These Air Fryer Mexican Samosas make THE best appetizers! My Masi (maternal aunt) has been making these Mexican Samosas for YEARS and I'm so excited to share my version of this fun recipe with you all!
Okay, so it's basically an empanada or burrito in the shape of a samosa... but still- HOW FUN, right!
As I mentioned it was inspired by my mom's sister- my Masi who truly loves to feed people. For as long as I've known she's been making delicious meals for friends and family. I still remember the first time I ever had a Falafel sandwich, I was about 11 years old and it was homemade by my Masi. I thought it was the best thing I had ever tasted! Years later I created my own protein and veggie packed version- be sure to check it out Spinach and Quinoa Falafel
Now, back to the Air Fryer Mexican Samosas...
Ingredients
- Black beans or pinto beans (or a combination of both!)
- Bell pepper (green and red)
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Green onion
- Shredded cheese- Mexican blend
- Tortilla - I like Azteca Home Style Burrito tortillas because they are thin and easy to work with!
- Taco seasoning (I make my own blend for this recipe but you can use your favorite plus crushed red pepper)
- Oil
- All purpose flour
- Water
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Chop all the fresh ingredients, drain and rinse canned beans, prepare spice blend (or use packaged taco seasoning, add crushed red peppers). Cut tortillas in half and set aside.
In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add all the fresh chopped ingredients and beans to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle in the taco seasoning and stir until well combined. Heat for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat once it becomes fragrant. Then transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let it cool a bit.
Prepare your paste by combining all-purpose flour and water. *See the recipe card for instructions on how to make the paste. Once the samosa stuffing mixture is cool, add shredded cheese and combine well. Take one half of your tortilla and fold it so that it forms a cone shape so that it can be stuffed. take some of the paste and spread it at the tip of your samosa. Press with your finger to seal the edges. Stuff the samosa with the filling mixture, and leave some space at the top so that you're able to press the edges together. Use more of the all-purpose flour paste, and spread it on the edges of the samosa opening. Press the edges together until the stuffing is sealed. Repeat until all samosas are filled and stuffed.
Hint: Once you mix the water and flour, let it sit for a couple of minutes to create a thick sticky paste for a better seal.
Substitutions
Stuff these samosas with anything your heart desires!
- Ground meat- cook up your favorite ground meat (chicken, turkey, beef) with taco seasoning and shredded cheese.
- Spicy- add some diced jalapenos or serrano peppers to spice things up!
Equipment
I like making these in the air fryer but of course you can bake them if you don't have an air fryer. See notes section on the recipe card for details.
Storage
You can prep these ahead of time and pop them in the air fryer as needed! Store the samosas in the fridge overnight or even in the freezer until you're ready to serve them up! Cook them in the air fryer or oven when you're ready to serve.
Serve them with my Roasted Jalapeno Salsa or with your favorite queso!
Air Fryer Mexican Samosas
Equipment
- Air Fryer or oven, see notes below
Ingredients
- 4 Flour tortillas cut in half
- ½ cup Black beans drained, rinsed
- ½ cup Pinto beans drained, rinsed
- ¼ cup Red onion diced
- ½ cup Bell pepper diced
- 2 tablespoon Green onion diced
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro chopped
- ½ cup Cheese shredded
- 1 packet Taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon All purpose flour
- 2-3 tbps Water adjust as need
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Chop all fresh ingredientsDrain and rinse canned beansCut tortillas in half
- In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add all fresh ingredients and beans to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add taco seasoning and combine well, stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside to cool
- Make paste by combining all-purpose flour and water. Adjust water and flour as needed to create a thick paste.
- Once the mixture in the pan has cooled, add shredded cheese and combine well.
- Take one half of the tortilla and fold it to create a cone shape that can be stuffed. Take some paste on your pointer finger and place it on the edges, press, and seal. Repeat with the other 7 tortilla halves.
- Take an ice cream scooper and scoop the mixture into tortilla cones. Fill about ¾s of the way. Take paste onto pointer finger and spread the paste on the open edges of samosa. Use your fingers and thumbs to pinch and seal the samosas. Spray cooking spray on both sides of samosa and set aside. Repeat that step with the remaining samosas.
- Preheat the air fryer, set the temperature to 375 F, and the timer to 2 minutes. See notes to bake in an oven*Once the air fryer is preheated, assemble samosas in the air fryer and cook for 3 minutes. Rotate/flip the samosa and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve with salsa or queso and ENJOY!