Nigerian Suya Skewers
Beef sirloin or rump, thinly sliced, kuli kuli (ground peanut cake) and seasoning cubes, crushed come together in this beef — 65 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for grill / broiler and blender. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: not verified. We could not confirm rump, kuli kuli, seasoning cubes from the ingredient list, so we make no dietary claim for this recipe.
Contains: none of the major allergens we track from the ingredients listed.
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to keep them from burning, and if the kuli kuli is not already powdery, blend or pound it into a fine powder and pat out any excess oil with paper towels.
- Combine the kuli kuli powder, ground ginger, cayenne flakes, ground negro pepper, garlic powder, crushed seasoning cubes and a little salt in a bowl to make the suya spice (yaji).
- Thread the thinly sliced beef onto the skewers in a loose, ribboned fashion so the meat cooks quickly and evenly.
- Lightly brush the skewers with vegetable oil, then sprinkle and press half of the suya spice generously over both sides of the meat.
- Grill over hot charcoal or under a hot broiler for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the beef is nicely charred at the edges and cooked to at least 71C (160F) internal temperature for medium.
- As soon as the skewers come off the heat, dust them with more of the remaining suya spice while still hot so it clings.
- Serve immediately with the sliced raw onion rings on the side.
You'll use: Grill / broiler · Blender
Tips & common questions
How long does Nigerian Suya Skewers take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Nigerian Suya Skewers suitable for my diet?
We make no dietary claim for this recipe: at least one ingredient could not be resolved to a definite plant or animal source, so labelling it either way would be a guess. The full ingredient list is above.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Nigerian Suya Skewers is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: SuyavarietiesTX.JPG (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.