Home » Recipe » Your Ultimate Guide on How to Cook Pierogi
By Author Renee Groskreutz
Posted on Last updated:
Categories Recipe, Side Dish
Everything about Pierogi
Every country has a famous delicacy.
Today, we will talk about Poland’s in particular.
Pierogi, also known as varenyky is one of the most famous delicacies of Poland.
It’s Poles own kind of dumpling.
It’s made of unleavened dough pockets filled with just about anything the cook desires.
Its most common fillings are potatoes, cheese, ground meat, sauerkraut (chopped cabbage), and fruits.
The authentic pierogi is known for its savory and sweetish taste.
But there are countless styles of cooking pierogi.
Pierogi can be found in most countries around the globe.
In Canada, it’s known as perogi while in the Philippines, it’s called empanada.
It’s also known as piroghi, pyrohy or piroggen.
After showing you how to cook the original pierogi, I will share with you 2 more pierogi recipes that you can try in the latter part of this article.
For sure you wouldn’t want to miss that!
Here at Cookingchew, we don’t just show our readers how tocook a certain dish.
We love to provide our readers more than just the cooking procedure, but also the necessary information about the topic.
So how do you make pierogi?
Can it be done at home?
Does it needexpert cooking skills?
While practice takes just about anything to perfection, anyone can cook pierogi in the luxury of their home kitchens, for it is easy to make and easy to prepare.
We’ll show you first how to cook the staple recipe for Polish pierogi.
The ingredients that you’ll need
For the Dough
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. melted butter
- 2 cups sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
For the Filling
- 1/2 kg cubed potatoes
- salt
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp. cream cheese
- onionsalt
- black ground pepper
How to Cook Pierogi
Follow these 10 easy steps and say hello to your own pierogi! Let’s start.
Prepare the filling at least a day ahead before cooking.
1. Slice Potatoes Into Cubes
Slice potatoes into small square cubes about 2×2 inch in size.
2. Add Potatoes to Boiling Water
Add potatoes to boiling water. Season with salt. Simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
TIP!
Add the potatoes only when the water boils to prevent it from being soggy.
3. Mush Potatoes With Cheddar Cheese, Cream Cheese
Drain cooked potatoes into a bowl.
Add 1 cup cheddar cheese and 2 Tbsp. cream cheese and mash together until smooth.
Set aside to cool.
4. Prepare Dry and Wet Ingredients Into 2 Separate Bowls
Put 4 1/2 cups of flour to bowl. Add 2 tsp. of salt and stir together.
In a separate bowl, whisk 2 Tbsp. melted butter, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, 2 cups sour cream, and 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil together.
5. Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients to Make the Dough
Mix the flour w/ salt to the wet mixture until well-blended.
You will know it’s okay if there are no solid lumps in the mixture.
Cover with a kitchen towel then set aside for 15 minutes.
6. Knead Dough With 1/8 to 1/4 Inch Thickness
Be careful not to tear the dough when you knead it to prevent filling from bursting out when you boil the pierogi.
7. Cut the Dough Into Circles and Place the Filling
Cut the dough with a cookie cutter or you can use a glass bottom as an alternative.
Brush the edges with water for a smoother edge.
Place 1 scoop of the filling at the center of each circle.
Fold it in half, forming a half circle.
8. Press Edges Using a Fork for a More Decorative Look
Use fork to add texture to the edges for a better serving presentation.
9. Bring Pierogi to a Boil
Lower pierogi to boiling water.
You’ll know they’re cooked once they float.
Be careful not to overcook them or else they’ll become soggy.
TIP!
Freeze pierogi before boiling to prevent fillings from bursting out the dough.
10. Serve With Mayonnaise if Desired
Since I told you that there are a lot of versions of pierogi, I owe not just one recipe.
So I’ve laid out here the 2 most famous versions of pierogi for you to try.
Note that I did not indicate anymore the procedure for making the dough, only the process in making the fillings since the filling is what makes a pieróg different from one another.
Sauerkraut Pierogi for Christmas
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cups minced cabbage
- salt and pepper to taste
- Pierogi dough
Procedure
- Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
- Add onion, stir, and cook for 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Season with salt and pepper.Chill to set.
- Arrange into pierogi then bring to a boil.
Fruit Pierogi for Summer
Ingredients
- 1/2kg strawberries
- 1/2kg bilberries or blueberries
- Sugar
- Potato starch (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
- Pierogi dough
Procedure
- Wash fruits and drain.
- Slice strawberries into small pieces. No need to slice bilberries, as they are small.If you use blueberries, you need to cut it by half.
- Place 2 fruits into 2 bowls separately. Add sugar for sweeter taste. Mush fruits until they turn into fine mixture.
- Arrange into pierogi then bring to a boil.
More Tips to Be a Pierogi Master
If you prefer a harder and cartilaginous dough, add more yolk.
If you’re making a pierogi with a sweet filling, replace 50-70% of the water you’ll use with milk.
This makes the pierogi more tasty and delicious.
For a more savory pierogi dough, use onion juice instead of water.
The Lithuanian housewives discovered this technique.
Conclusion
Isn’t that easy? You only think it’s hard until you’ve finally done it.
Pierogi are such an interesting food.
Many people from all over the world have gone crazy over it.
There’s a pierogi festival in Whiting, Indiana and a 25ft. tall pierogi statue made of fiberglass and steel in Alberta, Canada.
Now that you know how to cook pierogi, you can have it anytime you want it.
You can try and experiment or even make your own filling.
And who knows? You might become a pierogi master in no time.
We do hope that you enjoyed what we’ve talked about today and we’re looking forward to our next dicussions.
Share this to your family and friends and compare your creations.
Do you have something in mind or questions?
Let us know by leaving a comment below! Your thoughts are of our utmost importance.
