Nigerian Suya Recipe: For Nigerians in Diaspora

Ingredients you need for Nigerian Suya

• Beef: The best cut with as little fat as possible.
• Suya Spice
• Groundnut or Peanut Oil
• Salt

Tools you'll need: Skewers or sticks

Notes on the ingredients

1. You can buy the suya spice (suya pepper) in African food stores, you can also make yours.

1. If you do not have groundnut oil (peanut oil), use any tasteless and odourless vegetable oil eg sunflower oil.

Before you make your Nigerian Suya

1. I usually soak the Suya sticks in cold water for at least 5 hours. This ensures that the sticks do not burn during the roasting of the Suya.   

1. Cut the beef into very thin fillets. Where I live, the butchers have the perfect appliance for this. All I have to do is tell them how thin I want the fillets and it is done for me in no time. If you don't have butchers that will do this for you, just do your best, ok?
   
   Usually, if you freeze the beef a little bit, it makes the cutting easier but Suya Mallams say that if you want to make the best Suya, do not refrigerate or freeze the beef. Click on the small images to enlarge.
2. If the fillets are long and large, cut them into small pieces such that when you thread them on the sticks, they will not flap too much.
3. Now thread the fillets of beef on the Suya sticks as shown in the video below. Putting the beef on sticks is optional but it's not Nigerian Suya dear if it's not on a stick. lol!
4. Put some groundnut (peanut) oil in a bowl, add a small quantity of salt and stir. Using a cooking brush, rub the groundnut (peanut) oil on the threaded fillets of beef. This is what helps the Suya spice stick to the meat so make sure you do not leave out any part of the meat. 
5.    

1. In a wide dish, spread the Suya spice and dab the threaded fillets of beef in the spice so that the beef takes up as much of the spice as possible. All the beef will be covered with the Suya spice when you are done.
2. Place all the now spiced beef in a flat plate, cover with a thin plastic film and leave to marinate for 1 hour. We usually put beef in the fridge to marinate but the Suya Gurus, the Mai Suyas, say beef to be used for Suya should not be put in the fridge so ... 

The Making of Nigerian Suya

1. Once the beef has marinated for 1 hour, set your oven to preheat for 10 minutes. The settings should be Grill at 150°C or about 300°F
2. Place the beef flat on the oven rack and put in the oven to roast.
3. After 15 - 20 minutes, flip the beef to roast the underside as well. The length of time you'll roast each side depends on how thick the fillets are. So total roasting time for both sides of the beef is 30 - 40 minutes.
4. Rub some of the remaining groundnut oil on both sides of the beef. Increase the oven temperature a bit and roast either side of the beef for 5 minutes each.
5. That's it!

Serve with chunks of onions, tomatoes cabbage and cucumber. Then a chilled drink. Yummy!

How to make for yourself some meat kebab

What about Nigerian Suya?        

Suya is a spicy skewered meat, which is a popular food item in Western Africa. Suya is traditionally prepared by the Hausa people of northern Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon, and some parts of Sudan (where it is called agashe).

Nigerian suya is generally made with skewered beef ram or chicken. Innards such as kidney, liver, and tripe are also used. 'Me suya' are popular all over Nigeria, in both big cities and small towns.

With ease, 'Me suya' are spotted. And from the setting of the sun till the disappearance of people from the road, transactions are ever present at the suya stand.

How do I make Nigerian suya on my own?

These are ingredients for Nigerian suya::

1. 3 teaspoons finely ground roasted peanuts
2. 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper, or red pepper flakes
3. 1 teaspoon paprika
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
6. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Steps For Preparing Nigerian Suya

1. Shells and skin should be removed from roasted peanut

Roasted Peanut

2. Use a mortar and pestle to grind them into a fine powder

3. Add the other spices to the peanut and mix well

Blended Suya Spice

4.Divide into two the mixed peanut spices. Put half in a bowl, and doing same with the other

Separate Bowls of Suya Spice

5. Dip the meat with one bowl. The other bowl will be used when the meat is grilled.

play Mixing Suya

6. Let the grilling begins...

Grilled Suya

Why Do Nigerians Love Suya?

1. Suya is Tasty: The taste of suya is a thing that only experience can explain. Its deliciousness goes beyond the limitations of words.

And unless your taste buds are numb, the sweetness of suya is a sweetness that can actually compete with any other sweetness.

2. Suya is Cheap and Affordable: You do not have to spend much to partake in its deliciousness. It can be purchased by both rich and poor; no one is denied the merriment.

And although ridiculous amount is sometimes spent on it,  this only testifies how endless one can go in its savouring.

3. Suya is Ever Trending: Suya never goes out! Its availability compels trust, and that trust never fails. It is ever present to its consumer. And should it happen that as a result of the vendor’s absence one stand is wanting in provision, its replacement present itself- in just a stone throw.

4. Anywhere, anytime, location is never a barrier to Nigerian Suya. From the biggest cities to the remote corners, a spot is ever made available for the availability of suya. 

And be it 3 pm or 1 am, the aroma of suya still reign supreme.

5. Suya Never Fails: There is no such thing as a bad suya. Its loveliness is always represented. Countless are the things one can discard as a result of a decline in quality after an immediate buying.

But then one thing is certain, suya is never found in that list; however, it is being prepared. The mouth always accepts it with gracefulness.

Nigerian Suya Spice Mix recipe (Yaji)

Homemade suya spice mix

Here is a secret, the main reason why the suya spice made by your Mae- suya will always be better than your store bought mix or homemade mix……. Kuli Kuli powder, yes you heard me, no Mae-Suya makes suya spice with fresh peanut blend, there is way too much oil in fresh groundnut so kuli kuli (processed groundnut blend ) is preferred.
Ingredients

• ½ cup grounded Kuli Kuli (Substitute roasted groundnut powder )
• ½ cup Ginger Powder
• ¼ cup Chilli Powder
• ¼ cup Paprika Powder**
• ¼ cup Onion Powder
• ¼ cup Garlic Powder
• 1 table spoon sea salt

** Paprika powder in this context is ground dried tatashe (bell pepper), very similar to ground pepper (shombo). This helps to give the suya spice a more “Red” and bright appearance instead of the dull brown color.
Direction

• Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly
• Store in an air tight container for future use

Making Beef Suya:
What you need:

• Beef
• Salt to taste
• Suya Spice Mix

Direction:
Thinly slice the beef. Combine with salt and suya spice and arrange on bamboo skewers.  Grill or bake until beef is cooked through.  Serve with fresh tomatoes and onions.

• The best cut of beef for suya kebab is Top sirloin or similar cuts with reasonable amount of fat (this is necessary so the meat doesn’t dry out)
• Combine prepared meat for suya with a little salt and maggi prior to use
• The thinner your slice your meat, the less time it needs to cook
• If using a non-fatty cut of meat, bast the suya with some oil during the cooking process
• You may incorporate suya spice at the start of cooking but my personal preference is midway through or at the end

Suya (Spicy grilled kebab)

Suya- Roast African spicy skewered beef – An irresistible beef Satay with Spicy Peanut Spice Blend – the epitome of West African Street food.

Course: Appetiser

Cuisine: African

Servings: skewers

Calories: 103 kcal

Author: Immaculate Bites

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of sirloin steak
• ¼ cup roasted almonds/peanuts
• 1/2 -1 tablespoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1/2 - 1 tablespoon hot ground pepper or cayenne pepper optional
• 1 tablespoon chicken Bouillon
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to drizzle on the meat
• Salt

Instructions

1. Soak the skewers for at least 20 minutes totally submerged in water before using it to prevent burns.
2. 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. In a medium bowl, mix garlic powder, onion power, smoked paprika, white pepper, cayenne pepper, hot ground pepper and bouillon/maggi.Place it on a plate , Set aside
4. Peel roasted peanuts, and then grind in a coffee grinder with skin on, until finely crushed. Do not grind the peanuts into paste. Add the ground peanuts into spice mixture.
5. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. You want to have a completely dry steak before cooking. Slice the steak into a diagonal medium thin shape,
6. Thread the steaks onto the skewers about 4 per skewer. Making sure the skewer is fully covered with slices of meat
7. Rub the steak skewer with spice mixture; on both sides. Line a roasting or baking sheet with foil paper. Place skewers on cookie sheet , then place on the roasting pan or baking sheet.
8. Drizzle with oil and bake on for about 12-15 minutes.
9. Optional -Towards the last 3 minutes of baking switch from baking to broiler setting. To get a nice crisp brown on the outside.
10. Serve warm

Recipe Notes

1.  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. You need meat that is tender, fatty, and beefy and easy to cut into uniform shapes.
2. In this recipe, ground peanut is mixed with garlic, onion powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, chicken bouillon powder, white,  and hot pepper.
3. Recipe update – cooking time was reduced from 20 minutes to 15 minutes to produce a juicy and tender suya.

Nutrition Facts

Suya (Spicy grilled kebab)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 103 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g 8%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 32mg 11%

Sodium 34mg 1%

Potassium 213mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 1g 0%

Protein 12g 24%

Vitamin A 3%

Vitamin C 0.4%

Calcium 2.3%

Iron 6.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 


















 

Suya

Ingredients For Nigerian Beef Suya

• Beef (1KG)
• Suya Spice
• 2 cubes of knorr
• Salt to Taste
• Ground dried pepper (optional)(optional)
• Suya sticks (optional)
• vegetable oil (100ml)
• Griller

It is actually possible to mix your own suya spice but it is not necessary if you live in Nigeria. If you don’t live in Nigeria you can still purchase the spice from most online shops.



I live in Portharcout Nigeria and I purchased mine from Hausa suya makers at Okija/Ikwerre road, mile 1, Portharcourt. You can always ask the friendly neighborhood ABOKI for direction. If you get the main spice, you can be sure to make the exact kind of beef suya that you love.

Wash the beef properly and slice into thin fillets, you can easily do this with a kitchen knife. You can see the picture below. If you are using chicken, you just need to apply the spices on the chicken, you don’t need to slice into fillet as is the case with beef.

Transfer 5 spoons of the suya (spice) in a clean dry plate and add 2 cubes of knorr plus half teaspoon of salt to it, mix them properly together and set aside. You will need to taste to acertain that it actually taste like what you get from the mallam.

Stake the beef on the sticks and sprinkle the mixed spice all around it, sprinkle evenly on both sides and commence with the grilling part.



Use a kitchen brush to rob the vegetable oil on the beef before grilling; this actually helps the grilling process.

Apply more of the spices.

Grill your suya using the local or electric griller. You can also use your kitchen oven if it have griling compartment. I used my kitchen oven



Serve with onions, pepper, cabbage, tomatoes etc.
That is how to make suya in Nigeria. I believe you can be able to prepare yours with this recipe.