This chicken samosa recipe for a popular South Asian street food snack is the ideal snack or appetizer for any occasion. A crispy golden outer shell of egg roll wrappers is stuffed with a spicy shredded chicken filling, perfect for dipping in some chutney.
You're more than likely familiar with samosas and have enjoyed one at your local South Asian restaurant many a time. However, you may not realize how many shapes and forms this universally loved snack comes in.
These homemade cocktail-sized samosas are what most Pakistanis have in their freezer at all times. Much easier to make than traditional Punjabi-style samosas since you don't have to make the dough from scratch; these spicy chicken samosas, meat samosas, or easy potato samosas are all excellent to nibble on.
Deep-fry or air-fry this easy chicken samosa recipe per the instructions on the recipe card below, and enjoy these samosas with tamarind chutney, cilantro mint chutney, or raw mango chutney for an unforgettable snack.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- The taste and texture: Who doesn't love fried food? Especially when it's a samosa! That satisfying crunch leading into a perfectly spiced chicken filling...and the final touch? A dip in some tangy chutney.
- Great way to use leftovers: Stuff all your leftover meats and veggies, or combine the two and make variations of this recipe. Those leftovers will be gone faster than you can say samosa.
- Make-ahead recipe: The best part about this chicken samosa recipe is that it can be frozen, and used as needed. That's a perk any day, especially during Ramadan.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken: I like to use chicken tenderloins for their juicy texture and short cooking time.
- Cooking oil: Use a neutral cooking oil to help bloom your fresh ingredients and spices when preparing the filling.
- Onion: Yellow onions have a neutral flavor and add the perfect taste and texture to this recipe.
- Green chilies: Serrano chilies give this filling just the right amount of kick, and I highly recommend adding them to your recipe. Deseed them if you feel they will be too spicy for you.
- Cilantro: The aroma of freshly chopped cilantro elevates this recipe.
- Cornflour: This is used to help bind the chicken with the other ingredients and keeps the filling from making the wrappers soggy.
- Spices: Combining whole and powdered spices adds the perfect flavor and aroma to the chicken samosas.
- Egg roll wrappers: I like to use egg roll wrappers as they're a little thicker than spring roll wrappers and don't crack and break as you fill them. I also find that samosas made with these tend to maintain their texture better when stored and reheated.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Try this recipe with different types of wrappers: If you want a gluten-free version of these samosas, then spring roll wrappers are your best friend. For a lighter version, use rice paper and pan-sear them, and if you want an authentic Punjabi samosa, storebought empanada dough makes a great substitute.
- Add the leftover filling to other recipes: Use any leftover chicken filling to make a stuffed paratha like my aloo paratha, or try my leftover turkey recipe (for naan) and substitute the chicken for the turkey.
- Make a samosa chaat: Make my aloo chana chaat with yogurt and break open the samosas on top for a delicious snack that's almost lunch!
Chicken samosa recipe video
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Step-by-step instructions
Prepping the filling
Step 1: Start by cooking the chicken tenderloins in two cups of water. Add one teaspoon salt, ½ of black pepper, five garlic cloves, and a half-inch piece of ginger for flavor. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Strain the chicken and shred it for the filling. Heat the cooking oil before adding the onions and green chilies. Saute for a few minutes, then add whole and powdered spices. Add the shredded chicken in next and stir to mix everything well. Last of all, add in the cornflour and mix everything until combined. Cool to room temperature before starting on your samosas.
Step 3: Cut the square egg roll wrappers in half to make rectangular strips. I find that a pizza cutter works best for this.
Step 4: Set up a workstation and add two tablespoons of the cooled chicken filling to the top of each wrapper.
Wrapping the samosas
Step 5: Fold the top of the egg roll wrapper in a triangle, completely encasing the chicken. Continue to fold until you have a triangle with a short flap that you will seal in the following step. Please watch the video above for details on how to shape the samosas.
Step 6: Prepare an edible glue using four tablespoons of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of water. Use this to seal the samosas tightly shut.
Step 7: Use the flour paste to help seal any holes and cracks to ensure no oil leaks during frying.
Step 8: Place the chicken samosas flat on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the flour and water paste to dry completely.
Cooking the samosas
Step 9: Preheat 4 cups of cooking oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a wok or karahi. To deep fry correctly, the oil should completely cover the samosas.
Step 10: If you air fry the chicken samosas, baste them with oil on both sides and cook at 375 degrees Farenheit for 8 minutes on each side.
Step 11: Make sure the samosas are a medium golden brown before removing them from the air fryer.
Step 12: The samosas are best eaten fresh, with your favorite chutney or ketchup on the side.
Expert Tips
- Seal the samosas completely: When folding the samosas, make sure there are no holes around the edges. This allows oil to seep through, and the result is soggy samosas. Use the flour-water paste to seal any openings.
- Don't overfill the wrappers: This can cause the wrapper to crack and make folding tricky. Two tablespoons is usually enough for the wrapper size in this chicken samosa recipe.
- Use the right equipment: Deep frying in the right cookware is key to crispy samosas. Traditionally, samosas are fried in a karahi. You can use a wok if you have one or a cast-iron skillet.
- Heat the oil properly: Preheating the oil to 350 degrees Farenheit is essential for crispy samosas. I like to use a thermometer to ensure perfect results. In the absence of a thermometer, dip a wooden skewer, chopstick, or spoon handle and check if the oil around it starts to bubble and start frying your samosas.
- Fry in batches: It's best to fry 3-4 samosas at a time to prevent the oil temperature from dropping.
Recipe FAQS
These chicken samosas are perfect for a high tea menu and pair perfectly with finger sandwiches, aloo chaat, naan khatai (shortbread cookies), Shami kabab, and a light bakery-style almond cake.
For best results, freeze the chicken samosas and fry only as many as you plan to serve. However, should you have any leftover fried samosas, place them in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days maximum.
The best way to reheat the samosas is to place them on a baking sheet and heat them in an oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Other snacks you may like
If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture, tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Chicken Samosa Recipe
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Ingredients
Samosa filling
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins (see notes)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 5 whole garlic cloves
- ½ inch piece crushed ginger
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- ½ chopped yellow onion
- 2 chopped serrano chilies
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp amchur powder
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tbsp corn flour (see notes)
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
Samosa wrapping
- 12 egg roll wrappers (see notes)
- 4 tbsp all purpose flour
- ¼ cup water
Samosa frying
- 4 cups cooking oil (see notes)
Instructions
Preparing the filling
- Add the chicken, salt, black pepper, garlic cloves and ginger along with the 2 cups of water to a saucepan and bring to
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. (see notes)
- Discard everything but the chicken and shred it to a fine consistency.
- Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil, add the chopped onions and green chillies, and saute for 2 minutes.s
- Add the cumin and mustard seeds and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the salt, red chili powder, amchur powder, and red chili flakes and stir until well combined.
- Add the cornflour, mix and set the mixture aside to cool. (see notes)
Filling the samosas
- Take the square egg roll wrappers and cut in half until you have 24 rectangular strips.
- Mix the flour and water to make an edible glue. (see notes)
- Place 2 tablespoons of the cooled filling and place it at the top of your first wrapper.
- Fold into a triangle and pack the filling inside.
- Keep folding the triangle until the filling is completely sealed.
- Use the flour and water paste to completely seal the samosas, until there are no visible cracks or openings. (see video in the post above for instruction)
- repeat until all your samosas have been prepared and refrigerate or freeze as desired.
Frying the samosas
- Preheat the cooking oil in a wok or karahi until it reaches a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (see notes)
- Fry no more than 3-4 samosas at a time to prevent overcrowding the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until crispy and golden brown. (see notes)
Air-frying the samosas
- brush the samosa with some oil on both sides.
- Air fry at 375 degrees for 8 minutes on each side. (see notes)
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