West African Suya Recipe
Suya is a meat dish from West Africa, consisting of thinly sliced beef marinaded in a peanut based spice blend. The beef is threaded onto skewers and cooked over an open flame. Suya is enjoyed as a snack and is popular at barbeques or sold as street food in Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria.
The spice blend used to flavor suya is also called suya. It always contains peanuts and typically the other spices include garlic, onions, paprika, hot pepper, and white pepper. The meat is oiled first so that the spices can stick and then once coated, left to marinate.
Variations include the Nigerian version of suya spice blend, otherwise known as yaji, which is made with tomato paste and maggi, a salted concentration of spices packed into a small cube. In Cameroon, suya or soya typically contains ginger.
Some regions use freshly ground peanuts, while others use peanut paste or peanut powder. Suya is not limited to just beef, it is made with other meats like chicken or goat.
Origin and Cultural Significance
Suya is believed to have originated from the Hausa ethnic group of the Northern regions of Nigeria and Southern Niger. The Hausa tribe were a nomadic group that reared cattle. The word suya is thought to originate from the Hausa word ‘tsire’, meaning meat.
West African Suya Recipe
Suya is a meat dish popular in West African countries such as Nigeria and Cameroon. It consists of thinly sliced beef marinaded in a peanut based spice blend.
Ingredients
- Sirloin steak – 2 lbs
- Peanuts – ¼ cup
- Garlic powder – 1 Tbsp
- Onion powder – 1 Tbsp
- Smoked paprika – 1 ½ tsp
- White pepper – 1 Tbsp
- Cayenne pepper – 1 Tbsp
- Hot ground pepper (optional) – 1 Tbsp
- Chicken bouillon – 1 Tbsp
- Vegetable oil - 2 Tbsp
- Salt - to taste
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, soak them totally submerged in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning.
- Heat the oven to 450°F.
- Crack roasted peanuts and grind them with skins on, until finely crushed, being careful not to grind them into a paste.
- Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, white pepper, cayenne pepper, hot ground pepper, and bouillon cube (or Maggi) in a medium bowl.
- Add the ground peanuts to the spice mixture then set it aside.
- Using a paper towel, pat the steaks completely dry.
- Slice the steak diagonally in medium-thin strips and place them in a bowl.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of oil into the sliced beef, followed by half of the suya spice mixture.
- Mix everything until fully combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and marinate for an hour.
- When ready to cook, thread the strips onto the skewers, about four per skewer, making sure the slices of meat cover the skewers.
- Rub the skewered steak strips on both sides with the rest of the spice mixture.
- Brush the grill rack with oil and place the skewered meat on the rack.
- Brush them with oil and grill for a few minutes or until lightly charred, then turn and grill on the other side – about 3-5 minutes for each side, depending on the thickness of the meat slices.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 7 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 399Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 384mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 37g
Nutrition is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. It is for general information purposes and is only a rough estimation.
