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chicken suya

Chicken Suya Skewers with Yaji Peanut Spice

Nigerian street-food chicken skewers coated in homemade yaji peanut spice, grilled or broiled in 10 minutes. About 36g protein a serving.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Nigerian, West African
Calories: 370

Ingredients
  

Yaji spice
  • 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper use 1 tsp for mild
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 1/4 tsp sea salt
Chicken
  • 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 lime juiced
To serve
  • 1/2 red onion very thinly sliced
  • 2 tomatoes cut in wedges
  • 1 cucumber sliced
  • 1 lime cut in wedges

Method
 

  1. Pulse the peanuts in a food processor until they look like coarse sand, stopping before they turn to butter. Mix with the ginger, cayenne, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cloves and salt.
  2. Toss the chicken with the avocado oil, lime juice and half of the yaji. Let it sit 20 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight in the fridge. Soak wooden skewers in water meanwhile.
  3. Thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving a little space between the pieces.
  4. Heat a grill to high, or set the broiler to high with a rack 4 inches from the heat. Cook the skewers 5 minutes a side, until charred at the edges and cooked through (165 F).
  5. Sprinkle the hot skewers with the remaining yaji and press it on. Serve with red onion, tomatoes, cucumber and lime.