Sūya is one of Nigeria’s most beloved street foods: thinly sliced meat seasoned generously with yaji, threaded onto skewers and grilled over high heat. This beef version gets its signature nutty heat from a homemade yajin kuli made with kuli-kuli, warming spices and peppers, then hits the grill until beautifully charred.

Serve the skewers as they would traditionally be enjoyed—with sliced tomatoes, red onion and extra yajin kuli on the side.

Beef suya skewers on a dish with tomato slices, red onion slices.

Beef Sūya (Nutty Spiced Beef Skewers)

Nigerian beef sūya skewers are coated in a nutty, spicy yaji seasoning, grilled until charred and served with sliced tomatoes and red onion.

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Equipment

spice mill
small bowl
lidded jar
metal skewers
plastic wrap
plate or small baking sheet
chef's knife
large bowl
charcoal grill or gas grill
serving platter

Ingredients

Yajin Kuli

1 tbsp alligator pepper seeds
4 whole uda pods
3 ehuru seeds shelled
3 whole cloves
½ tsp whole uziza peppercorns
1 cup ground kuli-kuli
2 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dry pepper
2 tsp sugar
1½ tsp fine sea salt

Suya

1 lb 450 g beef filet, sirloin or blade steak
3 tbsp neutral oil plus more for the grill
⅓ cup yaji spice plus more as needed
To Serve
½ cup Yajin Kuli
thinly sliced red onions
sliced tomatoes

Instructions

Yajin Kuli

In spice mill, combine alligator pepper, uda, ehuru, cloves and uziza peppercorns and grind. Add kuli-kuli and grind again as finely as possible. (You may need to do this in batches.) Empty ground spice mixture into bowl and add paprika, ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, dry pepper, sugar and salt. Stir to combine, then transfer to jar with lid. Set aside to rest for 2 to 3 days, then regrind and discard large bits.
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling so they don’t burn on the grill.

Sūya

Wrap beef tightly in plastic wrap and place on plate or small baking sheet. Freeze for 15 to 30 minutes, until partially frozen and firm to the touch.
Unwrap meat. With sharp chef’s knife, slice meat against the grain into strips that are 2 in (5 cm) long, 1 in (2.5 cm) wide and 1⁄8 in (3 mm) thick. The easiest and most efficient way to do this is to portion beef into pieces that are 2 in (5 wide and 1 in (2.5 cm) thick and then cut those pieces crosswise into strips that are 1⁄8 in (3 mm) thick.
Put meat strips in large bowl, drizzle oil over them and then sprinkle with 2 tbsp of the yaji. Carefully toss and massage yaji into meat until it is evenly coated. Season with another 2 tbsp of the yaji.
Working with one piece at a time, thread beef onto metal or wooden skewers, piercing each piece in two places to secure it, then spread meat out on skewer so it will cook evenly. Leave 2 in (5 cm) of skewer exposed at either end.
Place completed skewer on platter and repeat with the remaining beef. Once all skewers are assembled, sprinkle the remaining yaji on both sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours before grilling.
If using charcoal grill, light chimney starter full of charcoal. When coals are hot and covered with gray ash, carefully spread onto one side of grill. If using gas grill, set burners on one side of grill to high. (Leave the other side off.) Cover and preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
Place skewers on grill over direct heat and cook for about 8 minutes, turning them over once, until charred on both sides and cooked through. Transfer to serving platter and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. (Alternatively, let skewers rest for 1 to 2 hours, then reheat as needed.)
Serve the skewers with the Yajin Kuli, onions and tomatoes.

Keyword bbq, beef kebab, beef suya

ELLE Gourmet Tips

Slice it thin: Partially freezing the beef for 15 to 30 minutes makes it much easier to cut into the thin, even strips you want for sūya.
Give the yajin kuli time: The homemade spice mixture rests for 2 to 3 days before being reground, allowing the flavours to develop and making it easier to remove any larger pieces.
Don’t skip the marinating time: Once the beef is coated in yaji and threaded onto the skewers, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes—or up to 8 hours—before grilling.
Cook it hot and fast: Grill the skewers over direct high heat for about 8 minutes, turning once, until the beef is cooked through and nicely charred on both sides.

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