Fried Ground Beef Samosas (And How To Fold Them)

These fried ground beef samosas are delicious fried appetizers made with spiced minced meat stuffed into samosa wrappers and deep-fried until golden brown. These crispy triangular bites of goodness are freezer-friendly and easy to make.

If you like these fried beef samosas, you might also like these cheese and za'atar fried spring rolls, fried cheese samosas, or beef sambousek.

What You Will Love

You'll love the filling: ground beef and onions cooked in deliciously tangy pomegranate molasses. My family is obsessed with them- we always fight over the last beef samosa.

I always like to use ready-made samosa wrappers, so this is more of a breakdown of how to fill and wrap samosas in the quickest and easiest way possible. I've seen a couple of different ways to wrap them, but over the years, this technique is what I found best.

The beef filling for these samosas is SO simple; if you make extra, you can have it with rice, hummus, or bread. I always make double and save some to have with another side dish.

Ingredient Notes

• Samosa Wrappers: You'll find these thin sheets of phyllo dough in the frozen section of your local supermarket. They come in different shapes and sizes, and I usually like to use thin long strips because they're the easiest to shape. If you can't find them anywhere, you can use spring roll wrappers instead and cut them into strips.
• Ground Beef: You'll need ground beef (I like to grind mine myself, so I'm in full control of how much fat goes into it), and I prefer a slightly fattier ground beef for samosas just to make sure they don't go dry. You can also use ground lamb instead.
• Onion: I like to use red onions with lamb or beef, but you can use any type of onions you like.
• Pomegranate molasses: An essential when it comes to Syrian, Palestinian, and Lebanese cooking. You can find this ingredient at your local Arab market, or you can make your own with just 3 ingredients.
• 7 Spices: My favorite spice mix in almost all my favorite dishes. This mix will defer depending on where you're from and depending on what brand you buy or whether you make it yourself. Find the mix you like and stick to it.
• Black Pepper: I like to use freshly ground black pepper.
• Salt: Add salt to taste.
• Oil: Use oil with a high smoke point. Some options are canola oil, vegetable oil, and frying oil.

How To Make Ground Beef Samosas

Start making the filling by cooking the onions in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the ground meat and spices.

Once the meat has fully cooked, take the mixture off the heat and mix in the pomegranate molasses. Set aside to cool. 

Prepare your workstation as the meat stuffing cools down.

Lay your samosa wrapper flat out in front of you vertically. Place around a teaspoon and a half, depending on the size of your wrappers, of the beef filling at the end of the wrapper (the end that's closest to you)

Fold the wrapper upwards onto the filling so it forms a triangle shape.

Fold it again, keeping it in a triangle shape.

Repeat until you reach the end of the wrapper.

Dip your finger into warm water, wet the end of the wrapper, and seal the samosa.

Add the stuffed beef samosas to hot oil.

Turn the beef samosas over once they are golden brown.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the ground beef samosas onto a paper-towel-lined plate.

Tips And Tricks

• Set up your workstation. I find that the samosa-making process goes much smoother and faster when I have all my ingredients and tools set up before I start working on them.
• Keep the samosa wrappers covered. To make sure they don't dry out and start breaking apart, cover the wrappers with a towel or keep them in an airtight container while you work. This will keep them moist, flexible, and easy to fold.
• Don't overfill your samosas. You don't want your samosas to bulge up like little balloons or explode when they hit the hot frying oil. So only fill until they're slightly stuffed.
• Seal samosas with warm water. Have a bowl of warm water to dip your fingers in when you're on the last fold. Wet the end of the samosa wrapper and press it into your wrapped samosa. Ensure it's sealed properly so it doesn't unwrap when frying.
• Place the samosas on a paper towel after frying. I never skip this step because the paper towels absorb any excess oil. This ensures your samosas stay crispy and avoid getting soggy.

Storage

Fried beef samosas are best served immediately. These don't usually reheat well, so fry right before serving. You can make them in advance and store them in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Freezer Instructions

Yes, you can fill, wrap, and freeze beef samosas for up to 3 months. Don't fry them, just place them in layers on top of each other with parchment paper in between each layer. Then seal in an airtight container or freezer bag.

When you want to serve them, thaw them out and fry them. And that's it!

Equipment

• Deep frying pan
• Slotted spoon or frying spatula
• Paper towels

Delicious Appetizer Ideas

📋 Recipe

Fried Ground Beef Samosas

Author: Samara

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: syrian

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

5 from 2 votes

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Servings 30 samosas

Beef samosas Syrian-style, flavored with tangy pomegranate molasses folded into perfect triangles and fried until golden brown. This beef samosa appetizer is freezer-friendly and delicious.

Ingredients

 

US Customary - Metric

• 1 packet samosa pastry around 30 sheets
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7 spices
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• oil for frying

Instructions

• Start with the filling by cooking the onions in a tablespoon of olive oil, until soft and translucent. 
• Add the beef and spices, stirring frequently until fully cooked (about 10-15 minutes). Taste and adjust the spices to your liking. 
• Once the meat has fully cooked, take the mixture off the heat and mix in the pomegranate molasses. Set aside to cool. 
• Lay a samosa wrapper flat on your working station, vertically. Add around a teaspoon and a half of beef filling and start folding upwards into a triangle over and over until the wrapper is fully wrapped onto itself. Dip your finger into warm water and seal the samosa well. 
• Repeat until you're out of samosa wrappers.
• Heat the frying oil in a deep frying pan on the stove. Check if it's ready by placing the back of a wooden spoon in the oil. If it bubbles, then it's hot enough. If not, wait for a bit. 
• Place the samosas in without overcrowding the pan and fry while stirring frequently until golden all over. 
• Place the cooked ones on a paper towel and serve immediately. 

Notes

• Keep the rest of the samosa wrappers covered with a towel while you work. 
• Use a slotted spoon or frying spatula to stir the samosas in the oil and make sure they cook evenly.
• Serve immediately. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1samosa | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.5g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 230mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g