Polish Pierogi

This Polish pierogi recipe is a total comfort food. The pierogi are warm, crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and absolutely delightful on their own or with side dishes. Pierogi are a Polish staple and are welcome at everything from a simple solo meal to holiday dinners with family. Our recipe uses cheese as the main filling ingredient, but you’ll find pierogi filled with potato and onion, meat, and veggies. Try making a single batch to learn the process for cooking them, and then make more to put away in the freezer.

Polish Pierogi Ingredients

DOUGH:

• Eggs: These will lend structure to the dough to help it stay together when you add the filling.
• All-purpose flour: The protein level of all-purpose flour is strong enough to help the dough maintain its shape during filling and cooking. Don’t work the dough too much, however, as that can make the dough tough.

FILLING:

• Egg: A large egg will help give the cheese a little more strength so that it doesn’t ooze out freely when cooked.
• Sugar: A little sugar will add some sweetness and balance out any tangy flavor from the cheese.
• Soft farmer cheese or whole-milk ricotta cheese: Either of these cheeses will do for the filling.
• Butter: Pan-frying or sauteing the pierogi in butter gives the pierogi a nice, golden crust.
• Sour cream and minced chives: Sour cream and chives are optional toppings that’ll add zip to your final product.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

TASTE OF HOME

Whisk the eggs with water and salt until blended in a large bowl. Gradually add the flour, stirring in each addition. Lightly flour a surface for kneading and transfer the dough to that surface.

Knead 10 to 12 times to form a firm dough; cover the dough and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Step 2: Mix the filling

TASTE OF HOME

In a small, clean bowl, whisk the egg along with salt, sugar and pepper. Stir in the cheese.

Step 3: Cut out the dough

TASTE OF HOME

Add a little more flour to the work surface if needed, and divide the dough into four portions. Roll out each portion to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out circles with a floured, 4-inch-diameter round cookie cutter.

Step 4: Fill the pierogi

TASTE OF HOME

Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each dough circle. Moisten the edges of the circles with water, fold one half over the other, and press along the edges to seal each pierogi. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.

Step 5: Boil the pierogi

TASTE OF HOME

Boil water in a 6-quart stockpot. Add the pierogi in batches and then lower the heat so that the water is gently simmering.

Cook the pierogi for two to three minutes, until they float to the top. They should be tender at this point. Remove the pierogi from the water; using a slotted spoon is best.

Step 6: Pan-fry the pierogi

TASTE OF HOME

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pierogi in batches for one to three minutes on each side (two to six minutes total) until they turn golden brown. Add more butter if needed and continue cooking the pierogies in batches. Serve with sour cream and chives if you’d like.

JONATHAN MELENDEZ FOR TASTE OF HOME

Polish Pierogi Variations

• Make potato filling: A very common pierogi filling is potato, onion and cheese. Try this homemade pierogi recipe if you want to give that filling a try.
• Make dessert versions: Pierogis can also have sweetened cheese or cooked fruit as a filling. Try sliced plums for a more traditional filling, or use a mix of blueberries and raspberries.

How to Store Polish Pierogi

Store leftover pierogi in the refrigerator in an airtight container and eat within two to three days. If you have many Polish pierogies to store and need to stack them, separate the dumplings with a layer of parchment or wax paper.

Can you make Polish pierogi ahead of time?

Yes, you can make a bunch of these ahead of time and freeze them for future meals. In fact, you may want to start making large double and triple batches to freeze for later simply because making these Polish dumplings can take time, depending on the filling you use and how quick you are at rolling, cutting and filling dough circles.

You can either assemble the pierogi and freeze them from there or make and boil the pierogi and freeze them after. In both cases, take your ready-to-freeze pierogi (all of them should be cool, by the way), lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper, and freeze them for about 30 minutes. Then, transfer those to a freezer-safe bag.

If you freeze uncooked pierogi, you’ll have to boil them first and then fry them; if you freeze boiled pierogi, then all you’ll have to do is pan-fry them. You could also just reboil them if you prefer, as long as the inside of the pierogi is reheated properly. You can cook them straight from frozen, but the inside of the pierogi should reach 165°F. Use up the pierogi within three months for the best results.

Polish Pierogi Tips

JONATHAN MELENDEZ FOR TASTE OF HOME

Why did my dough turn out tough?

Tough pierogi dough can be the result of a couple of issues. Many Polish cooks might say it’s because of the eggs in the dough, but those aren’t always to blame. Sometimes the dough was rolled out too thick, which can make it tougher; the answer there is to ensure you’re not making it thicker than 1/8-inch throughout the wrapper. Another possible cause is that you kneaded the dough more than was necessary, which can promote more gluten formation and thus a much tougher texture.

Can you eat these boiled but not pan-fried?

Yes, pierogies can be eaten boiled, baked, or boiled and pan-fried; it’s just a matter of what texture you prefer. Some even prefer to only pan-fry their pierogi, but you have to be cautious with this method as you need to ensure the dough and filling are properly and thoroughly cooked. If you want more tips on making pierogies, here’s a guide to making pierogies the right way.

Pierogies that are only boiled will be chewy and rather soft, while those that are fried only will be crunchy and golden. Boiling gives the dough that springy, chewy texture, but following boiling with pan-frying crisps up the exterior, so you get this mouth-watering combination of crisp followed immediately by chewy. It’s an amazing combination, so it’s recommended that you try it; if you don’t like it, of course you can make other batches with boiling only.

What can you serve with Polish pierogi?

Pierogi are normally served with, well, just about anything. Sprinkled with fried onions on top plus a bowl of beetroot soup is a common combination. You can also try some sauteed mushrooms as a side. Pierogi can also be used as an ingredient in other dishes, like this pierogi chicken supper recipe or this pierogi beef skillet.