Here's a quick substitution guide that may help out in a pinch:

  • substitute dry mustard and/or fennel seeds for fenu greek
  • substitute cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves for cardamom
  • substitute cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves for all spice
Raw sliced pork marinated in a reddish sauce in a white bowl. Top down view.
Marinate pork tenderloin in berbere sauce for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours.

How Hot Is Ethiopian Berbere Sauce?

The great thing about making your own berbere sauce is that you can control the heat. Choose a mildly spicy paprika and go easy on the black pepper if sensitive to heat.

Side view of seared brown sliced pork tenderloin on a white plate with wood utensils in the background.

Freeze Leftover Berbere Sauce

There are a lot of spices in this berbere recipe. Therefore, make a double or triple batch of the pureed Berbere sauce and freeze in small snack ziploc bags or ice cube trays to use later.

The frozen berbere sauce stays good in the freezer for up to 4 months and makes for a quick and impressive sauce or marinade for nearly anything.

Berbere Sauce with Pork Tenderloin FAQ:

Why is Berbere sauce sometimes more red and sometimes more brown?

Color variations in berbere sauce are because of the dried chilies (paprika) and other spices used. Some paprikas spice blend are redder than others. Other spices and blends are dull or browner. Find the flavor you like and don't worry about the color.

Close up of seared pork slices on a white plate. Side view.

Serving Suggestion

Serve this flavorful and tender Berbere Pork recipe with a complementary side dish like:

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Ethiopian Pork With Berbere Sauce

Sliced Pork in a red sauce over a bed of green beans on a white plate. Close up and side view.
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EatSimpleFood.com

This Ethiopian Berbere pork recipe has a ton of flavorful spices mixed with oil to create a paste for a sauce.  This Berbere recipe can be used on pork, chicken, eggs, lentils, or vegetables.

  • Author: beckie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Ethiopia
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units
  • 1 ½ lb pork tenderloin, sliced
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes - optional for heat
  • ½ tsp fenu greek
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground all spice
  • 2 Tbsp ground paprika
  • ½ cup onions, diced
  • 1 ½ tsp garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp ginger, minced
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp water

Instructions

  • Slice pork tenderloing thin.
  • Add all ingredients, except pork, into a food processor or blender.  
  • Blend on high until a paste/sauce forms.  Add a little oil or water for a thinner consistency if desired.  Add more salt and lemon juice to taste.
  • Marinate pork with sauce for at least ~ 15 minutes up to overnight.
  • Bring a large pan to medium high heat, add vegetable oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and add marinated pork.  
  • Cook uncovered, flipping once, for ~ 2-3 minutes or until seared brown on one side.
  • Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until  pork is cooked through or internal temperature of pork reaches 155F.  
  • Add salt to taste.  Happy Eating!  Beckie

Notes

Don't overcrowd your pan!  Cook the pork in two batches if the pan is too crowded as you want it to sear and not steam.

Keywords: Berbere, Pork, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low Carb, Paleo, Keto, Whole 30, Spicy Ethiopian Pork, Pork Tenderloin, Sauce, Berbere Sauce

12 Colorful ramekins of a variety of spice colors. White plate of sliced raw pork in background with a bowl of diced red onions on the side. Top down view.

The post Ethiopian Pork With Berbere Sauce appeared first on Eat Simple Food.

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