Cameroonian Suya

Name: Cameroonian Suya
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cameroonian
Ingredients: Beef sirloin or rump, 700g thinly sliced into long strips; Roasted groundnuts (peanuts), 100g finely ground into a coarse powder; Ground cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons; Onion powder, 1 teaspoon; Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon; Groundnut (peanut) oil, 3 tablespoons; Salt, 1.5 teaspoons; Ground ginger, 1 teaspoon; Suya spice mix (yaji), 2 tablespoons or store-bought; Fresh lemon, 1 juiced

Suya/SOO-yah/

About this dish

Spiced, skewered grilled beef coated in a peanut and chili spice blend.

📍 Find the best Cameroonian Suya near me

AI-powered — Google, TripAdvisor and food blogs

History & Origin

Suya travelled to Cameroon from Hausa traders of Nigeria and Niger, becoming a beloved late-night street food across West and Central Africa.

Ingredients

🥩Beef sirloin or rump, 700g thinly sliced into long strips

🥜Roasted groundnuts (peanuts), 100g finely ground into a coarse powder

🌶️Ground cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons

🧅Onion powder, 1 teaspoon

🧄Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon

🫚Groundnut (peanut) oil, 3 tablespoons

🧂Salt, 1.5 teaspoons

🌿Ground ginger, 1 teaspoon

🌰Suya spice mix (yaji), 2 tablespoons or store-bought

🍋Fresh lemon, 1 juiced

Method

Serves 4

Slice the beef into thin, long strips about 1cm thick. Pat them very dry with paper towels — this is important so the spice paste sticks well and the meat chars rather than steams.

In a bowl, combine the ground peanuts, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, ginger, salt, and suya spice mix. Add the groundnut oil and lemon juice and mix into a thick paste.

Coat the beef strips thoroughly in the spice paste, massaging it in well with your hands. Thread the strips lengthways onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers, keeping the meat as flat as possible.

Leave the skewered beef to marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavour.

Heat a grill, griddle pan, or barbecue to high heat. Grill the suya skewers for 3–4 minutes per side, turning once, until nicely charred at the edges and cooked through.

While grilling, brush any remaining spice paste onto the meat for an extra flavourful crust. Watch carefully as the peanut coating can catch quickly.

Serve hot straight off the skewers with sliced raw onions, fresh tomatoes, and a dusting of extra suya spice on the side.

User Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first!

Members can create lists, save favourites and get recommendations.

🔥 Viral Recipes

How the world's top chefs make this dish

Cooking With Claudy

125.4K views

YouTube ↗

🌍 Food Vlogs

Eating and cooking it at the source

🌍

No videos yet

What To Eat

The World's Food Guide