This homemade Pierogi recipe is filled with cheese and potatoes, pan fried in butter, then served alongside sour cream for dipping. They are so irresistible!
If you’re at all familiar with (and enjoy) store bought Mrs. T Pierogies, you are going to absolutely love this Homemade Pierogi recipe! Pillow-y Pierogi filled with potatoes and cheese, then pan fried in butter is pure comfort. Then I put them to good use in this Pierogi with Cabbage and Apples recipe as a full meal. Delicious!
This wonderful recipe is for homemade Polish Pierogi, which is funny since I acquired it from my Russian friend, Elena. It just shows you that Pierogi love is universal.
What is a Pierogi?
Pierogi are dumplings. They’re made with a soft dough and can be filled with savory or sweet ingredients, sort of like ravioli, then boiled in water and pan fried in butter. The most common stuffed Pierogi just has potato, but there are so many varieties. They’re a staple throughout Eastern Europe and have become pretty popular in America.
Fun fact! Pierogi and Pierogies are the same thing, both plural. Pierogies is an English word, and apparently inappropriate. So I’ve been saying it wrong my entire life!
Like most homemade treasures, there are several steps involved in making Pierogi. But like most homemade treasures, the end results is so worth it!
Pierogi Dough
Start by making the Pierogi Dough. It’s pretty simple with just flour, egg, oil, salt, and water. (Full printable recipe and video at the end.)
- Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add egg and oil. Add a little warm water and start mixing dough with a fork until it comes together. When the dough comes together transfer it to the work surface and knead a little with your hands until smooth.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface roll the dough about 1/8-inch thick.
- Cut circles about 3 inches in diameter.
Pierogi Filling
For this Pierogi recipe, we’re doing a cheesy potato filling!
- You can use leftover mashed potatoes that have already been seasoned or just plain mashed potatoes mixed with butter, salt, and pepper. Then add the cheddar and mix together.
- Place a tablespoon of the filling in the middle of each dough circle.
- Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges together. (If dough doesn’t stick together well enough, wet the tip of your finger with water and run around the edges.)
At this point you can cook them, refrigerate overnight, or freeze for later.
How to cook pierogies
To boil pierogi:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pierogi and stir gently with a spoon so they don’t stick together or to the bottom of the pot. Wait until they float to the top and then cook about 3-4 minutes more (if your dough is on the thicker side, they might need more time).
You can stop here and serve them with butter, sour cream, and green onion or you can pan-fry them!
To pan-fry pierogi:
In a large skillet warm a couple tablespoons of butter and saute pierogi on both sides, until they are lightly browned and heated through.
Recipe Tips
- To save time on the day you’re serving them, prep the filling 1-2 days in advance; keep in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.
- Use a tablespoon sized cookie scoop for the filling so you end up with an equal amount in each dumpling.
- You can vary the filling with savory meat or make dessert Pierogi with fresh berries and a little sugar.
- Be certain the edges of the dough are pinched together well or the filling will come out while they’re boiling.
- Make a big batch at one time, so you can freeze some for later.
- You can pan-fry leftover boiled pierogi the next day.
How To Freeze Pierogi
Raw formed pierogi freeze beautifully, so you should definitely make a double batch! Then just grab however many you need at a time.
- Dust a baking sheet with flour and arrange pierogi in a single layer so they are not touching. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer to a large plastic freezer-safe bag. (Flash-freezing keeps them from sticking together once fully frozen.)
- They will keep in the freezer for about 1 month.
Just like my classic meatball recipe, I almost always double this recipe to freeze half and have them on hand for later, in order to just pull out what I want. I serve these a lot, sometimes for dinner and sometimes for breakfast!
What to serve with Pierogies
- Roasted Cabbage
- Sautéed Cabbage and Apples
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts {with apples, craisins, and pecans)
- Cabbage and Kielbasa Skillet
Other potato recipes we love!
Watch the video for homemade pierogies
I hope you love this quick and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Homemade Pierogi
Ingredients
For the Pierogi Dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour , plus more for kneading and rolling
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons warm water
For the Pierogi Filling
- 1 cup warm mashed potatoes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper , to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For Serving
- 3 tablespoons butter , for frying pan
- 1/2 cup yellow onion , to saute
- diced scallions , for serving
- sour cream , for serving
Instructions
For the Dough:
- Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add the egg and oil. Add about 2 tablespoons of warm water and start mixing dough with a fork until it comes together. (Adding a touch more water, only if needed.)
- When the dough comes together, transfer it to a work surface and knead a little with your hands until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
For the Filling:
- Mix mashed potatoes with 1 tablespoon butter and salt and pepper, to taste (skip this step if you are using leftover mashed potatoes that have already been seasoned). Add cheddar cheese and mix until just combined.
To Form the Pierogi:
- On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out about 1/8-inch thick.
- Using a cooking cutter or cup, cut as many circles as you can, 3-inches in diameter. (Re-roll the rest of the dough and cut more circles.)
- Using a cookie scoop, place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each dough circle.
- Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges together. (If dough doesn't stick together well enough, dip the tip of your finger in water and run around the edges.) Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
- At this point you can cook them, refrigerate overnight, or freeze for about a month.
To Boil Pierogi
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pierogi and stir gently with a spoon so they don't stick together or to the bottom of the pot.
- Wait until they float to the top and then cook about 3-4 minutes more (if your dough is on the thicker side, they might need more time).
To Pan-Fry Pierogi
- In a large skillet warm 3 tablespoons butter and saute pierogi on both sides, until they are lightly browned and heated through.
- Serve boiled or pan-fried pierogi with butter, sour cream, and diced scallions.
Video
Notes
- For recipe tips, please refer to the full article.
- Watch the video for more help!
- Raw formed pierogi freeze beautifully, so you should definitely make a double batch! Then just grab however many you need at a time. To Freeze: dust a baking sheet with flour and arrange pierogi in a single layer so they are not touching. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer to a large plastic freezer-safe bag. (Flash-freezing keeps them from sticking together once fully frozen.) They will keep in the freezer for about 1 month.
Nutrition
Other Notes
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you have to boil them before pan frying or can you pan fry the raw pierogi?
Boil them first. Enjoy!
First time making pierogi from scratch and was delighted with the results!
Thank you, Amy! This is my second Christmas making homemade pierogie. Last year tried a different recipe and failed. This year your article really helped me nail it! Thank you for the tips! I see resting the dough made a big difference.
I doubled the recipe and ended up with 25. I assume my dough was just slightly thicker than yours. I served it with smoked Turkey sausage, angel hair cabbage, and sour cream. Yum! Can’t wait to repeat this tradition next year.
I absolutely loved these. I use to by them in the store but moved to an area where I could get them. These were sooo much better :)
First time making homemade pierogi. Loved this recipe. I pan fried in butter and served with sour cream.
This recipe is amazing and so easy. I made it along the very time making perogies. For the inside mixture I made garlic mashed potatoes with pieces of fried Spicy Italian sausage. My boyfriend was a cook at one time so he’s my tester for all my recipes. He totally loves this recipe. Making more tomorrow as I made to much mixture so I can freeze some.
Adding a bit of your potato cheese mixture to your dough gives the dough added flavor plus it makes the dough super tender.
First time ever making pierogis. Actually, my first time ever making any dough! They came out great and I was so excited. Flavor is there too. Great recipe and instruction, thank you!
I’ve always wanted to make these, but thought they’d be really difficult. They do take a little time, but this was an excellent recipe with easy to follow instructions. Next time I’m going to make a double batch and freeze them because there weren’t any left – we loved them!
Made these many times over the years!
If I freeze my pierogi how long should I boil them when I take them out. Do I have to unthaw them first?
Great recipe
You don’t need to thaw them first. Add frozen pierogi to lightly salted boiling water for about 3-4 minutes or until they float to the top.
I Love them ! I eat them all the time thank you for the recipe
What do you serve with these ? This sounds so good, I might try them today, but what then ? Meatloaf, grilled chicken ? Ideas please.
Hi Denise! There’s a section of suggested sides above the printable recipe card and at the very beginning of the post I mentioned how I love this dish –> https://bellyfull.net/potato-and-cheese-pierogi-with-sauteed-cabbage-and-apples/ … hope that helps!