Suya

Name: Suya
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 600 g Beef, sirloin or topside, sliced very thin across the grain; 3 tbsp Neutral oil; 100 g Peanuts, roasted, unsalted, skins rubbed off; 2 tsp Cayenne pepper; 1 tbsp Paprika; 1 tsp Ginger, ground; 1 tsp Garlic powder; 1 piece Bouillon cubes, crumbled; 0.5 tsp Salt; 1 medium Red onion, sliced into rings; 2 medium Tomato, sliced; 100 g Cabbage, shredded

Northern Nigerian street skewers of thin beef rubbed in yaji, a peanut and chilli spice mix, grilled hot and served with raw onion.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 10 min
Rest: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 40 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Hot
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Suya is thin slices of beef threaded onto skewers, rubbed with yaji and grilled fast over high heat. Yaji is the whole point: roasted peanuts ground to a dry powder, cut with cayenne, paprika, ginger, garlic powder and crumbled stock cube. The meat is oiled, dredged in the mix, left to sit, then grilled until the edges blacken while the middle stays tender. It is dusted with more yaji straight off the heat and eaten with sliced raw onion, tomato and cabbage. This version uses a grill pan or a hot oven grill. Charcoal is better if you have it.

What you'll need

12 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 12 ready

4 servings

Skewers
Yaji
To serve

Ingredients

Servings

Skewers

Beef, sirloin or topside, sliced very thin across the grain600 g
Neutral oil44 ml

Yaji

Peanuts, roasted, unsalted, skins rubbed off100 g
Cayenne pepper9.9 ml
Paprika15 ml
Ginger, ground4.9 ml
Garlic powder4.9 ml
Bouillon cubes, crumbled1
Salt2½ ml

To serve

Red onion, sliced into rings1 medium
Tomato, sliced2 medium
Cabbage, shredded100 g

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Blitz the peanuts in short pulses to a dry, sandy powder. Stop before it turns to butter. Tip it onto kitchen paper and press to blot the oil, then mix with the cayenne, paprika, ginger, garlic powder, crumbled stock cube and salt.
10 min
Watch: Over-blended peanuts go oily and clump. Pulse, do not run the motor.
Step 2
Put the beef slices in a bowl with the oil and turn to coat. Add two-thirds of the yaji and rub it in with your hands so every slice is dusted. Thread onto soaked wooden skewers in loose ribbons.
15 min
Step 3
Leave the skewers at room temperature for an hour, or in the fridge for up to a day.
60 min
Step 4
Heat a grill pan over the highest heat until it smokes, or set an oven grill to maximum. Grill the skewers 2 to 3 minutes a side until the edges char and the spice crust darkens. Brush with a little oil as they cook.
8 min250°C
Step 5
Dust the hot skewers with the remaining yaji. Pile onion rings, tomato and cabbage alongside and serve immediately.
2 min
Tip: Put the extra yaji in a bowl on the table. Everyone wants more.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 633 kcal
Protein: 47 g
Carbs: 12 g
Fat: 44.2 g
Saturated fat: 11.5 g
Fibre: 4.7 g
Sugar: 5.1 g
Sodium: 423 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Peanuts

Dairy-free
Gluten-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Beef → Chicken thigh or lamb leg
Chicken needs an extra minute a side. Keep slices thin.

Tips

Freeze the beef for 30 minutes before slicing. It makes thin, even slices possible with a home knife.
A Nigerian grocer sells ready-made suya spice. It is often better than a first home attempt, and there is no shame in it.
Ram (mutton) suya is the northern favourite. Use leg, sliced the same way.

History & culture

The mai suya stands at his glowing grill from dusk, in Kano, Kaduna, Abuja and every Lagos junction, wrapping skewers in newspaper. It is evening food and drinking food. Suya spots are where people argue about football. Beef is standard; ram and chicken appear, and kidney and liver for those who know.

Suya comes from the Hausa and Fulani north, where cattle herding is the economy. The peanut-based spice uses the groundnut crop that northern Nigeria grew for export in the twentieth century. It spread south with migration and is now national.

Traditional — Made on a grill pan or under an oven grill rather than over charcoal. The yaji is home-ground; a bought suya spice sachet is a fair shortcut.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Suya take?

1 hr 40 min all in — 30 min prep, 10 min cook, 1 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Hot.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Peanuts. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Gluten-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Frying pan, Blender, Chef's knife, Tongs.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at ½ tsp.

What can I use instead?

Beef → Chicken thigh or lamb leg. Chicken needs an extra minute a side. Keep slices thin.

What should I watch for?

Over-blended peanuts go oily and clump. Pulse, do not run the motor.

Any tips from this recipe?

Freeze the beef for 30 minutes before slicing. It makes thin, even slices possible with a home knife. A Nigerian grocer sells ready-made suya spice. It is often better than a first home attempt, and there is no shame in it. Ram (mutton) suya is the northern favourite. Use leg, sliced the same way.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.