Suya (Chicken)

Content… What Is It? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions What to Serve More Fabulous Chicken Recipes to Try

What Is Chicken Suya?

Suya is the word that describes any skewered, grilled meat in most parts of Africa, particularly Nigeria and Cameroon. The term originated with the Hausa people, one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa.

Most suya recipes feature beef. But this chicken version boasts skinless chicken thighs. I think they’re more flavorful than chicken breast, but you can go that route if you want low-fat.

Recipe Ingredients

• Seasonings – Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and smoked paprika all come together for the perfect mix to spice up our delicious peanut sauce. Feel free to play with the flavors and adjust them to your tastes.
• Peanut Butter – The trademark ingredient to a great suya is peanut butter. While we used to grind peanuts from scratch, store-bought natural peanut butter (no sugar) works great. If you have a peanut allergy, try almond butter or tahini.
• Chicken Thighs – Meaty and delicious just gets better when you slather these babies with the spicy peanut sauce. If you want to switch it out with turkey, that would also be good.

How to Make Chicken Suya

Prepare the Chicken

• Soak the skewers totally submerged in water for at least 20 minutes before using them to prevent them from burning.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F/230℃. Lightly spray or oil a baking sheet or roasting pan to prevent the suya from sticking to the pan.
• Mix the Spices – Mix garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, white pepper, cayenne pepper, peanut butter, and bouillon or Maggi in a medium bowl.
• Dry the Chicken – Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. You want your chicken completely dry before cooking. Slice the chicken into diagonal medium-thin slices.

Cook the Suya

• Prepare the Skewers – Thread the chicken onto the skewers, about four per skewer. Make sure to cover the skewer with the chicken slices.
• Season the Chicken – Brush the chicken skewer with the spice mixture on both sides. Place skewers on the roasting pan or baking sheet.
• Bake the Suya – Drizzle with oil and bake for about 20 minutes – rotating sides halfway through baking until chicken is fully cooked. Towards the last 3 minutes of baking, switch from baking to broiler setting to get a nice crisp brown outside.
• Serve warm and pair these chicken suya with African Pepper Sauce and onions.
• Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

1. Spice Swap – Enjoy a Caribbean flair with jerk seasoning or a Cajun zing with my Creole Seasoning spice mix.
2. Sauce Swap – You could use an Asian sauce (like curry beef satay) or African Pepper sauce with the same method. Yum!

Tips and Tricks

1. Marinating the chicken for a few hours improves the flavor. I like to season it the night before and then bring it to room temp about 20 minutes before sticking it in the oven.
2. If your (unsweetened) peanut butter is too thick, you can thin it with a teaspoon of coconut milk to give it the right consistency.
3. If I have time, putting the chicken in the freezer for about 45 minutes will make it easier to slice.

Make-Ahead Instructions

Yes, you can marinate the chicken the day before and keep it in the fridge or freeze it for two months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and proceed with the recipe.

Serving and Storage Instructions

This stuff is best right out of the oven with a side of Jollof rice and collard greens.

Cooked suya will last in the fridge for four days and up to three months in the freezer.

What to Serve With Chicken Suya

Serve these chicken suya with African Pepper Sauce and onions. I love Jollof rice and Ethiopian collard greens to go with it.

More Fabulous Chicken Recipes to Try

1. Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken
2. Smoked Chicken Wings
3. Chicken Tagine
4. Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breast
5. Peri-Peri Chicken

This blog post was originally published in January 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.