Hand-made in New York

The kilishi you remember. Made here.

West Africa's original dried beef — cut thin, worked by hand, and seasoned all the way through. If you grew up on it, you'll know it straight away.

Shop kilishi Our story

100% beef  ·  30g protein  ·  Contains peanuts and soy

Proudly Nigerian A full board of Original USA Kilishi — thin spiced beef flecked with red pepper
Half protein6 g in every 12 g serving
No co-packerWe make it ourselves
Small batchesNo two packs identical
Ships in 3 daysMost arrive within a week

Pick your heat

Same beef, same seasoning, one dial turned. Two out of three people go Hot — but Mild isn't the timid option.

Hot

Most popular
Original USA Kilishi Hot, 2.2 oz black pack
Heat

Builds rather than hits. The pepper sits underneath the flavor instead of covering it. If you grew up on kilishi, this is the one that tastes like home.

Shop Hot  ·  from $7.99

Mild

Original USA Kilishi Mild, 2.2 oz white pack
Heat

The same blend with the pepper pulled back, so the deeper, nuttier side comes forward. Start here if kilishi is new to you, or if you're feeding a room.

Shop Mild  ·  from $7.99

Every size, both heats

The bigger the bag, the better the pound

Snack Pack1 oz · $7.99$7.99 per ozSee if you like it1 oz pack Original2.2 oz · $14.99$6.81 per ozThe one people reorder2.2 oz pack Triple Pack3 × 2.2 oz · $39.99$6.06 per ozMix your heatsThree 2.2 oz packs Gift Pack15.4 oz · $99.99$6.49 per ozTurn up with something15.4 oz bag Family Pack22 oz · $135.99$6.18 per ozLives in the kitchen22 oz bag Party Pack3 × 22 oz · $382.99$5.80 per ozEnough for a crowd66 oz bag

The Triple Pack is three separate 2.2 oz packs shipped together, and the Party Pack is three 22 oz bags — so you can open one and leave the rest sealed. Everything else is a single resealable bag. Kilishi is dense — it eats like several times its weight in ordinary jerky, which is why the small bag surprises people in both directions.

Three packs of Original USA Kilishi

Same shelf, different food

It's not jerky, and it isn't trying to be

The cut
Sliced thin enough to see light through
Thick strips
The seasoning
Worked in by hand, through the meat
Marinade on the surface
The drying
Slow — days, not hours
Hours in a tunnel
The result
Dense, layered, properly spiced
Chewy and sweet
Engraved portrait of Alhaja Khadijah, founder

Alhaja Khadijah

Why this exists

She rebuilt it from memory

Kilishi is Hausa. Alhaja Khadijah grew up on it in Isale-Oja, Agege — among the Hausa families she lived alongside in Lagos, where a paper twist of it was an everyday thing.

When she came to the United States, she couldn't find a version that tasted like the one she remembered. Not close. So she started making it herself, batch after batch, adjusting from memory until it was right.

It's still made by hand in New York, in small batches, on our own equipment. No co-packer, no production line. That's also why no two packs look quite the same.

Alhaja KhadijahFounder · Original USA Kilishi

From the people eating it

What people are saying

“It’s a great buy. I am re-ordering. My family couldn’t stop eating. It was a blind buy and it was worth it.”

@olufuel · Instagram

“It’s so good and so authentic. 100% recommended.”

@the_ms.loye · Instagram

“The best kilishi in America, hands down.”

@drillz_c · Instagram

Real messages from real customers, quoted as written. No star ratings here on purpose — these are things people said, not a review score.

Before you ask

Straight answers

What does kilishi taste like?
Deep, savoury and nutty, with pepper that arrives after the flavor rather than in front of it. Closer to a cured meat than to sweet American jerky — there's no sugary glaze on it.
How hot is Hot?
Warm enough to notice, not enough to make you stop. If you cook with scotch bonnet at home, Hot is your level. If pepper isn't your thing, Mild still tastes like kilishi.
Why is the bag small for the price?
Because kilishi is dense. It's cut thin and dried down hard, so a 2.2 oz pack eats like six ounces of ordinary jerky. Most people who expect a big fluffy bag are surprised twice — once when it arrives, once when it lasts.
Does it contain nuts?
Yes. Peanut is part of what makes kilishi kilishi, and there's no version of this that's safe for a peanut allergy. It also contains soy. The full ingredient statement is printed on the back of every pack.
How long does shipping take?
We pack and ship two to three times a week from New York, so your order leaves within 3 business days of ordering. USPS then takes about 3 to 5 days. Most orders arrive within a week of ordering. You get tracking as soon as the label is made.
How do I keep it?
Resealable pouch, no refrigeration needed. Keep it sealed and out of direct sun, and press the air out once it's open.
Contains peanuts and soy · Full ingredient statement on every pack