Suya (Peanut-Spiced Beef Skewers)

Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

💡 Dry skewers catch fire and snap in half when you turn them. Thirty minutes of soaking is the cheapest insurance in this recipe.

Slice the beef into very thin slices, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3–6 mm), then cut those into roughly 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.

💡 Firm the beef in the freezer for 20–30 minutes first — a chilled block slices cleanly at this thickness, a room-temperature one tears. Thin is the point: thick suya turns chewy and the spice never reaches the middle.

Season the beef with the salt and bouillon powder, add the peanut oil, and mix well with your hands until every piece is slick.

Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour to marinate.

💡 Her total time of 105 minutes is mostly this wait. Longer is fine — overnight makes it better, not worse.

Thread the beef onto the soaked skewers, about 4 to 5 pieces each, weaving rather than bunching so the slices lie flat.

Coat the skewers generously in the suya spice — press the yaji onto both sides so it clings in a thick, dry crust.

💡 The yaji is the dish, not a garnish. Peanuts in the blend mean it can scorch — this is why suya cooks fast and hot rather than long and slow.

Heat the oven, grill or barbecue to 400°F (200°C).

Cook for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

💡 Check at 15 minutes if your slices came out thinner than 3 mm. You want the edges dark and dry and the spice crust set — not a wet, steamed-looking skewer.

While it cooks, slice the tomatoes, onions and cucumber and pile them on a plate.

Dust the hot skewers with more suya spice the moment they come off the heat.

💡 This second dusting is what street vendors do and it is why their suya tastes louder than home versions — the raw spice hits your tongue instead of the cooked-down one.

Slide the beef off the skewers and serve with the fresh tomato, onion and cucumber.