Meat

Beef suya

Nigeria’s favourite street snack: thin beef skewers coated in yaji, a smoky peanut and chilli spice, grilled hot and served with onion and tomato.

  • 30 min20 prep · 10 cook
  • EasyDifficulty
  • 380 kcalper serving

Ingredients

4 servings
  • Beef sirloin, thinly sliced700 g
  • Roasted unsalted peanuts60 g
  • Smoked paprika1 tbsp
  • Cayenne pepper1 tsp
  • Ground ginger1 tsp
  • Garlic powder1 tsp
  • Onion powder1 tsp
  • Beef stock cube, crumbled1
  • Vegetable oil3 tbsp
  • Saltto taste
  • Red onion, sliced1
  • Tomatoes, sliced2

Missing something? Ingredients with × can be left out.

Steps

  1. 1

    Grind the peanuts finely and mix with the paprika, cayenne, ginger, garlic and onion powders, stock cube and salt to make the yaji.

  2. 2

    Thread the beef onto soaked skewers, brush with oil and press plenty of yaji on both sides. Leave to marinate.

  3. 3

    Heat a grill, griddle or barbecue until very hot.

  4. 4

    Grill the skewers, turning once and brushing with a little more oil, until charred at the edges.

  5. 5

    Sprinkle with a little more yaji and serve with the onion and tomato slices.

Tips and questions
Can I make the yaji spice in advance?
Yes, it keeps for a month in an airtight jar in the fridge. It’s also great on chicken or grilled vegetables.
Why slice the beef so thin?
Thin slices cook in minutes and soak up the spice. Freezing the beef for 30 minutes first makes it much easier to slice.

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