Suya (Chicken) — These baked African style chicken satay are smothered in a spicy, flavorful peanut butter sauce. Perfect for snacks, summer picnic or as main dish. Amazingly good!
Rest assured they are not calorie laden – you can make them healthier by reducing the amount of oil and replace the chicken thighs with chicken breast. For the most part they are grilled, however, these are baked .
So what is Chicken Suya? Suya is the word use to describe any skewered grill meat in in most parts in Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Cameroon. The term  mostly originated from the Hausa people, one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa.
Most suya recipes are made with beef featured here. This is the chicken version – made with chicken skinless chicken thighs- to me,  they are more flavorful than chicken breast.
Serve these chicken suya with African Pepper Sauce featured here , Â and with onions .
Enjoy!
Chicken Suya
Ingredients
- 3 pounds skinless chicken thigh
- 4 tablespoons peanut butter or groundnut paste
- 1/2 -1 tablespoon cayenne (depending on heat preference)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1- tablespoon garlic powder
- 1- tablespoon onion powder
- 1- tablespoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon Bouillon
- 1- teaspoon salt
- 2 -3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- African pepper sauce (recipe here)
Instructions
- Soak the skewers for at least 20 minutes totally submerged in water before using it to prevent burns.
- Heat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray or oil baking sheet or roasting pan to prevent the suya from sticking to the pan
- In a medium bowl, mix garlic powder, onion power, smoked paprika, white pepper, cayenne pepper, peanut butter and bouillon/maggi.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel. You want to have a completely dry chicken before cooking. Slice the chicken into a diagonal medium thin shape or bite size.
- Thread the chicken onto the skewers about 4 per skewer. Making sure the skewer is fully covered with slices of chicken
- Brush the chicken skewer with spice mixture; on both sides. Place skewers on the roasting pan or baking sheet.
- Drizzle with oil and bake on for about 20 minutes- rotating sides half way through baking until chicken is fully cooked through. Towards the last 3 minutes of baking. Switch from baking to broiler setting. To get a nice crisp brown on the outside.
- Serve warm and pair these chicken suya with African Pepper Sauce featured here and with onions .
Nutrition Information:
Ade O says
Sorry forgot to give you the star rating
Ade O says
Hi, I do love this recipe. I’ve used it 2x already but I find that my sauce looks nothing like yours. Mines is always a thick paste that I can’t brush onto the chicken easily. I follow your measurements exactly. Is there an update that I’m missing?
ImmaculateBites says
Hello ! If it is too thick ,add oil as needed to make it easy to brush on the chicken. Hope this helps.
Paul says
Hello! What is the purpose of adding the bouillon? I would guess it’s to enhance the flavor via MSG? Or is there another purpose I’m missing?
ImmaculateBites says
Hello,
Yes, that’s the purpose.. to enhance the flavor . Leave it out , if desired.
Ade O says
Ok. Will do. I’m making today. So finger crossed
Christabel Ehirim says
Wow I was skeptical about the peanut butter but this turned out amazing! I’ve been longing for that Nigerian suya taste and this is exactly what I got. Thank you!!
imma africanbites says
Awesome! Glad it turned out amazing for you.
Lynn says
Did you use powdered chicken bouillon for this recipe?
Could you just season the meat, & just lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet with no skewers, drizzle with oil, & cook it the same way? Then after cooking, add one piece at a time to toothpicks to serve for bite sized appetizers?
ImmaculateBites says
You absolutely could do that. Yes I use powdered chicken bouillon powder.
Tobi says
This looks amazing. Very excited to try! In your picture the mix looks more like a liquid mix but in the direction it says you don’t drizzele the chicken with oil till after the rub has been on. Some clarification would be great! Thankssss
imma africanbites says
Hi, Tobi. You brush the chicken skewers first with the spice mixture on both sides and then you drizzle them with oil before you pop them in the oven. Hope this clarifies everything. Please let me know. Thanks!
Tobi says
Yes it did clarify things! Made it last night! It was AMAZING! Thanks again!
goodness says
I love it already! Will try it very soon thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Do let me know how it works out for you.
Cat says
I LOVE this recipe! I made a mini version for my bento and it pairs perfectly with your South African Yellow Rice (which is also one of my favorites). Thank you so much for your fabulous recipe blog. I’ll be trying many more recipes in the future!
ImmaculateBites says
So Excited!!! Thank you so much!!! Glad to hear it’s working out well for you.
Chi says
You mentioned that you used peanut butter with the rest on the ingredients, doesn’t the oil from the peanut butter affect the grilling? Also how does it act when you rub it on the chicken or beef? Can you pls send me a video if possible
ImmaculateBites says
If you are roasting in the oven you would not have a problem with it. If you have to grill on open flame then you might have to use the peanut butter and oil sparingly in the mix. Or add towards the end the end of grilling. Sorry, I do not have a video of how to make it at this time.
Lydieberyl says
No dear , I usually do mind the old traditional/conventional style, ie roast on charcoal grill and sometimes with the electric grill , it comes out with no stress 🙂 and of course I use peanut butter to blend my spices.
If u ask me, I think the peanut or gnut paste helps the spices stay glued/stick to the meat pieces while it grilles.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome ! Thanks for sharing this Tip with us girl.
Kelsey says
Can I use chicken breast for this recipe
ImmaculateBites says
I don’t see why not, but you have to adjust the cooking time- few minutes less. Chicken breast drys out quickly.
Maria says
Is it 2-3 tablespoons or is it cups of vegetable oil?
ImmaculateBites says
It is 2-3 tablespoons oil.
Relin says
Love ur blog
ImmaculateBites says
It is great with beef too! Thanks for the feedback Sue
Dolly Sue says
I tried this for the first time! It is very simple and so delicious! Thanks for the great recipe. Next time I’ll try it with beef.
kelsey says
Another nice one. Great taste . Love it.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks kelsey!
Jennie says
This looks so amazing. Would it be good to marinate the chicken in the sauce or is it best brushed on right before cooking? Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
I usually brush the chicken right before cooking- they are bite size and really do not need marinating.I sometimes baste the chicken as it cooks . Let me know what you do.Thanks for stopping by!-
Kat says
This was really delicious. Thanks so much for such a wonderful recipe- I’m off to look for more ideas.
ImmaculateBites says
Aww, thanks kat. I really appreciate the feedback!
kelsey says
Also wondering, can I use peanut butter too when making beef suya, because I usually use fried peanut.
Africanbites says
Kelsey, skip the fried peanuts and use peanut butter -It offers a slightly different taste… Trust me,no one would notice the difference.
Kelsey says
Looks good. Will try it very soon. Did you use but peanut butter in this recipe?
Africanbites says
Yes, I did.