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Nigerien · Nigerian · West African

Kilishi

Non-vegetarian

Paper-thin sheets of beef dried, coated in a spicy peanut paste with ginger and chilli, dried again and briefly flame-toasted. A prized Hausa snack of Niger and northern Nigeria; this is a home-oven version.

Kilishi is a Nigerien finger food, ready in about 5 hours 10 minutes and made with beef sirloin steak, roasted peanuts and cayenne / chilli powder. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
40 min
Cook
4 h 30 min
Total
5 h 10 min
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
261

Ingredients

8 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Lay the beef slices flat on wire racks set over baking trays, sprinkle lightly with 0.5 tsp of the salt and dry in the oven (opens in a new tab) with the door slightly ajar until leathery but still pliable.

    Food safety: Use very fresh beef and keep it chilled until drying; the final grilling step brings it to a safe temperature.

  2. Step 2

    Mix the peanut paste, blended onion (opens in a new tab), ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab), cayenne, paprika (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab), remaining salt and water into a thick, spreadable paste.

    • 8 min

  3. Step 3

    Dip each dried slice in the paste, coating both sides, and return to the racks. Dry again until the coating is firm and dry to the touch.

    • 110 min
    • 75°C

  4. Step 4

    Toast the slices briefly over a hot grill or under the broiler until sizzling and lightly charred at the edges, about 1 minute per side. Cool before storing.

    Food cooking over a grill
    How it looks · Photo: Malte Luk on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Commonly attributedA Hausa preparation shared by Niger, northern Nigeria and parts of Cameroon and Chad.Also popular in Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad
Dish
Snack · Finger food · Street food
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Grilled
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), nutty, smoky, savoury
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Portable / lunchbox · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Beef sirloin steak · Roasted peanuts · Cayenne / chilli powder · Onion · Fresh ginger · Garlic
Techniques
Baking · Grilling · Broiling · Toasting · Charcoal grilling

Allergens

  • Contains: Peanutsfrom roasted peanuts

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

261 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 56 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 41%
  • Carbohydrate 13%
  • Fat 46%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy261 kcal464 kcal
Protein27.1 g48.3 g
Carbohydrate8.6 g15.3 g
Net carbohydrate6.2 g11 g
Sugars3.3 g5.8 g
Added sugars1.6 g2.8 g
Fibre2.4 g4.2 g
Fat13.6 g24.2 g
Saturated fat3 g5.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol60 mg107 mg
Sodium496 mg882 mg
Salt equivalent1.2 g2.2 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
535 mg
Calcium
48 mg
Iron
2.2 mg
Magnesium
62 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
31 µg
Vitamin C
2 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
1.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
35 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Partly freeze the beef for 1–2 hours so you can slice it paper-thin with a sharp knife.

Common mistakes

  • Slicing too thick — kilishi should be almost translucent before coating.

Storage

  • Keep in an airtight container in a cool place up to 2 weeks, or refrigerate up to a month.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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