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At a glance: West African Suya — Spiced Beef Skewers in Peanut Paste: serves 4, cooked in tallow, with no seed oils.
Suya is the beef skewer sold at night markets across Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and throughout West Africa. The defining ingredient is yaji — a dry spice blend that always includes ground peanuts (or peanut cake), chilli, ginger, paprika, and garlic. The beef is thinly sliced, coated in yaji mixed with a little fat to bind it, and grilled over very high heat until charred at the edges.
Traditional suya is served wrapped in newspaper with raw sliced onion and tomato alongside more dry yaji for dipping. The contrast between the spiced, smoky beef and the raw, sharp onion is what makes the dish work.
Suya Recipe
Ingredients
- 600g beef sirloin, flank, or rump — sliced 4-5mm thin against the grain
- Yaji spice blend: 3 tbsp finely ground roasted peanuts, 1 tsp ground chilli, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp beef tallow, melted (for mixing the paste and basting)
- To serve: thinly sliced raw white onion, sliced tomato, extra yaji
Method
- Combine all yaji spice ingredients. Add enough melted tallow to make a thick paste.
- Coat the beef strips thoroughly in the yaji paste. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Thread the marinated beef strips onto flat metal skewers, weaving them so the meat lies flat.
- Grill over very high heat for 3-4 minutes per side, basting with additional melted tallow. The meat should char at the edges.
- Serve immediately — suya must be eaten hot. Arrange with sliced raw onion, tomato, and a small pile of extra dry yaji for dipping.
What is yaji?
The West African spice blend for suya. The key ingredient is kuli-kuli (ground peanut cake) or simply very finely ground roasted peanuts. The full blend is available at African grocery stores.
Is suya seed oil free?
Yes with tallow. Traditional suya is dry-spiced and grilled — no oil is used in the cooking, only a small amount to bind the paste.
What cut of beef?
Flank, sirloin, or rump — any lean cut that slices thin against the grain. Do not use fatty cuts; the fat chars and becomes bitter.
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