We’ve all been there, ordering way too many samosas than we can realistically eat in one sitting. 

Or maybe you’ve agreed to cook an obscene amount of samosas for a party and are now thinking making them the night before is the best option.

But is it possible to reheat samosas without sacrificing quality?

Some of the recommendations online will leave you with a soggy mess. 

To save you from this, I’ve tested 5 different ways to reheat samosas to find the best one. 

Let’s get going!

A note on my experiment

I cooked several dozen samosas to store in the fridge overnight.

(Don’t worry, I made extras to eat too. I wasn’t going to pass up fresh samosas!)

The following day, I reheated the samosas using five different methods to discover which approach resulted in the best taste and texture.

I tested:

• The oven
• The air fryer
• The stove
• Deep frying (not recommended)
• The microwave (not recommended)

My favorite methods were the air fryer, oven, and stove. 

It is possible to reheat samosas in the microwave, but this was the most disappointing method. The result was soggy, and let’s be real – no one wants a soggy samosa.

Reheating samosas in the oven

To reheat samosas in the oven, preheat it to 350°F (180°C). Arrange the samosas on a wire rack or a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Spread the samosas out evenly so they’re not touching. Heat for 5-10 minutes (15-20 for frozen samosas).

The oven is the best way to reheat samosas (if you don’t have an air fryer)!

The exact cooking time will vary. It depends on the size of your samosas, how dense the filling is and how crispy you like them. Toaster ovens will be quicker than traditional ovens.

How to reheat samosas in the oven:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. OPTIONAL: microwave your samosas for 10-15 seconds to heat the inside.
3. Place your samosas directly onto a wire rack or a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Heat in the oven for 5-10 minutes (15-20 if they’re frozen).
5. If they’re on a baking sheet, flip the samosas halfway through heating to ensure even crisping.
6. Take them out of the oven and let them sit for a minute or two before serving.

The optional microwaving step helps give the middle of the samosas a head start.

If you have densely filled samosas, the middle can take ages to heat up in the oven, meaning the outside will dry out. 

Microwaving them for a few seconds first prevents this. 

To test if the samosas are done, stick a fork into the middle and feel how hot the fork is when you take it out. 

If it’s warm, the samosas are ready.

I prefer using a wire rack to heat my samosas because they crisp up evenly without the need to flip them during heating.

My verdict

The oven is an easy, accessible heating method that works almost perfectly. 

The samosas crisped up on the outside, although they weren’t as crispy as the just-fried version, and the inside was warm throughout.

Another plus of the oven is that you can reheat loads of samosas at once.

Reheating samosas in the air fryer

Air fryers are a great way to reheat samosas. Heat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C) and arrange the samosas in the air fryer basket, making sure not to overcrowd it. For extra crispy samosas, coat them lightly with oil. Heat the samosas for 5-6 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.

How to reheat samosas in the air fryer:

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C) (390°F for frozen samosas).
2. OPTIONAL: lightly spray the samosas with oil.
3. Place the samosas in the air fryer basket.
4. Heat for 2-3 minutes and then open the basket and give it a shake.
5. Heat for another 2-3 minutes before testing one samosa for doneness.
6. Heat for another few minutes if required.

Because of how the air fryer works, you can end up with very dry samosas if you don’t keep an eye on them. 

I recommend using a slightly lower temperature (around 320°F) for big or dense samosas.

This will ensure the outside doesn’t dry out before the middle heats up.

Adding oil helps the outside crisp up, but if your samosas already seem oily, you can skip this step.

My verdict

The air fryer required little effort and produced very crispy samosas. 

They were noticeable crispier than the oven – if you don’t have one, put it on your birthday list!

One downfall is that you’re limited on the number of samosas you can reheat at any one time.

Reheating samosas on the stove

To reheat samosas on the stove, heat a skillet or a Tawa on a low heat. Add the samosas and cover them loosely with some foil or a lid, leaving gaps for steam to escape. Heat the samosa for 5-7 minutes, flipping them every so often so they heat evenly. Add some oil for extra crispiness.

How to reheat samosas in a pan:

1. Heat a skillet, non-stick pan, or a heavy Tawa on a low heat.
2. Put your samosas in the pan and cover them loosely with foil or the pan’s lid, making sure to leave a gap.
3. Heat the samosa for 5-7 minutes, turning often to ensure even heating. 

Never completely cover the samosas, or they’ll steam, which will render them soggy. 

For some extra-crisp, lightly oil the pan before adding the samosas, and remove the cover towards the end of the heating.

The low heat allows the inside of the samosa to heat up without burning the outside.

My verdict

This method was relatively slow, and the coating wasn’t overly crispy, but the filling was nice and moist. 

I didn’t use any oil, so I’m sure the samosa would have been crispier if I did. 

Reheating samosas in the microwave

To reheat samosas in the microwave, spread the samosas apart on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave them on high in 30-second intervals until they’re heated through. If you want a crisp outside, place the samosas under the broiler for 1-2 minutes before serving.

The microwave won’t crisp the skin of the samosa, so only use this method if you’re in a real rush.

How to reheat samosas in the microwave:

1. Equally space your samosas out on a microwave-safe plate.
2. Heat in 30-second intervals, rotating then samosas at each interval.
3. OPTIONAL: to crisp the skin, put the samosas under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
4. Once the samosas are hot enough, let them rest for 30 seconds before serving.

If you’re reheating particularly oily samosas, line the plate with a paper towel to absorb any excess grease.

Always err on the side of caution when it comes to the microwave to avoid overheating the samosas. 

Over-microwaved samosas will be dry and cardboard-like. 

Note: eat the samosas as soon as possible once they’re out of the microwave because they will turn stale very quickly. 

My verdict

Microwaving the samosas was my least favorite method.

Fried foods never fare well in the microwave.

You either end up with a soggy outside, an over-cooked inside, or both. My samosas filling was okay, but the outside was a horrible wet mess.

The only thing the microwave has going for it is convenience.

Reheating samosas by deep frying

To reheat samosas by frying, heat your oil to 375°F (190°C). Using kitchen tongs or a fryer basket, lower your samosas into the hot oil and fry them for 1-2 minutes (2-4 for frozen samosas). Remove the samosas and let them rest on a paper towel for 30 seconds before serving.

If you don’t fancy deep frying the samosas, you can also shallow fry them.

How to reheat samosas by deep frying:

1. Fill your deep frying vessel with oil.
2. Heat the oil to 375°F (190°C).
3. Using kitchen tongs or a fryer basket, carefully place the samosas in the oil.
4. Watch carefully for between 1-2 minutes and remove the samosas when they turn golden brown.
5. Rest the samosas on a paper towel for 30 seconds before serving.

Ideally, you need to measure the oil temperature with a thermometer.

If you don’t have a suitable one, don’t deep fry. 

Oil that’s too hot will burn the samosas, and if the oil’s too cold, the samosas will soak it all up.

If you opt for shallow frying instead, don’t forget to turn the samosas to fry each side.

My verdict

If this method goes right, you get super crispy samosas – almost as good as new!

But if it goes wrong, you get a greasy mess.

It also takes ages because you have to wait for the oil to heat up.

Overall, I think it’s too much effort, and there’s a high risk of something going wrong, so I don’t recommend this method to reheat samosas.

How to store samosas

To store samosas, first let them cool to room temperature. Then line an airtight container with paper towel and arrange the samosas in a single layer. The samosas will last 3-5 days in the fridge. For an extra layer of protection against moisture loss, wrap the samosas in foil or plastic wrap.

The samosas must be completely cool before you seal the container. Otherwise, condensation will render them soggy. 

The paper towel will soak up some moisture, but it’s best to avoid creating any in the first place.

Before reheating them, do the smell test. 

If they smell slightly off, it is better to discard them rather than risk food poisoning.

Can you freeze samosas?

Samosas freeze well. You can freeze both cooked and uncooked samosas for up to 6 months. After that, the quality will start to deteriorate, but they’ll still be safe to eat. Packaging them properly helps to prevent freezer burn, which can impart a funny taste.

How to freeze samosas (cooked and uncooked):

1. Let the samosas cool to room temperature (if hot).
2. Pat cooked samosas with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.
3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the samosas out on the tray, making sure none are touching.
4. Place the tray in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until the samosas are frozen solid.
5. Once solid, remove the samosas from the freezer.
6. Transfer them into an airtight freezer ziplock bag, and squeeze all the air out before sealing.
7. Place the bag of samosas in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

This process is known as flash freezing and means you can freeze all the samosas in one bag without the risk of them sticking together. 

To get rid of the air, I use two tricks:

• Suck the air out with a straw.
• Submerge the open freezer bag in water. The water forces all the air out, and you can seal the bag.

Getting rid of as much air as possible is a crucial step because it prevents freezer burn from ruining your samosas.

If you have a vacuum sealer, even better! Once the samosas are frozen solid, vacuum seal them. 

An alternative to flash freezing is to wrap each individual samosa in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. However, I find this to be pretty wasteful.

How to thaw samosas

The best way to thaw samosas is to place them (still packaged) in the fridge. Bigger samosas may need to be left overnight, while smaller ones may only take a few hours. For speedier thawing, hold the samosas under running water or use the defrost setting on your microwave. 

To maintain food safety, do not thaw samosas at room temperature.

Keeping the samosas in their freezer bag helps to prevent too much moisture loss during the thawing process. 

If you aren’t taking all the samosas out of the freezer, simply wrap the ones you are in some plastic wrap before leaving them to defrost.

You can also just heat the samosas from frozen.

How to reheat frozen samosas

The best way to reheat frozen samosas is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (200°C) and place the samosas on a wire rack. Heat them for 15-20 minutes, or until they’re warm all the way through. Use a fork to check the middle is soft and hot. You can also use the microwave, but the samosas will be soggy.