Nigerian Suya

About This Recipe

Suya is one of West Africa's great street foods: thin strips of beef threaded onto skewers, rubbed in a spiced peanut-based powder called yaji, and grilled over glowing charcoal until smoky, slightly charred and deeply fragrant. Originally a speciality of the Hausa people of northern Nigeria, suya has spread to every city in Nigeria and West Africa, sold by mallam (suya men) who fan their charcoal at roadside stalls from dusk until the early hours. The yaji spice blend typically includes ground peanuts, ginger, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and dried chilli — each suya man guards his recipe jealously. Served with sliced raw onion and tomato and extra yaji sprinkled on top, suya is the perfect balance of heat, smoke and nuttiness.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gbeef sirloin or rump(sliced 5mm thick against the grain)
• 80 gground roasted peanuts (groundnut powder)
• 1 teaspoonground ginger
• 1 teaspoonpaprika
• 1 teaspooncayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoongarlic powder
• 1 teaspoononion powder
• 0.5 teaspoonsalt
• 2 tablespoonsvegetable oil
• 1 mediumonion(sliced into rings, to serve)
• 2 mediumtomatoes(sliced, to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make yaji spice mix

   Combine ground peanuts, ginger, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder and salt in a bowl. Mix well. This is your yaji.

2. 2

   Coat the beef

   Mix beef slices with oil, then with the yaji spice mixture, coating each piece thoroughly on all sides. Thread onto soaked wooden skewers, flattening the meat against the skewer.

   Soaking skewers in water for 30 minutes prevents burning on the grill.

3. 3

   Grill

   Grill over high heat (charcoal ideally, or a very hot griddle pan) for 3–4 minutes per side until slightly charred and cooked through. The peanut coating should be fragrant and toasted.

   Charcoal gives authentic smoky suya — a griddle pan works well but lacks the smoke.

4. 4

   Serve

   Arrange on a platter lined with newspaper (traditional), sprinkle extra yaji over the top. Serve with raw onion rings, sliced tomato and extra yaji on the side.

Variations

• •

  Chicken suya (suya of chicken thigh) is very popular.

• •

  Goat meat suya (suya naman) is the Hausa original.

• •

  Ram suya is reserved for special occasions.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Best eaten immediately off the grill. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 1 day — reheat briefly in a hot pan.

Frequently Asked Questions