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Writer's pictureShidonna Raven

Suya Skewer Recipe

By Imma

Source: African Bites

March 18, 2022

Photo Source: Great British Chefs

Suya Recipe Suya is tender beef threaded on a skewer and then baked or grilled to perfection in a tantalizing spicy peanut sauce. It's the epitome of West African street food, and we never made it at home. Until now! Makes 14 skewers

Suya is tender beef threaded on a skewer and then baked or grilled to perfection in a tantalizing spicy peanut sauce. It’s the epitome of West African street food because we never made it at home. Until now!

We mix ground peanuts with garlic, onion powder, cayenne, and smoked paprika in my recipe. The ground peanuts add an authentic and unmistakable flavor to the spicy blend, making it uniquely African. And, of course, the fiery pepper adds a spicy kick to this street food. Authentic West African Street FoodThe Hausa people, one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa, invented this deliciousness. They would set up their BBQ pits in neighborhoods or on street corners, selling grilled meat until every single stick was gone. The aroma was incredible.

Now, suya is the single most popular street food that most West Africans look forward to eating when they go home. My journey is never complete without countless sticks of suya, piping hot, fresh off the grill. Suya Ingredients




  1. Skewers – Soak the skewers totally submerged in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning. (Photo 1)

  2. Grease the Baking Pan – Heat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray or oil baking sheet or roasting pan to prevent the suya from sticking to the pan.

  3. Prepare the Peanuts – Peel roasted peanuts, and then grind them in a coffee grinder with skin on, until finely crushed, being careful not to grind them into a paste. (Photos 2-6)

  4. The Spice Mix – Mix garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, white pepper, cayenne pepper, hot ground pepper, and bouillon (or Maggi) in a medium bowl. Add the ground peanuts to the spice mixture. Set it aside. (Photos 7-8)

  5. Slice the Beef – Pat the suya steaks dry with a paper towel. You want to have a completely dry steak before cooking. Slice the steak diagonally in medium-thin strips. (Photo 9)

  1. Prepare the Skewers – When ready to cook, thread the beef strips onto the skewers, about four per skewer, making sure the slices of meat cover the skewers.

  2. Season the Beef – Rub the skewered steak strips on both sides with the rest of the spice mixture. Then line a roasting or baking sheet with foil and place the skewers on top.

  3. Bake the Suya – Drizzle with oil and bake them for about 12-15 minutes.

  4. Optional – For the last 3 minutes of baking, switch the setting from bake to broil to get a nice crisp brown on the outside.

  5. Grill – You may also grill your suya beef. 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.

  6. Serve fresh from the oven or grill with onions and tomatoes.



Prep: 15 mins Cook: 15 mins Total: 30 mins African SERVINGS 7

Ingredients

  • ▢ 2 pounds (907 g) sirloin steak

  • ▢ ¼ cup (38 g) peanuts (or almonds)

  • ▢ 1 tablespoon (10 g) garlic powder

  • ▢ 1 tablespoon (10 g) onion powder

  • ▢ 1½ teaspoon (10.5 g) smoked paprika

  • ▢ 1 tablespoon (7 g) white pepper

  • ▢ ½-1 tablespoon (3.5-7 g) cayenne pepper

  • ▢ ½-1 tablespoon (3.5-7 g) hot ground pepper or cayenne pepper, optional

  • ▢ 1 tablespoon (10 g) chicken bouillon

  • ▢ 2 tablespoons (28 ml) vegetable oil, to drizzle on the meat

  • ▢ salt, to taste

Instructions

  • Soak the skewers totally submerged in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning.

  • Heat the oven to 450°F/230℃. Lightly spray or oil baking sheet or roasting pan to prevent the suya from sticking to the pan.

  • Peel roasted peanuts, and then grind them in a coffee grinder with skin on, until finely crushed, being careful not to grind them into a paste.

  • Mix garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, white pepper, cayenne pepper, hot ground pepper, and bouillon (or Maggi) in a medium bowl. Add the ground peanuts to the spice mixture. Set it aside.

  • Pat the suya steaks dry with a paper towel. You want to have a completely dry steak before cooking. 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 2-3 tablespoons or half of the suya spice mixture (set aside the rest of the spice rub). Mix everything until fully combined.

  • Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and marinate 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. Then line a roasting or baking sheet with foil and place the skewers on top.

  • Drizzle with oil and bake them for about 12-15 minutes.

  • Optional – For the last 3 minutes of baking, switch the setting from bake to broil to get a nice crisp brown on the outside.

  • You may also grill your suya beef. 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.

  • Serve fresh from the oven or grill with onions and tomatoes.


Tips & Notes:

  1. I use mostly sirloin, chuck roast, and ribeye roast, tender, fatty, and beefy meat that’s easy to cut into uniform shapes is best.

  2. If you partially freeze the beef, it’s easier to slice.

  3. Soak your wooden skewers in cold water for 20 minutes to make threading the meat easier and keep them from burning.

  4. In this recipe, ground peanut is mixed with garlic, onion powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, chicken bouillon powder, white, and hot pepper.

  5. Recipe Update. Cooking time was reduced from 20 minutes to 15 minutes to produce a juicy and tender suya.

  6. Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition Information: Serving: 2skewers| Calories: 300kcal (15%)| Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)| Protein: 36g (72%)| Fat: 11g (17%)| Cholesterol: 68mg (23%)| Sodium: 189mg (8%)| Iron: 3mg (17%)



How can you introduce peanuts from your garden into your diet? Why? How could that improve your health? How could that improve the environment?


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