Homemade Polish Pierogi are filled pasta dumplings, similar to ravioli, but with unique fillings like sauerkraut and potato and cheese.
Our recipe for this easy-to-work-with Polish Pierogi dough is complete with three tasty, traditional filling options: Cheesy Potato, Herbed Potato, and Sauerkraut.
Cooking Polish Food
With Tim’s strong Polish roots, and our desire to get back to our heritage through cooking, we’ve been looking at Polish food and hoping to start cooking more of it.
But, for some reason it seems a bit intimidating.
Love pierogi? Try a traditional dessert version.
As far as ethnic foods go, Italian, Mexican, all varieties of Asian seem to be in front of us all the time. Everywhere you turn there is a Chinese takeout restaurant or an fancy Italian pasta house. And, it seems like everyone knows and loves tacos and pasta.
These ethnic foods seem easy and accessible.
But Polish food just seems different.
Part of it is that I didn’t grow up eating Polish food like Tim did.
And, when Tim ate Polish food, it was cooked by his Dad’s family, and many of those recipes have, sadly, been lost.
Our Basic Pierogi Dough Recipe
Recently, we have been getting a lot of requests for a no-fail pierogi recipe. So, we decided to stop hesitating and jump right in.
I can’t guarantee that this recipe is no-fail. But, it works very well for us. Even on our first try! It has become a staple whenever we get a pierogi craving.
The dough is dense and chewy and the fillings are quite tasty, just the way Tim remembers.
What are Pierogi?
Pierogi are a Polish dumpling that are first boiled and then often fried or baked to achieve a crisp outer crust.
Traditional fillings include potato, sauerkraut, and meat.
However, they can also be sweeter, filled with cheese or fruit.
The word “pierogi” is actually plural, since it is rare to serve just one “pierog”. Yup, that’s the singular version.
So, we won’t be having “pierogis” for dinner. Just “pierogi”.
Pierogi Dough With Three Classic Fillings
I know this recipe looks daunting.
But, if you take a closer look, we have given you the basic pierogi dough recipe for 15 pierogi, which we adapted slightly from “The Art of Polish Cooking”.
There are also three possibilities for vegetarian fillings that we created based on Tim’s memory of big Polish family dinners.
Each filling recipe is be enough to fill the 15 pierogi.
But, if you’re like us and want a bit of variety, the leftover fillings are tasty on their own. Or, you could make a triple batch of pierogi dough and go on a pierogi making spree.
Freezing Homemade Pierogi
The nice thing is, once filled, these pierogi freeze incredibly well.
Simply freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, in a single layer until solid. Then, they can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Simply boil frozen pierogi for 10-15 minutes, until soft and tender.
Basic Polish Pierogi
Soft, pasta-like dough surrounds pockets of traditional Polish fillings like potatoes and cheese, mushrooms, and sauerkraut in these homemade Polish Pierogi.
Ingredients
For The Cheesy Potato Filling *
- 1 large potato, cut into ½” cubes (roughly 2 c)
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 oz (½ c) shredded cheese, (cheddar works well)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
For The Herbed Potato Filling *
- 1 large potato, cut into ½” cubes (roughly 2 c)
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 tsp parsley
- ½ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
For The Sauerkraut Filling *
- 8 oz (1 ½ c) sauerkraut, drained slightly
- ½ onion
- 1 Tbsp sour cream
For The Basic Pierogi Dough
- 1 ¾ c unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- dash salt
- ½ c water
Cooking the Filled Pierogi
- 8 c water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp salted butter, (optional)
Instructions
For the Cheesy Potato Filling
- Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling and simmer until potatoes are very tender.
- Drain potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
- In a small, non-stick frying pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until soft.
- Add onions to drained potatoes and mash using a potato masher or electric hand mixer.
- (Add reserved potato cooking water as needed to reach a smooth mashed potato consistency.)
- Add cheese, garlic, and salt. Mix well.
- Set filling aside to cool.
For the Herbed Potato Filling
- Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling and simmer until potatoes are very tender.
- Drain potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
- In a small, non-stick frying pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until soft.
- Add onions and seasonings to drained potatoes and mash using a potato masher or electric hand mixer. (Add reserved potato cooking water as needed to reach a smooth mashed potato consistency.)
- Mix well and set aside to cool.
For the Sauerkraut Filling
- In a small, non-stick frying pan, saute onions in a little butter or oil until soft.
- In a medium bowl, mix together sauerkraut, onions, and sour cream until combined.
- Set filling aside to cool.
For the Pierogi Dough
- Mix the egg with the flour and dash of salt.
- Add water slowly, using only as much as needed to create a smooth and soft dough.
- Roll out to 1/8” thickness.
- (At this point, if you have your fillings ready to go, it's a good idea to get a pot of water boiling with 2 quarts of water. Once the water begins to boil, add 1 tsp salt, and turn it to a steady simmer. This way, you can start cooking the pierogi as you fill them.)
- Using a 3 ½ ” cookie cutter (or the mouth of a juice glass if you don't have cookie cutters, like us) cut circles out of the dough. Re-roll dough as needed until all has been used.
- Place about a tablespoon of filling slightly off-center of the round. Moisten the edge of your dough with a little water, and fold the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges to seal well.
Cooking The Filled Pierogi**
- Place pierogi into boiling water, and boil until the dough is tender 7-10 minutes.
- Remove from boiling water with a large slotted spoon and place in a serving dish.
- If you like, heat a little butter in a frying pan and transfer cooked pierogi directly from the water to the frying pan and saute until slightly golden. Add additional butter as needed.
Notes
*These recipes makes a lot of filling. Each filling recipe would be enough to fill this entire batch of 15 pierogi.
**To freeze the Pierogi for later: Arrange filled pierogi in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour, or until solid. Then, transfer the pierogi to an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To cook from frozen: Simply boil the frozen pierogi for 10-15 minutes, until soft and tender.
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This dish has very close cousins that go by different names. I come from a Mennonite background and we knew them as wareneki. Our ancestors picked this up while living in Russia. We used different fillings but the most common was one made of dry curd cottage cheese with an egg yolk and light seasoning. The were usually served with a home made cold-smoked sausage. We made a cream sauce for them as well. My mother was so efficient in the kitchen that this was what she considered fast food. She could put a pot of water on the wood cook stove and start making them. She would have them ready by the time the pot boiled.
So true! You find a similar dish in many cultures! Thanks for sharing yours! Your mom must have been a wonder-worker in the kitchen if she could make them that fast!!
I have never seen any recipes for pierogi the way my Polish Grandmother made them for us. She fried the Farmer’s Cheese filled (or Cottage Cheese) pierogi in butter until starting to brown. She then added cream to the pan and continued cooking until most of the cream was absorbed. She would serve these with pork chops.
That sounds delicious Carolyn! Thank you so much for sharing!
Carolyn, this is the recipe I am looking for. I like true pierogies, not the cheddar cheese and potatoes type. I grew up with the farmer or goat cheese in them. Have you come across any good recipes to follow? sincerely, Jennifer
My family and I are German but we’ve always enjoyed other cultures cuisines. My mother use to work for a chef and since then she was making pierogies every year. Since us girls have grown up, I’ve taken on the role of making the pierogies. I’ve lost most of my recipes and stumbled upon your page. I really do appreciate you sharing your recipes. Thank you so much… I’ll post my results as I’ve completed my baking. I have to make about 200.
That is quite a few! How good of you to make them for your family! Do let us know how your turn out!
Thank you so much for sharing! Your dough looks absolutely perfect! Wish me luck on making them half as good as yours look!
Thanks Miranda! We hope you enjoy them! Definitely stop back by and let us know how they turn out for you!
Wow your dough recipe is perfect, easy to mix, handle and roll out. This is my second time making Pierogies, first time was a mess with a different dough. Happy I found yours!
So glad you found us and you’re enjoying the pierogi Diane!
My soon to be husband is of Polish descent and has mentioned before farmer’s cheese pierogi, since he’s never been a fan of potato pierogi. I’m definitely going to have a go at it with your dough, farmer’s cheese with a bit of fresh chive. I’ve been looking at recipes all day, and happy to see you added in freezing instructions. Planning a test batch first, and if successful hubby taste test approval, then prepping more for freezing.
Farmers cheese and chive sounds like a wonderful filling! Do let us know how they turn out for you!
Your dough and my homemade farmer’s cheese is a huge hit with my fiancé! “Oh my God, these taste just like my grandmother’s pierogi” is a big compliment. The chive gave it just enough of the herby flavor I was looking for, and I added just a touch of garlic powder, but it was hidden. So next time I know to add just a bit more to the cheese.
Thank you so much for the repice. I look forward to trying out more of them!!
Wonderful! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! We’ll be trying that filling next time, for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Great recipe! I tried a filling with some stuff I had on hand – – 10 oz. package frozen sliced mixed mushrooms (organic white, crimini, portobello, shittake) and frozen organic mixed greens (collard, mustard). Sauted the mushrooms in about 1 teaspoon of bacon grease, then added about 1/2 cup of the frozen greens and sauted together until greens, adding a splash of water at a time to steam until just tender and most of the liquid was gone. Let those cool and then popped in the frig overnight. Made pirogi dough next day and filled with 1 teaspoon cold filling (chopped up a bit finer to fit easily into pirogi). Boiled in water for about 12 – 15 minutes. Served drizzled with garlic salt, red pepper flakes and garlic flavored virgin olive oil. Yum.
Your filling sounds delicious! Great use of what you had on hand! So glad you were able to put our dough to such good use!
I’ve been thinking about pierogies lately and how badly I want one. Will try your dough, last time I made one it was questionably heavy.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the dough after you try it!
Ooooh I love pierogi and these look like perfection!
Great job! My mom is the master pierogi maker in our family (the Ukrainian word for them is Vareniki) 🙂
Thanks Sasha! What filling to you guys normally use?
This is another recipe on my to do list!
What a beautiful appetizer! I love making appetizers. For several years, we had a tradition of making an assortment of appetizers for Christmas Eve. I always loved trying new appetizers, and of course, I had to include a few that looked pretty, like these. Thanks for sharing this recipe! :0)