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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.
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!!
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!