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Pierogi are delightful dumplings stuffed with potatoes and cheese. These are traditional Polish dumpling that puts a whole new meaning to comfort food!
I love comfort food because, obviously, it just makes everything better. Try these other comfort food favorites, Biscuits and Gravy, Rigatoni, and Meatloaf!
What is a Pierogi?
Pierogi look similar to Potstickers but are filled with a potato and cheese filling and are made from a simple egg dough. These are dreamy creamy dumpling that is guaranteed to hit the spot. These pierogis are the ultimate comfort food. The dough is a non-yeasted dough that is super easy to work with. It rolls out like a dream. Traditionally these potato and cheese dumplings are made with farmer’s cheese which can be hard to find. Cottage cheese and sour cream make a great substitution.
The combination of boiling and then pan-frying the pierogi provides the perfect texture. These are perfectly tender with a slightly crispy outside. The inside contains a cheesy luscious filling you are going to love. These are way better than anything you will find in the frozen section of the store. The caramelized onions and butter are absolutely divine. Top these pierogi with a bit more cheese and green onions if desired.
What You Need for Perfect Pierogi
The dough is simple to make and comes together quickly with these pantry staple ingredients. For the printable list of ingredients and measurements, follow the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: This will provide the needed structure for this basic dough.
- Salt: This is a must-have as it adds flavor.
- Vegetable oil: You can use canola oil as a mild-tasting perfect option.
- Eggs: For the eggs to mix in completely and easily, have them at room temperature.
- Warm water: Using warm water helps everything combine and creates a nice supple dough.
Cheese and Potato Filling Ingredients
Pierogi are filled with a savory potato and cheese filling that is warm and comforting. You won’t go wrong with these homemade pierogis! See the recipe card below for all the measurements and full information about the pierogi recipe.
- Medium russet potatoes: Russets will have the best texture. Other potatoes can be too waxy.
- Butter unsalted: Have the butter at room temperature or softened for easy mixing.
- Cottage cheese or sour cream: You can use one or the other or a combination of both.
- Cheddar cheese grated: I like to use finely grated cheese that I do myself.
- Salt: Again, this adds needed flavor, so do not forget it.
- Sweet onion: Dice the onion small, or leave in long slices.
- Butter: More butter, because everything is better with butter.
Making the Dough
These pierogis are just what you need to create the best dinner for your family. Start with combining in the bowl the flour, salt, veggie oil, and egg. Use the dough hook on low to mix until combined. Bring the speed up to medium-high and mix for 5-6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springy. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.
Pierogi Dough Filling
Once the dough is created and ready to stuff with potatoes and cheese mixture, these pierogis will cook up in minutes!
- Potatoes: Peel and chop potatoes into large pieces and add to a pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes by an inch and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, and then mash well.
- Cheese Filling: Add in the butter, cottage cheese or sour cream, cheddar cheese, and salt. Once smooth, set aside.
How to Make Homemade Pierogi
- Roll: Cut the dough into two equal pieces and set one aside, keeping it covered to prevent it from drying out. Roll the other piece out on a floured surface until it is 1/8 inch in thickness.
- Cut and Fill: Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut circles in the dough as close as possible to maximize the amount of usable dough. Add about ½ tablespoon of the potato mixture to the center of the rounds and then fold over. Pinch the edges together tightly to seal the filling in. Make sure to really pinch the dough together because you don’t the filling to burst out.
- Fill the Rest: Set aside all the finished pierogis and then repeat the process with the remaining half of the dough.
- Brown the Onions: Add the chopped onion and butter to a large skillet. Cook the onions on medium-low for about 20 minutes, until the onions are nice and browned.
- Boil and Skillet Fry: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pierogis in two batches and boil until they float, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add them to the skillet with the cooked onions. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Plate and eat while hot!
The Best Polish Pierogi Tips
Rich and cheesy, the only thing these pierogis need is time to assemble, but it is super easy to do! These are the perfect dinner recipe your family will love.
- Potatoes: Stick to russet potatoes for this recipe. Golden and red potatoes are too waxy and will create a rubbery filling instead of being smooth and creamy.
- Mash: For the best texture of your potatoes, use a ricer, food mill, or even a fork to mash them. This will keep the inside light and fluffy.
- Cheese: Finely grate your own cheddar cheese to avoid the anti-caking agents on pre-shredded cheeses. This can keep the cheese from melting and mixing with the potato mixture.
- Cottage Cheese: In Poland, they use what is called Farmer’s cheese. This can be hard to find, so we use cottage cheese with sour cream to create the perfect taste and texture. Ricotta cheese can be substituted for cottage cheese as well.
- Must boil then fry: Make sure you boil the pierogi first to cook the dough thoroughly. Then you can either pan fry them or even air fry them. To air-fry, spray them with olive oil and place them in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 1-2 minutes per side. Watch carefully.
- Top it: Garnish with more cheese, sliced green onion, bacon, and a side of sour cream if you desire.
What to Serve with Pierogi
These are definitely a worthy main dish with its rich filling and butter onion garnish. It is a dish made to comfort the soul. Serve these with a variety of sides to make it a complete meal your family is absolutely going to love. Keeping a bit more on the Polish side serve with a cabbage and sausage or a nice cabbage roll. Yum!
Making Ahead and Freezing Pierogi
These taste way better than anything from the frozen section of the store. Make a double batch and freeze your own for later.
- Make-Ahead Dough: Once the dough is made, you can either use it right away or wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 2 hours before using. Let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before using. To freeze the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter till ready to use.
- How to Freeze Pierogi: Once you assemble the pierogi, you can freeze it before cooking them. Make a double batch so you can freeze some for another time. Place the pierogi on a baking sheet and place in the freezer till frozen, about 2 hours. Then transfer the pierogi to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 1 month. No need to thaw before cooking; you can boil them right from the freezer. Just add an extra minute or two to the boil time.
More Comfort Recipes to Love
I believe Comfort food is a food group of it’s own. Its a personalized food group made up of foods that bring you comfort and joy. There are just some foods that when you taste them just make everything in the world right again, even if it’s just for a little while. They melt away the concerns of life and allow you to laugh with loved ones. Food can be pretty powerful that way and these tried and true comfort foods are ones you have to try. They are worth coming home for!
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Pierogi
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup warm water
Filling
- 2 medium russet potatoes
- 2 Tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¼ cup cottage cheese (or sour cream)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 small sweet onion
- 3 Tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, vegetable oil, egg and warm water. Use the dough hook on low to mix until combined. Bring the speed up to medium-high and mix for 5-6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and springy. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.
Filling
- Peel and chop potatoes into large pieces and add to a pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes by an inch and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for about 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then mash well.
- Add in the butter, cottage cheese or sour cream, cheddar cheese and salt. Once smooth, set aside.
Assembly
- Cut the dough into two equal pieces and set one aside, keeping it covered to prevent it from drying out. Roll the other piece out on a floured surface until it is 1/8 inch in thickness.
- Using a 3 inch cookie cutter cut circles in the dough as close as possible to maximize the amount of usable dough. Add about ½ tablespoon of the potato mixture to the center of the rounds and then fold over. Pinch the edges together tightly to seal the filling in. Make sure to really pinch the dough together because you don’t the filling to burst out.
- Set aside all the finished pierogis and then repeat the process with the remaining half of the dough.
- Add the chopped onion and butter to a large skillet. Cook the onions on medium low for about 20 minutes, until the onions are nice and browned.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pierogis in two batches and boil until they float, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add them to the skillet with the cooked onions. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Plate and eat while hot!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My Polish mother-in-law made the best pierogi’s I’ve ever had. She used farmer cheese and instead if the little pierogi you see everywhere hers were quite large. Two were a meal.
Our family loved this recipe! The instructions were easy to follow and well done. I can’t wait to make them again! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Delicious! I added some extra cheese and a dash of garlic powder to the filling. Served with sliced smoked sausage along with the onions. So good!
The reason I didn’t leave on star is that the pics seem to be an accurate representation of the final product. However, the main criticism here is the dough. This dough is obviously way, way too thick. It needs to be much thinner, and that requires the perfect proportion of dough and other ingredients. It also requires skill to ensure the dough does not fall apart due to the fillings.
There are only two methods to get the right dough:have an expert spot you as you’re making the dough, and the other is more expensive: trial and error.
There are reasons why pierogies are so expensive. It’s because they yield hard profits when you skimp on the cheese, and are in fact difficult to make if you want to do it the right way. I have not come across any store bought “grandma” pierogi recipes. They’re all inferior commercial versions.
If you have a mom or grandma that has this skill, learn it, and learn it well. Teach others this skill (charge for it). You’re never going to learn this by reading or watching recipes/videos online. The end.
I understand that this makes 30 pierogi.. but how many are considered one serving? Thanks
About 4-5 pierogi are one serving.
Would gluten free all purpose flour work?
I haven’t tried that before in this recipe but it should work!
Can you store these in the fridge before you do the final cooking of them?
Yes! Just make sure to store them in an airtight container.
Is the nutritional info for all 30 or for 1 pierogi? Seems like it would be for just one but just asking. So 1 serving is 1 pierogi?
That is the estimated nutritional value for one pierogi.
I make roast beef ones & also potato cheese spinach ones delicious. Serve with salad and a meal.
Can they be stored if their are leftovers.
Yes! Put the extras in an airtight container or bag and store them in the fridge. they will last for about 2-3 days!
Can the dough be made by hand, if a person doesn’t have a stand mixer?
You may have to mix it for longer but it should work! Just make sure that you have a smooth and springy dough before you move on to the next step!
Thank you for your recipe! I just made theses and it couldn’t have been any easier to make! Wish I could post a pic of them cause a year ago I bought theses pastry molds and they look like I bought theses Pierogies at the grocery store lol! Again thank you 🙏
this recipe is very delicious and I am Loving It
This Is Easy to Make At Home and Anywhere
this recipe is very delicious and I am Loving It
Pierogi (the word is already plural) is a delicious Polish dish. They’re not traditionally made with cottage cheese. My neighbor (from Polsnd) makes her’s w/Cream Cheese, since it’s the closest to the cheese that’s used in Poland. Also, she uses Baby Red Potatoes, ’cause Russets absorb too much water when they’re cooking. The starch in the Red Potatoes holds everything together nicely. After the Pierogi finish cooking in water, they’re drained, put into a frying pan w/butter, & slightly browned on both sides. They’re served w/Caramelized Onions on top, or w/Sour Cream. I’m not critizing your recipe as posted, but just offering an authentic Pierogi recipe.
Can you use a pasta roller to roll out he dough? If so what number would you go to?
That is a great idea! I would still make them semi-thick to hold up when cooked. Probably a 2 or a 3 would be best!
its easy to make at home and favorite of family