Name: Beef suya
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 500g thinly sliced beef, any cut you prefer (for example sirloin, ribeye, rump or Tozo); 3 to 4 heaped tablespoons T&H Suya Marinade Yaji Spice; T&H All Purpose Yaji Spice, to sprinkle before serving; 3 tablespoons groundnut, sunflower or vegetable oil; Sliced red onion, tomato and cabbage, to serve

Serves 3 to 4
Prep 15 mins
No marinating time
Cook 8 to 14 mins
Contains peanuts

Suya is thinly sliced beef, coated in a peanut-rich Yaji spice and cooked over fire. In Northern Nigeria it's sold in the evening by mai suya grillers and wrapped in paper with raw onion, tomato and extra spice. This is how we make it at home, and it works just as well in an oven or air fryer.

Ingredients

500g thinly sliced beef, any cut you prefer (for example sirloin, ribeye, rump or Tozo)
3 to 4 heaped tablespoons T&H Suya Marinade Yaji Spice
T&H All Purpose Yaji Spice, to sprinkle before serving
3 tablespoons groundnut, sunflower or vegetable oil
To serve: thinly sliced red onion, tomato and cabbage

Method

Slice the beef thinly. Use your preferred cut and aim for slices about 5mm thick.
Make the marinade. Mix the Suya Marinade with the oil until you have a thick paste.
Coat. Rub the paste all over the beef. Prefer a dry rub? Sprinkle the Suya Marinade straight onto your preferred cut instead, then spray with a little oil while it cooks. Either way, there's no need to wait: it's ready to cook straight away.
Cook over fire. Lay the slices straight on the grill, no skewers needed, or use one of the other methods below. Brush with a little oil when you turn them.
Finish and serve. Sprinkle with our All Purpose Yaji spice while hot and serve with onion, tomato and cabbage.

Raw beef coated in T&H Suya Marinade — Coat generously. The spice is the whole point.

Three ways to cook it

Charcoal BBQ (the classic)

Lay the slices directly on the grill over the fire and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the edges char and the spice turns deep brown.

Oven

Heat to 220°C (200°C fan). Lay the slices on a rack over a lined tray and cook for 10 to 14 minutes, turning halfway. Finish under the grill for 2 minutes for extra char.

Air fryer

Cook at 200°C for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway. Cook in batches so the slices don't overlap.

Beef suya with red onion and tomato, sprinkled with T&H Yaji spice — Charred edges, deep colour: that's suya.

Tips for better suya

Thin is everything. Thick pieces burn outside before they cook through.
Don't be shy with the spice. Suya should be fully coated, not lightly dusted.
Try other meats. The same method works for chicken thighs, lamb, prawns and firm fish.
No peanuts? Use our All Purpose Yaji instead. It contains locust beans but no added peanuts.

Allergens: Suya Marinade contains peanuts and locust beans, and may contain traces of nuts, sesame and gluten. Not suitable for anyone with a peanut or legume allergy.