This Air Fryer Samosa recipe is a no-fry, mess-free take on India's favorite street food, offering the same crisp, satisfying texture with significantly less oil and effort. Golden, flaky triangle stuffed with spiced peas and potato filling, cooked easily without any oil splatters and lingering odors!
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Air frying has become a regular part of my cooking routine! It's easy, mostly hands-off cooking, and gives great crispy textures with very little oil. I use it for roasting vegetables, kebabs, and for making tasty Indian snacks that are traditionally deep-fried.
These air fried samosas are a game-changer-same crunch, without the grease. Whether you're hosting a gathering or craving a chai-time snack, this easier and lighter non-fried samosa will quickly become a go-to in your kitchen.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
- How To Cook Samosas In Air Fryer
- Serving Suggestions and Accompaniments
- How To Store, Freeze, and Reheat Samosas
- Tips For The Best Air Fryer Samosa
- My Takeaways From Recipe Testing
- Air Frying Compared To Traditional Frying
- FAQs
- More Indian Snacks For You
- 📖 Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Healthier Option: All the crunch, minus the deep frying (80% less oil).
- Easy to Make: Simple steps and hands-off air frying process.
- Freezer-Friendly: Great for prepping ahead and future snacking.
- Family Favorite: Perfect for chai time, parties, or after-school treats.
- Customizable Filling: Make it your own with paneer or meat.
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
Here is the list of ingredients for making delicious samosas in the air fryer:
For the Dough:
- All-purpose flour (maida): Can substitute with whole wheat flour for a higher-fiber alternative.
- Oil: olive oil, avocado oil, or any clear, neutral-flavor oil works great.
- Ajwain (carom seeds): Adds the signature nutty aroma. Can substitute with cumin seeds.
- Salt & Water
For the Filling:
- Potatoes: Boiled and coarsely mashed. (easy recipe for boiled potatoes)
- Green peas: Fresh or frozen (thawed).
- Grated fresh ginger: Can use fresh ginger paste.
- Spices: Pantry-friendly spices - Cumin seeds, coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder (optional), amchur (dry mango powder).
- Cilantro: Freshly chopped leaves and light green stems.
- Salt & oil
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How To Cook Samosas In Air Fryer
Here are the step-by-step instructions, along with photos, for making samosas in the air fryer. Prepare ahead by boiling the potatoes and letting them cool. I cook them using this easy Instant Pot Boiled Potato recipe.
Prepare Samosa Dough
- Add flour, salt, and ajwain (carom seeds) to a food processor. Drizzle in oil and pulse until the flour turns crumbly.
- Check readiness by pressing some mixture in your palm-it should retain its shape.
- Gradually add water and continue kneading until a firm dough ball is formed.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest it while you make the filling.
Prepare The Filling
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and add cumin seeds. Stir in the ginger and spices, along with a splash of water. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add mashed potatoes and peas, then cook for 2 minutes. Finish with chopped cilantro.
Shape and Fill Samosas
- Knead the dough briefly, and divide into eight portions. Roll each into a smooth ball, covering with a damp towel.
- Lightly oil a dough ball and roll it into a 6-inch disc, approximately 1/16 inch thick. Cut the disc in half to create two semi-circles.
- Brush a little water along the straight edge of the semicircle. Pick up the right corner and fold it toward the center.
- Bring the left corner over the right so they overlap slightly. Press the overlapped edges together to seal the cone.
- Hold the cone upright and fill it with about two tablespoons of the prepared potato filling.
- Moisten the open top edges, then pinch them together to seal the samosa.
Cook In The Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Lightly brush the samosas with oil. Place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 12 minutes, then flip them and lightly brush with oil. Air fry for 8-10 minutes, or until they turn golden in color and are crisp. (Cooking time may vary with different air fryer models)
You can find the detailed, printable, easy samosa recipe in the recipe card below!
Serving Suggestions and Accompaniments
- Pair with mint chutney, tamarind chutney, or ketchup.
- Serve with masala chai or ginger tea for the ultimate tea-time treat (my fav!!).
- Add to a chaat platter with yogurt, chutneys, and sev.
How To Store, Freeze, and Reheat Samosas
- To Store: You can store samosas in any airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- To Reheat: Reheat in an air fryer at 350°F for 4-6 minutes until warm and crisp.
- To Freeze: Freeze uncooked or cooked samosas on a tray, then transfer them to ziplock bags and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, then follow the cooking instructions.
Tips For The Best Air Fryer Samosa
- Rest the dough for a few minutes to ensure it rolls out easily.
- Don't overstuff the dough pockets; this can cause them to split.
- Use a damp cloth to cover the rolled dough to prevent drying.
- Brush with oil for a golden finish.
- Flip the samosas in between for even crispness.
My Takeaways From Recipe Testing
I've tested this baked samosa recipe multiple times to ensure you get perfect results every time. Here are my takeaways:
- Roll evenly to ensure even cooking and crisping. The shape can be round or oval. Don't worry if it's not a perfect circle.
- Use very little water to seal the edges. Excess water can make it harder to seal.
- When overlapping the two rounded edges, ensure that they overlap by at least ½ inch to prevent the dough from splitting open while air frying.
- Use cooled filling to stuff the samosas. Warm filling will loosen the fat in the dough and prevent it from crisping up.
- Brush liberally with oil in the beginning and in between to get a crisp crust.
Air Frying Compared To Traditional Frying
Air frying is considered a healthier alternative to deep frying, as it uses hot air circulation to mimic deep frying, with up to 80% less oil.
In my experience, air frying delivers the same signature crispy shell as the traditional deep-fried samosa without the mess of oil splatters or lingering odors, and of course, fewer calories!
Traditional Recipe for Deep-Fried Aloo Samosa
FAQs
Yes, they work great for shortcuts, but traditional dough yields the best taste and texture.
I haven't tried this recipe with a gluten-free flour, but I think it will work. Just know that the texture may vary.
Yes, you can bake these samosas in a preheated oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes. Flip them halfway and lightly brush them with oil for extra crispiness.
You can stuff the samosas with paneer bhurji, keema, or dry-cooked lentils.
It takes me approximately 20 minutes at 375°F in the air fryer. Since the time and temperature can vary depending on the specific air fryer model, I recommend keeping an eye on it after 15 minutes.
More Indian Snacks For You
📖 Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Samosa (Non-Fried)
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For Samosa Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour (maida)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 5 tablespoons avocado oil
- 6 tablespoons cold water or as needed
For Samosa Stuffing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons ginger finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste after cooking
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds or ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (cayenne) reduce to ¼ teaspoon or skip for mild
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder amchur
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- 3 medium gold potatoes boiled and chopped
- ¾-1 cup green peas thawed, adjust to your liking
- 3 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
Oil for Air-frying
- 2-3 tablespoons avocado oil to brush assembled samosas
Instructions
Prepare Samosa Dough
- Add flour, salt, and ajwain (carom seeds) to a food processor. Drizzle in oil and pulse until the flour turns crumbly.
- Check readiness by pressing some mixture in your palm-it should retain its shape. If not, add a bit more oil and pulse again. You can also do this in a mixing bowl, rubbing the oil into the flour with your hands.
- Turn on the food processor at low speed and gradually add water. Scrape the sides of the bowl in between. Continue kneading until a firm dough ball is formed (this takes approximately 4-5 minutes).
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover it with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying and cracking. Rest it while you prepare the filling.
Prepare the Stuffing
- Heat oil in a frypan on medium heat and add cumin seeds. Once they sizzle, stir in ginger and spices along with a splash of water to prevent burning.
- Sauté for 30 seconds.Add mashed potatoes and peas, then cook for 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste and finish with chopped cilantro.
Shape and Fill Samosa
- Knead the rested dough for 30 seconds, then divide it into 8 equal portions. Roll each into a smooth ball, covering with a damp towel to prevent drying.
- Take one dough ball and lightly oil both sides. Roll it into a 6-inch disc, approximately 1/16 inch thick. Cut the disc in half to create two semi-circles.
- Brush a little water along the straight edge of the semicircle. To start shaping the cone, pick up the right corner and fold it toward the center.
- Now, bring the left corner over the right so they overlap slightly. Press the overlapped edges together to seal the cone and pinch the tip. You should now have a pocket with a pointed tip at the bottom.
- Hold the cone upright and fill it with about two tablespoons of the prepared potato filling.
- Moisten the open top edges, then pinch them together to seal the samosa completely. You can also crimp the edges with a fork to seal them. Repeat the process to assemble all samosas.
Air Fry Samosa
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Lightly brush the samosas with oil.
- Place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving a gap between each samosa. Depending on the size of your basket, you may have to air fry in 2-3 batches.
- Air fry for 12 minutes, then flip them and lightly brush with oil. Air fry for an additional 8-10 minutes. Samosas are done when they turn golden in color and crisp on the outside. (Cooking time may vary with different air fryer models)
Notes
- Add cold water to make the dough to achieve a crisp crust.
- Rest the dough for a few minutes to ensure it rolls out easily.
- Don't overstuff the dough pockets; this can cause them to split.
- Use a damp cloth to cover the rolled dough to prevent drying.
- Brush with oil for a golden finish.
- Flip the samosas in between for even crispness.
- Roll evenly to ensure even cooking and crisping. The shape can be round or oval. Don't worry if it's not a perfect circle.
- Use very little water to seal the edges. Excess water can make it harder to seal.
- When overlapping the two rounded edges, ensure that they overlap by at least ½ inch to prevent the dough from splitting open while air frying.
- Use cooled filling to stuff the samosas. Warm filling will loosen the fat in the dough and prevent it from crisping up.
- Brush liberally with oil in the beginning and in between to get a crisp crust.
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