Suya West African Beef Kabobs
Updated Jun 27, 2025
Suya West African beef kabob made from NY strip or sirloin, cut into chunks, marinated in a peanut and sauce, skewered, and grilled for about 15 minutes.
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Suya was a childhood staple for me!
Suya, also known as African Beef Kabobs, is something I grew up eating in Sierra Leone, and, if I had it my way, I’d be throwing them on the grill at least twice a week, they are so good!.
The marinade is simple: peanut butter, tomato paste, onion, ginger, and a few spices all blended into a thick paste. You don’t even need to marinate the steak for long, which I love! Twenty minutes is enough for the beef to soak it all up (I’ve tried for longer times and it really didn’t make a difference). Then I thread the meat onto skewers and grill until browned all over. And that is literally it.. homemade Suya is done! I like to serve them with pita, tomato wedges, and thinly sliced raw onion so I can wrap everything up and eat it with my hands.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Suya Beef Kebab Ingredients
- Beef: I like to use NY strip or sirloin steak because it’s thinner and cooks quickly on the grill, but flank steak is a good substitute, and chuck or ribeye roast will work, too.
- Onion: Fresh chopped onions are best, but you can use 1 teaspoon of onion powder instead.
- Peanut butter: I prefer the smooth, natural peanut butter. And if you’re feeling ambitious, go ahead and make your own peanut butter.
- Tomato paste: You’ll just need one tablespoon.
- Allspice: You can substitute 7 Spice or other warm spices like cloves, nutmeg, paprika, or cumin, if you like.
- Ginger: Ground is fine, or you can use fresh, just a little.
- Crushed red pepper: Suya typically has a little kick to it, but it’s not too crazy.
How to Make Suya Beef Kabobs
Suya Recipe West African Beef Kabobs
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.
Recipe Tips
- Use single-ingredient peanut butter. An authentic Suya recipe calls for hand-ground peanuts. The peanuts are the main flavor 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. I try to look for meat that’s tender, has some fat on it, and is easy to cut into 1-inch uniform cubes.
- Allow time for your meat to marinate. The marinade is the most important part of this recipe, as it’s where all the flavor comes from! So, make sure you give your meat plenty of time to absorb it all.
- 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!
Serving Ideas
- Throw together a sandwich. My absolute favorite way to enjoy these suya beef kabobs is with Arabic pita bread, Roma tomatoes, and sliced onions. It’s a perfect marriage of flavors and textures, and it’s hearty enough for a proper meal!
- Serve with West African peanut soup. To keep our meal in the realm of delicious, classic West African dishes, I love to make my family West African peanut soup, which just so happens to call for several of the same ingredients in these kebabs. And the combo of hearty soup and protein-rich kebab makes for an excellent balance!
- Plate with Jollof Rice. Growing up in Sierra Leone in West Africa, my parents cooked all kinds of local dishes, including Jollof Rice. It’s basically rice cooked in a fragrant, flavorful and spicy tomato sauce, and it makes a perfect bed for these tasty beef kebabs.
FAQs
You can keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. When you’re ready to eat, reheat the skewers on the grill, or remove the pieces of meat and heat them in a pan with a little oil or in the microwave.
You can! Just wait until they’ve cooled completely, then freeze them in an air-tight container on or off the skewer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw your meat in the fridge overnight, then reheat just as you would above!
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).
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.
Comments
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!!
OMG, my ex husband was Lebanese from Sierra Leone. His sister taught me how to make this. There were a couple of adjustments to your recipe, we used green pepper finely chopped. But I’m sure the end result was pretty much the same. Delicious! I haven’t made this in years! Wow!
So happy you enjoyed it!
I will say I was hesitant in making these Kabobs. With that being said, glad I did make them they came out so moist and didn’t even taste the peanut butter in them!
So glad you decided to try them, Salma! It’s so fun trying new foods!
Would this marinade work for chicken as well?
I haven’t tried it with chicken but I don’t see why not!
Your version definitely looks so yummy I’ll try it. It originates from northern nigeria and we use end product of peanut oil extraction called kuli kuli. We make it into a powder and mix with dry cayenne pepper. So the marinade is actually dry. Seasoned with salt. Fresh Onions and tomatoes go in the skewer stick. It’s street food in every state in the north. But has found way to the south and other parts as well. But like I said. Yours looks so moist and delicious and I’m a big fan of Arabian spices (Kano in northern nigeria has a lot of Lebanese ) so we have learned to incorporate Arabian spices in our cooking as well. I’ll update with results 😍
Yes, let me know what you think after you make them. Hope you enjoy!
Gonna give this a spin tomorrow subbing some fresh cayenne pepper for the crushed red pepper. Wish me luck!
how do you make it for 20 people thnks!!
Hi Kyla, under the recipe star rating, you will see where it says author and then servings. If you hover over the serving size number, a sliding scale will pop up, and you can adjust it to 20 servings, and the ingredients will reflect that change. Hope you enjoy it!
My Liberian Step dad used to make these and I still think about them. I can’t wait to make these. Thank you for posting
I hope you enjoy them, Sidney! You’ll have to let me know what you think after you make them!
How many kebabs are a serving I really appreciate you giving the macro breakdown. I’m going to make it next week for my meal prep.
Hi Chris, great question! A serving is 1 Kabob. Keep in mind the nutritional information is a general estimate. It fluctuates based on how much meat you put on the kabobs, etc. You’ll have to let me know how you like them when you make them!
My niece makes these often. They’re absolutely the most delicious and tender kabobs I have ever had in my life! Make plenty of them, they are
DELICIOUS!!!
I love that! Glad you’re all enjoying the recipe!
Can you substitute the peanut butter with something else?
You could try a nut butter or seed butter substitute, but it will change the flavor profile.
Hello, thanks for the recipe. Is it ok to marinate the meat as long as 24 hours in the fridge?
Another question please, is this recipe called Cancan?
You’re so welcome! You can make the marinade up to 5 days ahead of time or freeze for up to 3 months. It should be fine to marinate the meat overnight. This dish is called Suya!
Hello
Can you substitute with chicken
I would just make my Grilled Chicken Kabobs recipe instead! https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/grilled-chicken-kabobs/
Hi,
You mention two tbs or tomato paste in the description but in the recipe you call for one. Which one do you mean? Thanks.
One tablespoon is all you need, but it doesn’t hurt to use two tablespoons.
I used to make this many, many years ago. My x-husband was Lebanese from Sierra Leone. Ima glad I found this recipe, it’s delicious!
Oh wow, I’m so glad you found it too! I’m Lebanese and used to live in Sierra Leone so these recipes are near and dear to my heart!
For the allspice, do you mean a blend, or ground allspice berries?
I mean the ground AllSpice blend you would buy at the grocery store.
Tasty and interesting way to make a beef bbq. Thank you very much for the recipe, thoroughly enjoyed the dish.
So glad to hear that! Thank you!!
If I have salted natural peanut butter (only peanuts and salt) should I adjust the amount of salt in the recipe?
Yes, I would try leaving out the salt in that case and then you can add if necessary, but it shouldn’t need it.
Absolutely cannot wait for grilling season to return so I can try this! I’ve made suya before but never have I marinated in the peanut butter! I bet it is going to be amazing!
Yay! I’m so excited for grilling season too! And I can’t wait for you to try these and report back!!
I’m getting ready to try this recipe. I have peanut butter without salt. Do I need to add Moreno salt than the recipe calls for? Or is the amount listed as if using peanut butter without salt? Thanks!
Good question, and no there’s no need to add extra salt. I updated my recipe to mention that I used unsalted peanut butter. Thanks for double checking!
Irresistibly spicy, juicy and delicious.D Definitely a repeat this summer.
Thanks for another great recipe.
Thank you!! So glad you liked it!