Air Fryer Beef Suya
Air fry beef suya at 200°C (392°F) for 14 minutes.
Suya is Nigerian street food: thin-sliced beef dusted in a dry-roasted peanut and spice rub called yaji, usually cooked over an open flame by roadside vendors. The air fryer can't give you the charcoal smoke, but it nails the part that actually makes suya good - a fierce, dry heat that crusts the spice rub into a deep, almost blackened coating without drying out the meat, in under 15 minutes and with no grill required.
Ingredients
- 500 g beef (sirloin or rump), thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp roasted peanuts, finely ground (optional)
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ginger powder (optional)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- 1 tsp onion powder (optional)
- 1 tsp cayenne or chilli powder, to taste (optional)
- 1 tbsp oil, salt
- Sliced onion and tomato, to serve (optional)
- Lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
Steps
- Toss the beef slices with the oil and a pinch of salt.
- Mix the ground peanuts, paprika, ginger powder, garlic powder, onion powder and chilli powder into a dry spice rub - this is the yaji.
- Coat the beef evenly in about two-thirds of the yaji, pressing the spice mix on so it sticks to both sides.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C for 3 minutes.
- Arrange the beef in a single layer and air fry for 8 minutes.
- Flip the pieces, dust with the remaining yaji, and air fry for a further 5-6 minutes, until the crust is deep red-brown and slightly charred at the edges.
- Rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Tip: Suya is traditionally grilled over open charcoal for a smoky char the air fryer can't fully replicate, but dusting the yaji spice on in two stages - once before cooking and again halfway through - builds a thicker, more deeply flavoured crust than a single coat manages, closer to the real thing than most skillet versions get.
Nutrition (per serving)
Estimated from standard ingredient data — actual values vary by brand and exact quantities used.
Serving & Storage
Serving: Serve hot with sliced raw onion, tomato and a squeeze of lemon - the classic suya accompaniments that cut through the richness of the spice crust.
Storage: Best fresh and hot, since the crust softens as it cools. Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge; reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 3-4 minutes to recrisp.
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