Suya

Total Time Prep: 30 min. + marinating Grill: 15 min.
Yield 8 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
Spice up your party platters with beef suya, a beloved West African street food. These skewers of perfectly grilled thin slices of marinated beef are a smoky, spicy and utterly delicious dish for any occasion.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted peanuts
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 beef tri-tip roast or beef top sirloin steak (2 pounds), thinly sliced against the grain
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 large tomato, cut into wedges
  • Fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

  1. Place peanuts in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add paprika, onion powder, ginger, pepper flakes and garlic powder; pulse until combined.
  2. Place beef in a large bowl or shallow dish. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Add peanut mixture; turn to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for 2 hours. Drain beef, discarding marinade.
  3. Thread beef onto metal or soaked wooden skewers. Grill, covered, over medium-high heat until beef reaches desired doneness, 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve with onion, tomato and cilantro.

Nutrition Facts

3 ounces cooked beef with 1 wedge tomato and onion: 329 calories, 21g fat (5g saturated fat), 68mg cholesterol, 405mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 3g fiber), 29g protein.

My Nigerian brother-in-law introduced me to beef suya, a very spicy street food that's popular in western Africa. I was intrigued when I found out the spice rub is made from ground peanuts and a blend of different seasonings. After lots of experimenting, I came up with my own version. —Elena Iorga, Irvine, California
Recipe Creator

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