Ghanaian Suya-Spiced Burger with Ginger-Orange Slaw

About This Recipe

Suya, skewered and grilled meat coated in a dry, peanut-based spice blend called yaji, is a beloved West African street food eaten widely across Ghana and Nigeria, especially after dark from roadside grills. This burger takes that same suya spice mix — ground peanuts, ginger, cayenne, paprika and dried onion — and rubs it onto a beef patty instead of skewered meat, topped with a crunchy cabbage slaw brightened with fresh ginger and orange for a fresh contrast. The yaji spice blend, traditionally made by grinding roasted peanuts with dried chile, ginger and other spices into a coarse powder, is what gives suya its distinctive nutty, spicy crust — pressing it firmly onto the patty before grilling helps it adhere and caramelize rather than falling off. Grilling over high heat develops a real char on the outside while keeping the patty juicy within, echoing the smoky flavor suya gets from an open grill. The slaw, tossed with fresh ginger, orange zest and a little vinegar, cuts through the richness of the spiced beef with genuine brightness, giving the burger real balance.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 700 gground beef
• 0.33 cuproasted peanuts(finely ground)
• 1.5 tspcayenne pepper(or to taste)
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 1 tspgarlic powder
• 1 tspground ginger
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 2 cupsshredded cabbage
• 1 tbspfresh ginger(grated)
• 1 tsporange zest
• 2 tbsporange juice
• 1 tbsprice vinegar
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 4burger buns

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the yaji spice blend

   Combine ground peanuts, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, ground ginger and salt in a small bowl.

2. 2

   Season the patties

   Shape the ground beef into 4 patties and press about two-thirds of the spice blend firmly onto both sides of each patty, saving the rest for finishing.

3. 3

   Make the slaw

   Toss shredded cabbage with fresh ginger, orange zest, orange juice, rice vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Let sit at least 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Grill the patties

   Grill or pan-sear the patties over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side, until well charred and cooked to your preferred doneness.

5. 5

   Finish with spice

   Sprinkle the reserved spice blend over the patties right after they come off the heat, while still hot.

6. 6

   Assemble

   Pile the ginger-orange slaw onto the buns, add the spiced patty, and close with the top bun.

Variations

• •

  Traditional skewer format: cut the beef into cubes, skewer, coat in the yaji spice, and grill as classic suya instead of a patty.

• •

  Chicken version: use ground chicken instead of beef for a lighter burger with the same suya spicing.

• •

  Extra heat: increase the cayenne in the spice blend for those who prefer suya's traditional intense heat.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked patties and slaw separately up to 3 days. Reheat patties gently in a skillet; the slaw is best made fresh but keeps reasonably well refrigerated for a day.

Frequently Asked Questions