Suya

Nigerian Beef Suya with Yaji Spice

Suya is Nigeria's beloved street-food classic: paper-thin beef coated in a bold, peanut-forward spice rub called yaji, grilled over smoking coals until edges char and the spice crust toasts into a fragrant crust. Serve with sliced onion, extra yaji for dipping, and a cold drink.

Prep

40 min

Cook

12 min

Total

52 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •800 g (1¾ lb) beef sirloin or flank steak, trimmed of visible fat, sliced very thinly across the grain
• •200 g (7 oz) raw unsalted peanuts, toasted and finely ground; substitute roasted unsalted peanuts if raw are unavailable
• •20 g (¾ oz) ground ginger, or 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
• •10 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) paprika, hot or sweet depending on heat preference
• •8 g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) ground dried chillies (yaji pepper), African dried chillies are traditional; use cayenne as the closest common substitute
• •5 g (2 tsp) garlic powder
• •5 g (2 tsp) onion powder
• •3 g (1 tsp) ground cloves
• •3 g (1 tsp) ground nutmeg
• •3 g (1 tsp) salt, or to taste
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil, plus extra for brushing; groundnut oil is most authentic
• •1 whole (1 medium) red onion, thinly sliced, for serving
• •1 whole (1 small) tomato, sliced, for serving (optional, traditional accompaniment)
• •30 g (1 oz) extra yaji spice blend, reserved for dusting at the table

Steps

1. 1 Toast the raw peanuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, shaking often, until deeply golden and fragrant. Cool slightly, then grind in a spice grinder or pound in a mortar to a coarse, sandy texture resembling coarse cornmeal. Do not over-grind to a paste.
2. 2 Combine the ground peanuts with ginger, paprika, ground chillies, garlic powder, onion powder, cloves, nutmeg, salt and the 30 ml of oil in a bowl. Stir well and rub between your fingers to break up any clumps; the mixture should hold together when pressed. Set aside 30 g of this yaji as a table-dusting spice; use the rest for marinating.
3. 3 Partially freeze the beef for 20-30 minutes until firm but not solid; this makes slicing easier. Slice across the grain into paper-thin pieces about 3 mm (⅛ in) thick and 5-7 cm (2-2¾ in) wide.
4. 4 Toss the beef slices thoroughly with the larger portion of yaji spice so every piece is coated. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours; do not leave raw beef at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge just before grilling.
5. 5 Thread the marinated beef onto flat metal or pre-soaked bamboo skewers, threading in a flattened accordion fold so edges hang loose and will crisp over the fire. Aim for 8-10 thin slices per skewer; do not pack tightly. Keep the loaded skewers cold until they go on the fire.
6. 6 Prepare a hot grill: hardwood charcoal is traditional. Spread the coals and let them burn down until covered in a thin grey ash and you can hold your hand 10 cm / 4 in above the grate for 2-3 seconds. Grill temperature should be roughly 200-230°C / 400-450°F.
7. 7 Lay the skewers directly over the hottest part of the coals and grill 3-4 minutes per side, turning once. The thin edges should char slightly and the peanut crust should darken and smell toasted, not burnt; move any flare-ups-prone skewers to a cooler spot.
8. 8 Check doneness with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest fold of beef: it should read at least 71°C / 160°F, because the thin slices are handled and folded like minced meat and a medium reading of 63°C / 145°F is too low here. Push a slice to the thicker edge of the thermometer probe if the folds are very thin, and give any slice that reads under target another minute over the coals. Total cook time is usually 6-8 minutes.
9. 9 Serve immediately on a long sheet of brown paper or a platter, topped with sliced red onion and tomato. Pass the reserved yaji spice and extra sliced onion at the table so eaters can dust more spice onto each bite. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 74°C / 165°F before eating.