Who says sandwiches and wraps must be boring? This scrumptious suya chicken wrap tantalises the taste buds and makes reach out for more. If you’re still buying wraps from the shops at lunchtime, you must have a go at making your own with this homemade chicken wrap recipe.
Suya is a popular street food which originated from Northern Nigeria but is widely enjoyed all over West Africa. Strips of meat are skewered, like a kebab, rubbed with the suya (also called yaji) spice and grilled on open fire. The base of suya is peanut powder similar to satay, but spicier and with a different flavour profile. This post explains more about this flavourful grilled meat.
I believe keeping suya spice to just the meat/fish cooked on a on open grill is underutilising this delectable spice mix. The spice mixture is so versatile, there should be a lot more suya recipes with different foods. This will allow more people to enjoy this flavoursome combination of peanut and spices. This suya prawn stir-fry and watermelon salad with suya spice were inspired by the Nigerian suya.
The first time I tried suya chicken wrap, it was with left over chicken from barbecue. It was so delicious I did not want to wait until we had a barbecue again. I just made it in the oven with chicken breast and I never looked back. It is very easy; you only need to rub the chicken with the suya spice mix; grill it in the oven and chicken suya is ready. Load this on a tortilla wrap with some crunchy vegetables and you have delicious homemade chicken wrap, which is great for a light lunch or dinner, picnic, packed lunch or entertaining. You can also use the suya chicken for a salad or stir fry; do not be afraid to try it in new ways.
What Is Suya Spice Made Of?
Key components of traditional suya spice is kulikuli (which is a fried peanut cake), ginger, and chilli pepper. There are variations in the addition of other spices, depending on who is making it. I do not have easy access to kulikuli, so I tend to improvise with peanut butter or peanut powder. My attitude to food is to adapt recipes to suit what is around me.
I recommend that you make your own suya spice at home to get the authentic taste. I found that the shop bought ones do not have any peanut in them and just do not taste like suya to me. You can find a few peanut butter powder on the same aisle as jams and nut butters in most major stores or on Amazon. Just mix the peanut powder with the spices and salt for a scrumptious suya mix.
As you know, we, Nigerians love our heat and suya spice can be quite fiery, but you can reduce the chilli pepper or omit it totally in your recipe.
How To Make Suya Chicken Wrap
Seriously, homemade wraps are so easy to make you should never buy the pre-packed stuff. They taste much better, work out cheaper and you know exactly what you are eating
You can use wheat or corn tortilla depending on what is around you. You can even be cheeky and wrap suya chicken on a warm Indian paratha for an amazing flavour delivery.
I chose not to add any dressing to my suya chicken wrap, but you can drizzle a little of your favourite dressing over it. It tastes amazing with chilli mayonnaise.
I always struggle with rolling up a wrap. If you’re like me, this post explains how to do it very well.
Chicken Suya Wrap
Ingredients
Suya Spice Mix
- 4 Tablespoons Peanut butter powder
- 3 Tablespoons Paprika
- 2 Tablespoons Ginger powder
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon Onion powder
- 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon Chilli flakes
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
Suya Chicken Wrap
- 2 Tablespoons Suya spice mix
- 2 Chicken breast
- 4 Tortilla wrap
- 1 Red onions medium sliced
- 1 Pepper small, sliced into strips
- 2 Tomatoes (Beef) Big, sliced
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 230°C
- Mix all the ingredients of the suya spice in a bowl
- Sprinkle the suya spice all over the chicken. Line a baking pan with baking paper and transfer the chicken to it.
- Place the pan in the oven and allow the chicken to cook.
- While the chicken is cooking, slice the onions, red pepper and tomatoes.
- Remove the pan when the chicken is cooked. This should take around 20 mins. The juice from the chicken should run clear.
- Allow the chicken to cool, then slice.
- Warm the tortilla according to pack instructions
- Divide the chicken suya and the vegetables on the wraps, roll up and serve.
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