Name: Chicken Suya Skewers
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 57 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Africana occidental
Ingredients: 800 g boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 3 cm cubes; 80 g Peanut finely ground, without turning it into butter; 2 tbsp Sweet paprika sweet or smoked; 2 tsp Ginger; 1 tsp Garlic powder; 1 tsp Onion powder; 1 tsp Cayenne pepper adjust to 1/2 tsp if you prefer less spicy; 1.5 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Muscovado sugar; 3 tbsp Vegetable oil plus a little to grease the grill if necessary; 1 piece Lime only the juice; 1 piece Red onion into thin strips for serving

Chicken Suya Skewers

In West Africa, suya fills the nights with smoke, peanut, and chili; it's street food for long chats and happy hands. I'm Amara, and I love how these skewers capture that adventurous spirit: chicken suya comes from the Hausa tradition and has become a shared pride in markets from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, and beyond. This version works at home because it grinds peanuts with dry spices, then uses oil and lemon to adhere the crust to the chicken. The high, brief cooking leaves golden edges, a juicy interior, and that toasted flavor that begs for a repeat.

Chef tips

If you don’t have thighs, use chicken breast, but cut it a bit larger and remove it as soon as it reaches 74°C to avoid dryness.
Don’t grind the peanuts too much: if they release oil and turn into paste, the mixture loses the typical sandy texture of suya.
For less heat, reduce the cayenne pepper by half; for more character, use smoked paprika.
Store cooked skewers up to 3 days in refrigeration and reheat them in a skillet over medium heat to recover the crust.