How to Cook Frozen Samosas

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Who doesn’t love biting into a crispy, warm, spicy samosa? No matter what your favorite filling is, a samosa has to be prepared properly in order to be enjoyed how it should be – crispy on the outside with a soft, tasty filling on the inside!

When preparing samosas, most of us buy them prepared and cook them from frozen. Cooking the samosas from frozen actually helps to keep them crispy on the outside, and helps them turn a wonderful golden brown.

How do you cook frozen samosas? The best way to cook frozen samosas is to deep fry them, but you can also bake them in the oven or cook them in the air fryer. It is also possible to microwave frozen samosas, but the results are poor in comparison to other methods.

Frying the samosas does give you the best results, but baking or cooking them in the air fryer is healthier. However you prefer to cook your samosas, here is a guide on how to cook them from frozen for the best results!

How to Fry Frozen Samosas

Frying frozen samosas is the most popular way to cook them, and it does give you the best samosas!

Frying Frozen Samosas

Here is how to fry frozen samosas:

Heat the oil in the deep fryer until hot, reaching around 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Carefully place the samosas into the deep fryer, one at a time. Do not overcrowd the deep fryer as it will bring down the temperature of the oil, and there will not be enough heat to shock the samosa wrapping to turn crispy and golden.
Keep turning the samosas as they fry so that they cook evenly on all sides.
After 2 minutes, turn down the heat and leave the samosas to cook for another 3 minutes. This helps them turn crisp and golden.
Remove the samosas from the hot oil and lay them onto a plate covered with a paper towel.
Repeat the above process, heating up the oil and cooking the samosas a few at a time until they are all cooked through properly.

Note: Do not thaw or defrost the samosas before frying them, as they will crisp up and turn a beautiful golden color if they are fried from frozen. So you can take them straight from the freezer to the fryer.

Pros of Frying Frozen Samosas:

Frying frozen samosas is the best way to get the outside crispy and golden, while still enjoying a delicious filling. The samosas are more likely to crisp up when fried from frozen, as the heat shocks the pastry and finishes it off perfectly.

You will not be able to achieve the same crispiness and golden finish, along with the flavor deep-frying brings, using any other method of cooking.

Cons of Frying Frozen Samosas:

The problem with frying samosas is that it is the unhealthiest option. It is well known that deep-frying anything isn’t the healthiest way to prepare food, and the amount of oil you need is also quite excessive.

Once in a while, it is fine to deep fry, but preparing food this way often is not good for your health.

How to Bake Frozen Samosas

If you do not want to fry your samosas, you could bake them in the oven. While this is not the most traditional way to cook them, it does offer up some good results and is healthier than cooking them in oil.

You can either bake uncooked frozen samosas or pre-cooked frozen samosas. Here is how to do both:

Baking Uncooked Frozen Samosas

If your frozen samosas haven’t been cooked before, you will want to bake them at a higher temperature and for a longer time.

Here’s how to bake uncooked frozen samosas:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lay the frozen samosas out onto a baking tray, and brush each very lightly with some vegetable oil.
Place the baking tray with the samosas into the oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes on each side, turning the samosas over once. The internal temperature of the samosas should reach around 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
When cooked, remove the samosas from the oven and let them stand for up to 3 minutes before serving.

Baking Pre-Cooked Frozen Samosas

If your frozen samosas are pre-cooked, this is much easier. They really just need to be warmed up in a way that won’t sacrifice all of their crispiness – although, again, the texture will not compare to the excellent results from frying.

Here’s how to bake pre-cooked frozen samosas:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lay the frozen samosas onto a baking tray and brush them lightly with some vegetable oil.
Place the baking tray with the samosas into the oven and leave to cook for 8 minutes.
Turn the samosas over onto the other side and leave to cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, until they are heated through completely.
Remove the samosas from the oven and allow them to sit for up to 3 minutes before serving.

Pros of Baking Frozen Samosas:

Baking samosas in the oven is a healthier option compared to deep-frying them. You still get to achieve a crispy crunch on the outside. You do not need to use an excessive amount of oil to bake the samosas.

You are also able to bake a large batch of samosas at one time, which is especially handy if you are catering for a large number of people.

Cons of Baking Frozen Samosas:

The one con of baking samosas in the oven is that you need to leave the oven to preheat, which might take longer than other methods of cooking.

There is also a chance that you might leave the samosas in the oven for too long, and this could cause the outside to burn or the filling to dry up. You need to keep a careful watch to avoid this happening.

How to Cook Frozen Samosas in the Air Fryer

If you have an air fryer at home, you can use it to cook your frozen samosas, and this is the healthiest way to do so.

Cooking Frozen Samosas in the Air Fryer

You need no oil to cook the samosas in the air fryer, so it is the healthiest way to cook them by far. It also does not take as long as cooking them in the oven!

Here is how to cook a batch of frozen samosas in the air fryer (I warmly recommend this one):

Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees Fahrenheit. This should only take around 5 minutes.
Place the frozen samosas into the air fryer basket, arranging them in a single layer, spacing them out as much as possible. They will not cook properly if you overcrowd them in the air fryer.
Cook the samosas in the air fryer for 5 minutes.
Open the air fryer and carefully turn the samosas, being very careful as they will be hot.
Place them back into the air fryer for another 3 to 4 minutes.
After this time, the samosas should be crisp and light brown, and heated throughout.
Remove them from the air fryer and let them rest for 3 minutes before serving.

Pros of Cooking Frozen Samosas in an Air Fryer:

While cooking samosas in an air fryer might not give you quite the same taste and texture as you would get when deep-frying them, it still comes close and is undoubtedly the healthiest way to cook them.

You are able to cook them from frozen, and it only takes a few minutes. The heat of the air fryer crisps up the outside, while still keeping the filling moist and flavorful.

Cons of Cooking Frozen Samosas in an Air Fryer:

You will not get the same taste when cooking samosas in the air fryer that you would when deep-frying them.

You might also need to do a few batches, which can take some time, as you cannot place too many samosas in the air fryer in one go.

Can I Cook Frozen Samosas in the Microwave?

You can technically cook frozen samosas in the microwave, but it isn’t necessarily the best option.

To do so, you would place the frozen samosas onto a microwave-safe dish and cook them on medium heat for a few minutes until they are cooked and warmed through.

They will not be as crispy as they would be if cooking them in a deep-fryer or an oven, and there is a chance that the inside might have bits that are piping hot and others that are still cold.

Cooking frozen samosas in the microwave might be your only option if you want them ready in a few minutes, but it should be your last resort.