Nigerian Suya Skewers
Beef sirloin or rump, thinly sliced, kuli kuli (ground peanut cake) and seasoning cubes, crushed come together in this beef β 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)
π Unit converter
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 Β· Blender
Tips & common questions
How long does Nigerian Suya Skewers take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish β 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 β 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.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Nigerian Suya Skewers is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Suya Seller.jpg by FischerFotos, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.