Every culture has its version of this recipe in its archives. Kabobs, satays, anticuchos, skewers, you name it, everyone knows how good these are. But in my part of the world, Cameroon, it’s suya, and it screams going home. 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. 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
Beef – There are several ways of making suya; the key ingredient is good quality meat. I experiment a lot, using whatever cut I can get a good deal on at the market, and I use mostly sirloin, chuck roast, and ribeye roast. Tender, fatty, and beefy meat that’s easy to cut into uniform shapes is best.Peanuts – Roasted peanuts add a distinctly nutty flavor that identifies an authentic suya. Almonds and sesame seeds also make a delicious substitute if you have a peanut allergy.Spices – Garlic, onion, and hot pepper kick the peanut sauce up several notches and make this fantastic recipe simply irresistible.
How to Make Suya
Prepare the Meat Season the Suya Make the Suya
Recipe Variations
Meat Swap – Trade out the beef for chicken, pork, or lamb.More Spice – Add ground ginger, allspice, and a tad cardamom for even more flavor.
Tips and Tricks
If you partially freeze the beef, it’s easier to slice.Soak your wooden skewers in cold water for 20 minutes to make threading the meat easier and keep them from burning.Sirloin, chuck roast, and ribeye roast provide tender, fatty, and beefy meat that’s easy to cut into uniform shapes.
Serving and Storage
Fresh from the grill or oven is the best way to go. Have your steaming jollof rice or pita bread waiting to go before they’re ready. You can season the raw meat and keep it in the fridge for two or three days or four months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge and allow the meat to come to room temperature half an hour before cooking. Leftovers? Okay, I understand. Store your suya refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days, or freeze them for up to three months.
What to Serve with Suya
While we usually eat this delicacy on its own or with sliced red onions and tomatoes, some foods are nice to have around. These are a few traditional sides.
African Pepper SaucePita BreadFried PlantainsCucumber Tomato SaladJollof Rice
More Incredible Beef Recipes to Try
Tomahawk SteakRoast BeefSmoked Beef BrisketBeef BourguignonSteak Tips
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”9B6PlCJQ” upload-date=”2022-03-18T06:07:36.000Z” name=”Suya Recipe” description=”Suya is tender beef threaded on a skewer and then 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!” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”] This blog post was first published in February 2013 and has been updated with a new write-up, photos, and a video.
