Chicken Suya Skewers with Yaji Peanut Spice

Picture a smoky grill on a Lagos street at night, skewers of spiced meat sizzling and a crowd waiting. You can get that taste at home on a Wednesday with a sheet pan and your broiler. The spice blend takes 5 minutes and keeps for months.

It’s one of the meals from our guide to healthy West African food, and it’s built the Clean Fit Fab way: real food, big flavor, and no seed oils.

Why this chicken suya works on tired nights

• Chicken thighs stay juicy under high heat. So they forgive a few extra minutes under the broiler.
• The peanut spice does double duty. Ground peanuts add crunch and a little protein, and the spices bring the heat.
• Ten minutes of cooking. Marinate while you chop the onions and tomatoes for the side.
• It is built for leftovers. Slice cold suya over salad or stuff it into a wrap tomorrow.

A 4-ounce serving of chicken thigh brings roughly 25 to 28 grams of protein, and the ground peanuts in yaji add a few more. The Harvard Nutrition Source suggests spreading protein like this across your meals rather than loading it all at dinner.

The flavor: what makes it taste so good

Yaji is the whole point of suya. Roasted peanuts are ground to a coarse powder with ginger, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, then a little salt. Half goes on before cooking, half after, so every bite has crunch, heat and that unmistakable nutty smokiness.

• Roasted peanuts ground to a coarse powder for the base
• Ground ginger and cayenne for sharp, clean heat
• Smoked paprika and garlic powder for depth
• Onion powder and a pinch of ground cloves, the traditional secret
• Fresh lime and red onion to serve, the classic suya sides

What you need

Here’s a quick look at the ingredients. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Yaji spice: roasted unsalted peanuts, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cloves, sea salt
• Chicken: boneless skinless chicken thighs, avocado oil, lime
• To serve: red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, lime

Also, a note on fat: we cook with extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, butter or ghee. They taste better, and they’re real food.

How to make chicken suya

First, pulse roasted peanuts with the spices into a coarse powder. Next, toss chicken thigh pieces with avocado oil, lime and half the yaji and let them sit 20 minutes. Then thread them on skewers and grill or broil 5 minutes a side, finishing with the rest of the yaji. The full recipe card is below.

Serving ideas

Serve chicken suya the street way: on a sheet of parchment with thin red onion slices, tomato wedges, sliced cucumber and lime. For a full plate, add jollof rice or a big green salad.

Nutrition at a glance: each serving has about 370 calories, 36g protein, 8g carbs and 2g fiber. Numbers are estimates and change with your exact ingredients.

Swaps and variations

• Use chicken breast cut thick; broil 4 minutes a side so it stays juicy.
• Try the yaji on shrimp, steak strips or thick slices of halloumi.
• No grill or broiler? Cook the skewers in a hot cast-iron skillet 4 minutes a side.
• For a plant-based version, use tofu and mushrooms (see the vegan switch on the card).

Make-ahead and storage tips

Cooked suya keeps 4 days in the fridge. Reheat it in a hot skillet or air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes so the crust stays crisp. Store extra yaji in a jar in the pantry for up to 3 months.

Frequently asked questions

Save this one for your next long day. Want more? Try our Senegalese peanut stew next.

This article is for general information and is not medical or nutrition advice.