Crispy and golden Sambousek are a popular Lebanese appetizer or mezze, especially enjoyed during Ramadan.
These savory pastries are traditionally stuffed with beef, lamb, or cheese, with the filling always precooked before frying for the perfect flavor and texture. They’re perfect for iftar spreads or as a snack for any occasion.
These traditional Lebanese Sambousek are one of my favorite Ramadan meals!
With a light, flaky, crispy crust, and hearty meat filling, these dumplings are perfect for Iftar, or the evening meal that breaks the fast.
During Ramadan, we often break fast with family and friends, and put out many small plates of appetizers or mezze for the celebration.
Along with sambousek, you will also find homemade flatbread with spreads like baba ganoush, fattet hummus, and muhammara dip.
Turkish Ramadan Bread is also a delicious staple at our table.
Salads such as tabbouleh and fattoush are also a common and delicious part of the meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Fancy Equipment Needed – I do like to make my sambousek dough in the food processor, but otherwise these meat pockets are made entirely by hand! I’ll show you how to fill the dough with the filling and seal it using just a fork.
- Traditional Flavors – Sambusek are savory and flavorful, but not particularly spicy like their Indian counterparts, samosas. Everyone will enjoy these!
- Work Around Your Schedule – The dough and the filling for these can be made ahead of time, and the dumplings can even be frozen for frying later. This means that you can prepare them on your schedule and have them ready to go when it’s time to eat.
Sambousek Filling Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly here.
- Cold Butter: We’ll mix up this dough using the same method that I use to make pie crust. Cutting cold butter cubes into the flour will make the dough wonderfully flaky.
- Baking Powder: This also helps to create a flaky crust, as it creates bubbles of air when the dough is fried.
- Water and Salt
- Oil for deep frying, such as canola or vegetable oil
Meat Sambousek Filling Ingredients
- Ground Beef: For 30 dumplings, you’ll need ½ pound of lean ground beef. I like to use 90/10 in this recipe. Anything with more fat than that will be too greasy for this fried recipe.
- Pine Nuts: We’ll fry these in olive oil so that they’re soft, nutty, and flavorful.
- Baharat: This is a delicious spice blend that is a staple in Middle Eastern cooking. It’s also known as “7-Spice” and it includes black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, and nutmeg.
- Ground Black Pepper and Salt
- Onion
- Olive Oil
How To Make Meat Filling for Sambousek
Both parts of this recipe, the filling and the dough, need to rest for a bit after they’re finished, so it doesn’t really matter which part you make first. Here I’m showing you how to make the filling first.
How to Make Sambousek Dough
Tip!
Sambousek are delicious with a dipping sauce! Try them with plain yogurt or make an aioli sauce with mayo, garlic, and cilantro.
Recipe Tips
- Filling Tips: Make sure that your meat sambousek filling is completely cool before assembling the sambusek. This will prevent the dough from becoming soggy. If you like, you can prepare the filling a day ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it.
- Dough Consistency: This dough should be soft but not sticky. If needed, add a small amount of flour or water to the dough while kneading it to achieve the right texture.
- Make Ahead Dough: Sambousek dough can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored tightly wrapped in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before rolling it out.
- Sealing the Edges: It’s important that the edges are well sealed to keep the filling from coming out in the fryer. Use a fork to crimp the edges or press them firmly with your fingers.
- Frying Temperature: Use a frying or candy thermometer to measure the oil temp as you’re frying. You should try to maintain the temperature at 350°F (180°C) for even frying and crisp results.
Make Ahead and Freeze Sambousek
Quite a bit of prep time goes into making these delicious fried dumplings, so you may want to prepare them when you have some time and energy, and then freeze them for later!
- Freeze the filled but uncooked sambousek flat on a tray until they’re solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag.
- Fry directly from frozen, adding a minute or two to the cooking time.
Sambousek Variations
- Meat Filling: In the middle east it is common to mix ground beef with ground lamb in this dish. You can use all lamb, all beef, or any combination of the two.
- Cheese Filling: Instead of meat, fill your sambousek with feta, haloumi, or Akkawi cheese mixed with parsley. Add mozzarella to give the filling a melty quality if you like.
- Vegetarian Filling: There are many variations of sambousek with veggies including mashed potatoes, steamed spinach, and eggplant.
- No matter what you choose to add to your sambusek, be sure that the filling is fully cooked and as dry as possible before adding it to the dough.
Recipe FAQs
Can Sambousek be baked instead of fried?
For a healthier alternative, brush the sambousek with oil and bake on a sheet tray at 375°F (190°C) until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
What is the difference between Sambousek and Samosa?
Sambousek (also sometimes called sambouseh) is very similar to samosa, as both are fried dumplings.
Samosa, popular in India and other South Asian countries, are generally very flavorful, made with chilies and lots of spices such as garam masala and cumin.
In contrast, Sambousek are popular in Lebanon and the Levant area, and are flavored more simply, making them a popular Ramadan food.
Can I make sambousek with puff pastry?
While fresh dough is best (and much less expensive), many have had good results making sambousek with store-bought puff pastry sheets. I honestly haven’t tried it myself, but you can experiment if you like! I’ve also seen similar appetizers made with egg roll wrappers.
It’s fun to make these savory beef sambousek, and you’ll love the traditional flavors and crispy texture! Pin the recipe to save it for later.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Sambousek
Equipment
- Round Cutter
Ingredients
Dough:
- 4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons (9 g) salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 cup (240 ml) water at room temperature
Filling:
For Frying:
- Neutral oil vegetable, canola, or sunflower
Instructions
Make the Dough:
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, and baking powder to combine.
- Add the cold butter cubes and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles sand with very small butter pieces.
- Add the water and pulse until the dough comes together.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Prepare the Filling:
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast until golden, being careful not to burn them. Remove the pine nuts (not the olive oil) and set aside.
- Add the diced onions to the skillet and cook until softened.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart into small pieces as it browns. Season with salt, baharat, and black pepper.
- Remove from heat and mix in the toasted pine nuts. Let the filling cool to room temperature before using.
Roll and Cut the Dough:
- Divide the dough in half, keeping one half covered while you work with the other.
- Roll out the dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) rectangle. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes (otherwise, the circles will shrink).
- Use a 3-inch (8 cm) cookie or biscuit cutter to cut out circles. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Shape the Sambousek:
- Take a dough circle and place about one tablespoon of filling in the center.
- Pinch the edges together tightly to create a crescent or moon shape.
- Press the edges with a fork for extra security and a decorative touch. Repeat with all the circles.
Fry the Sambousek:
- Heat oil in a deep pan to 350°F (180°C). Fry the sambousek in batches for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove using a spider or slotted spoon, shake off excess oil, and place on a paper towel-lined tray or plate. Serve the sambousek hot with plain yogurt or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes:
- Filling Tips: Make sure that your meat sambousek filling is completely cool before assembling the sambousek. This will prevent the dough from becoming soggy. If you like, you can prepare the filling a day ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it.
- Dough Consistency: This dough should be soft but not sticky. If needed, add a small amount of flour or water to the dough while kneading it to achieve the right texture.
- Make Ahead Dough: Sambousek dough can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored tightly wrapped in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before rolling it out.
- Sealing the Edges: It’s important that the edges are well sealed to keep the filling from coming out in the fryer. Use a fork to crimp the edges or press them firmly with your fingers.
- Frying Temperature: Use a frying or candy thermometer to measure the oil temp as you’re frying. You should try to maintain the temperature at 350°F (180°C) for even frying and crisp results.
- To Store: Store leftover fried pastries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for crisp results.
- To Freeze: Freeze uncooked sambousek on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Fry directly from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Carolyn says
Has anyone tried this in an air fryer? Interested if it would still turn out well with less fat than frying.
Diana says
I haven’t tried it in the air fryer, so I’m not sure how the texture would turn out compared to frying. If you decide to test it, I’d love to hear how it goes!