Brochettes
“Burkinabé skewered grilled meat — small chunks of beef, lamb, or sheep skewered on wooden sticks, seasoned with peanut spice mix (sometimes including ground peanut), and grilled over hot charcoal. Sold by street vendors at every Ouagadougou intersection.”
Where it comes from
Brochettes are the universal Sahelian-West African street meat skewers, particularly popular in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. The peanut-and-spice seasoning gives them a distinctive Burkinabé character.
On the plate
Take a brochette — charred meat cubes on a wooden skewer, dusted with peanut-spice rub. Bite: smoky-char outside, juicy spiced interior, the peanut-rub adds nutty richness and slight sweetness that complements the savory meat. With fresh bread to wrap each cube and a cold beer, this is the Ouagadougou street-food evening.
How it works
Peanut-spice mix adheres to the meat through the oil-lime marinade. High-heat charcoal grilling creates Maillard char on the outside while keeping the inside juicy.
Variations
Brochettes with chicken. With lamb. With offal (heart, liver — traditional). Modern Ouagadougou versions with marinade variations.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓25 min active · 65 min waiting
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 14 min
Cube 800 g beef (or lamb) into 2-cm pieces.
- 23 min
Make spice mix: combine 3 tbsp ground roasted peanuts + 1 tbsp paprika + 1 tbsp ground ginger + 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp pepper + 1 tsp ground cumin + 1 tsp garlic powder.
- 34 min
Toss meat with 2 tbsp oil + 2 tbsp lime juice + 1 bouillon cube; coat with spice mix.
- 460 min
Marinate 1 hour.
- 530 min
Soak wooden skewers in water 30 min.
- 65 min
Thread 4-5 meat cubes per skewer.
- 79 min
Grill over hot charcoal 4-5 min per side until charred and cooked through.
- 83 min
Serve hot with extra spice mix for dipping, fresh bread, and onion slices.
