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Did you know that you can use peanut butter to marinate beef? That’s the secret ingredient of these West African Beef Kabobs (Suya) that I enjoyed eating while growing up in Sierra Leone. The beef is simply flavored with peanut butter, tomato paste, and a few spices, which is then threaded onto skewers and cooked!
Table of Contents
If I could, I’d eat these Suya beef kabobs on the grill twice a week…minimum. The recipe starts with making an oniony, peanutty, tomatoey, gingery spice paste in a food processor. The steak only needs to sit in the marinade for just 20 minutes for it to soak up the flavors. I’ve tried leaving it in longer, and while it doesn’t hurt, it’s just not necessary! After marinating, you thread the steak pieces onto skewers and grill the beef suya until the meat is browned all over (browning = flavor.) I like to serve the suya with pita, tomato wedges, and thin slices of raw white onion to wrap and eat with the meat.
What is Suya
West African beef kabobs, known as Suya, (although we called it Seree in Sierra Leone) Is basically spicy skewered beef that’s made with a tomato and peanut blend. This dish originated in Nigeria, and they call it the epitome of West African street food. The beef kabobs are very popular in Nigerian barbecue.
Although my recipe is not completely authentic, it’s inspired by Suya with some Middle Eastern influences. The town I grew up in had a huge Lebanese community. So that meant using 7 Spice in the spicy peanut butter blend, for example, or serving the skewered meat with pita. Essentially, though, the core of the authentic recipe is here.
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: Middle Easter
Primary Cooking Method: Grill
Dietary Info: Dairy-free
Key Flavor: Beef and peanut butter
Skill Level: Intermediate
Summary
- Make-ahead: The marinade can be made up to 5 days ahead! You can also marinate the meat for a few hours, though, like I said above, it really doesn’t need it.
- Cooks quickly: The beef only needs 10 to 15 minutes on the grill for it to get nicely browned and caramelized.
- Make them outdoors or indoors: I prefer the high heat of an outdoor grill, which adds char! During the winter (or if you don’t own a grill) you can absolutely cook the kabobs on a grill pan, though.
- A versatile main: Because the suya is so flavorful, it’s going to stand out no matter what it’s served with. Flatbread, turmeric rice, tomato salad, tabbouleh…it’ll go with anything.
Ingredients to Make Suya
This recipe is all about the marinade, and the leading ingredient in the marinade is peanut butter! The natural oils in the peanut butter coat the beef and allow it to soak up the flavor and fat of the peanut oil. This locks in the moisture, keeping the skewers of beef juicy and absolutely dynamite.
- Beef: I like to use NY strip or sirloin steak because it’s thinner and cooks quickly on the grill.
- Onion: Peel and roughly chop the onion before adding it to the food processor.
- Peanut butter: Use any brand you like and any variety. I prefer the smooth peanut butter, but chunky works just fine! Or use this guide to learn how to make your own peanut butter.
- Tomato paste: You’ll just need one tablespoon to give it that rich red color and some acidity.
- Allspice: You can substitute 7 Spice or another warm spice like cloves, nutmeg, paprika or cumin.
- Ginger: Ground or fresh is fine.
- Crushed red pepper: You can skip this if you have little kids. I use less than a teaspoon generally, and it gives it a great flavor without being too spicy. Traditionally, this would be the second most important ingredient in this recipe after the peanut butter.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Use onion powder. You can swap this for the fresh onions, though I highly recommend using fresh.
- Change up the spices. Instead of Allspice, you can use 7 spice or another similar spice or combination of spices including cloves, cumin, paprika or nutmeg.
- Use a different cut of beef. Flank steak is a good substitute for sirloin. Chuck or ribeye roast would work, too.
- Try another nut butter. Peanut butter is central to this recipe, but if you’re cooking for someone allergic to peanuts, you could try using almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter.
How to Make Suya
The toughest part about suya is waiting for the kabobs to marinate. Otherwise, the food processor does the hard work of making the spice mixture.
Tips for Making the Best Beef Kabob Recipe
- Use single-ingredient peanut butter. The authentic recipe uses ground peanuts and results in a crunchy spicy blend that’s very typical of West African food. The peanuts are a crucial part of the recipe, so make sure to buy peanut butter that includes only one or maybe two ingredients: peanuts and salt.
- Use high-quality meat. What you’re looking for is meat that is tender, has some fat on it, and is easy to cut into 1-inch uniform cubes.
- Allow time to marinate meat. The marinade you’ll make is the most important part of the recipe. So, not allowing ample time for the beef to absorb that marinade would be a wasted effort. This is what locks in the moisture of the beef and flavors it, so every bite has a nutty fiery flavor!
- Soak your skewers. If you’re using bamboo skewers, you’ll need to soak them for 30 to 45 minutes before threading the meat onto them. If you don’t, the skewers could burn and break off before the meat cooks!
What to Serve With Beef Suya
- Arabic pita bread, Roma tomatoes and onions
- Tahini Sauce
- Jollof Rice
- Mediterranean Rice Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat the skewers on the grill or the pieces of meat in a pan with a little oil or in the microwave.
The meat should be browned and cooked through. For medium doneness, the internal temperature should be around 145°F (63°C). For well-done, aim for 160°F (71°C).
Because of the lack of liquid in the spice mixture, a blender won’t be able to get it as smooth as a food processor.
Yes, you can cook Suya in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and place the skewers on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the meat is browned and cooked to your desired doneness.
If you’ve ever had Suya or any other West African food, you know how much flavor is packed into these beef kabobs. If you’ve never had anything like this, the recipe is super accessible because you don’t need any fancy ingredients or hard-to-find items. It pretty much comes down to the peanut butter, onions, tomato paste and some spices. But it will be one of the juiciest most flavorful beef kabobs you’ve ever tried. Thank you, peanut butter!
More Kabob Recipes:
- Salmon Zucchini Kabobs
- Grilled Beef Skewers
- Lamb Kabobs
- Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs
- Beef Kafta Skewers
- Chicken Kafta Skewers
- Grilled Veggie Kabobs
If you try this feel good West African Beef Kabobs recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This recipe was originally published on May 29, 2019, and has recently been updated with new photography, process shot images with step-by-step instructions, and tips/ingredient substitutions to better make the recipe.
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West African Beef Kabobs (Suya)
Ingredients
- 1 pound NY Strip or sirloin steak cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Place the steak in a large bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, place the chopped onion, peanut butter, tomato paste, olive oil, allspice, salt, crushed red pepper and ginger. Continue to blend until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Transfer the sauce from the food processor on top of the steak, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the steak to marinade.
- When ready to grill, thread the steak onto wooden or metal skewers without any space in between the chunks. Pour any leftover marinade on top of the kabobs.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, and grease the grill with cooking spray.
- Cook on the preheated grill, flipping once, until meat is browned, about 10-15 minutes.
Notes
- Instead of fresh onions, you can use onion powder, but I highly recommend using fresh onions.
- Instead of Allspice, you can use 7 spice or another similar spice or combination of spices including cloves, cumin, paprika or nutmeg.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
So yummy! Who would of thought that PB could be used for a marinade but trust me it works!
I love using peanut butter for dressings and marinades, it’s a nice change of flavor! Thanks, Pachi!!