Crispy Spiced Beef Sambusas
Golden, flaky triangles stuffed with seasoned ground beef and onions—the TikTok version of Ethiopian sambuusa, fried in minutes. Serve with hot sauce or yogurt for dipping.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 12g
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1.5 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or 1 tbsp minced garlic + 1 tsp grated ginger)
- 2 tsp Ethiopian spice blend (or 1 tsp paprika + 0.5 tsp cayenne + 0.5 tsp cumin)
- 12 sheets phyllo dough sheets
- 2 cups neutral oil for frying
- 2 tbsp water (for sealing pastry)
Instructions
- 1
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains, ~5 minutes.
- 2
Add diced onion and ginger-garlic paste, cook stirring until onion softens and mixture is fragrant, ~3 minutes.
- 3
Stir in spice blend, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, ~2 minutes.
- 4
Cut phyllo sheets in half lengthwise. Place one strip on a work surface, brush lightly with water.
- 5
Spoon 1 tbsp beef mixture at the bottom corner, fold phyllo into a tight triangle by folding the filling corner up, then folding side-to-side and up.
- 6
Heat oil to 350°F in a deep skillet or pot. Fry sambusas in batches 90 seconds per side until deep golden and crispy.
- 7
Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Serve hot with hot sauce or yogurt.
Tools you’ll need
- large skillet
- spoon for breaking up meat
- cutting board and knife
- deep skillet or pot
- thermometer (optional but recommended)
- paper towels
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