Suya is well known and loved by Nigerians regardless of their ethnic group. On the streets of Lagos and other metropolitan cities in the country, you will find "Mai suya" or "Mallams" every few miles selling suya beef.
They grill thin strips of meat previously marinated in suya spice and drizzled with peanut oil over hot coal grills and show off fantastic knife skills as they cut the meat into smaller pieces. These slightly charred, aromatic and spicy thinly sliced meat (suya) wrapped in paper with tomatoes and red onion slices is the epitome of Nigerian street food.
In this post, I will be sharing two different homemade suya spice recipes;
- More authentic suya spice with some traditional ingredients.
- Easy and convenient suya spice recipe with store cupboard ingredients
Whichever of these recipes you go for, it will give you a taste of this popular smoky, spicy and nutty Nigerian street food.
What Is Suya Spice Made Of?
Suya spice is a hot peanut (groundnut) based rub with spices. It is used across Africa to spice meat before grilling. It is commonly associated with barbecued meat sold on the streets, such as suya/yaji/tsire in Nigeria, chichinga in Ghana and agashe in Sudan. This spice blend is also called suya seasoning, suya pepper, yaji pepper or yaji spice, and its origins can be traced to the Hausas from Northern Nigeria.
Traditionally, Nigerian suya seasoning is made from ground kuli kuli and some local spices such as cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger and grains of selim (negro pepper). Kuli kuli is a snack popularly eaten in West African countries. It is made from the defatted paste, left over after oil (groundnut oil) is extracted from peanuts. The paste is mixed with spices, formed into different shapes, and deep-fried.
However, like most spice blends and seasonings, everyone makes theirs differently. The primary ingredient which must be present in suya/yaji pepper is peanut. It is used in the recipe either as whole peanuts, kuli kuli or peanut powder.
How To Make Nigerian Suya Spice with Kuli Kuli
Here are the ingredients you need...
- Kuli kuli
- Grains of selim (negro pepper)
- Ginger powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ground Pepper
- Salt
A few notes about the ingredients...
- Kuli kuli: This comes in different shapes and sizes and will be crushed into powder. It is sometimes available in African stores, but you can also find it on Amazon.
- Negro pepper/Grains of selim: It is known as Senegal pepper, Uda (Igbo), eeru (Yoruba) etc. The smoked pods of this spice adds a distinctive smoky flavour to suya pepper. Similar to kuli kuli, you will mostly find this in African shops, but it is also available on Amazon.
- Ground pepper: Suya spice is traditionally hot, hence why it is called suya pepper/yaji pepper. Increase or reduce the ground pepper quantity according to your heat tolerance.
- Garlic & Ginger powder: Traditionally, dried garlic and ginger are blended with the other suya spices. I used garlic and ginger powder which are more accessible to me to achieve the same taste.
How to make it...
Crush the kuli kuli and grain of selim in a food processor, mortar with pestle, or a coffee grinder. I used the food processor attachment of Ninja 3 in 1 food processor & blender.
Add the remaining ingredients into the food processer to mix. Store in a dry airtight container.
How To Make Suya Spice With Peanut Powder
This suya pepper recipe is great for people who do not have access to traditional ingredients like kuli kuli and grains of selim. All of the ingredients needed for this recipe are available in most supermarkets and shops.
Here are the ingredients you need…
- Peanut butter powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Ginger powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Ground Pepper
- Cloves
- Salt
A few notes about the ingredients...
- Peanut: I used peanut powder as a substitute for kuli kuli. Peanut powder has become very popular and is relatively easy to find in supermarkets or Amazon. Defatted peanut powder without sugar is best.
- Ground pepper & Paprika: Suya seasoning is traditionally spicy, and the ground pepper determines the heat level. You can adapt the quantity to suit your taste. The paprika gives some colour to the spice mix without adding any heat, so you can choose not to add the ground pepper.
How to Make it
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix very well. Store in dry- airtight container.
How To Use Suya Spice
From a humble street food origin, suya spice has taken a life of its own and is now used to add depth to a wide array of foods. The opportunities are boundless; sprinkle over food like you would other spice seasonings. So, if you're wondering what to eat with suya seasoning, here are some ideas.
- Mixed into eggs before frying
- Used to flavour sandwich or wrap filling - Chicken suya wrap
- Sprinkle over plantain before frying
- Flavour fish, meats or vegetables before cooking - Air-fryer beef suya, Chicken suya tray bake
- Sprinkle on stir fries and salads – Suya prawns noodles stir-fry
- Add to roast potatoes.
Suya Spice
Ingredients
Suya Spice Recipe With Kuli Kuli
- 100 g Kuli kuli
- 8 pieces Grain of selim
- 2 tablespoons Ginger powder
- 2 tablespoons Garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Suya Spice Recipe With Peanut Powder
- 4 Tablespoons Peanut butter powder
- 3 Tablespoons Paprika
- 2 Tablespoons Ginger powder
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon Onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Pepper/Pepper flakes
- 1 Teaspoon Cloves
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Suya Spice Recipe With Kuli Kuli
- Crush the kuli kuli and grain of selim in a food processor, mortar with pestle, or a coffee grinder. Add the remaining ingredients and blend to mix
- Store in a dry airtight container.
Suya Spice Recipe With Peanut Powder
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store in dry airtight container.
Nutrition
Google Arts and Culture has some amazing pictures of Suya as sold on the streets of Lagos.
[…] This chicken suya sheet pan dinner is nutritious and packed full of West African flavours. It makes it easy to enjoy mouth-watering suya flavours with very little preparation. If you are not familiar with the West African suya spice, then you must read this post. […]